Johnny Manziel Issues Blunt Warning to Texas A&M After Crushing LSU Loss

Johnny Manziel was highly critical of his alma mater following a slippery end to its September schedule.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first half during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At least one team listed in the top 10 of the AP preseason top 25 poll seems destined to collapse each year.

Through the first month of the 2026 season, Texas A&M is leading the way in that department. The Aggies are 2-2 through their first four games of the season and winless in SEC play.

The 48-20 score of Texas A&M's victory over Arizona State was as deceptive as they come. The offense struggled to move the ball for much of the game and the defense struggled against the pass for three quarters; the Aggies pulled away as a result of turnovers they forced in the fourth quarter.

Those issues were apparent each of the last two weeks. Texas A&M was downright uncompetitive in the third quarters of its 31-21 home loss to Kentucky and its 35-6 loss at LSU last week, allowing its opponents to outgain it by a combined 379-37 in those quarters.

Many are questioning the Aggies as September ends, including former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner dealt his former team a harsh reality check following the loss at LSU.

"Better do some soul searching or you're going to be the (expletive) of the SEC this year boys," Manziel wrote on X.

Manziel was 10-6 against SEC opponents at Texas A&M

The Aggies' offenses produced at an elite level in the two years Manziel was their starting quarterback. The run was highlighted by its win at eventual national champion Alabama in 2012, and all but one of its losses with Manziel were one-score games.

The worst teams in the SEC in 2012 and 2013 were Arkansas and Kentucky. The Razorbacks were in a two-year depression after their parting with Bobby Petrino, and the Wildcats were transitioning from Joker Phillips to Mark Stoops.

Of those two, Texas A&M only faced Arkansas when Manziel was around. The Aggies put on a 58-10 rout against the Razorbacks in 2012, but they had to outrun them in a 45-33 shootout at Arkansas in 2013.

Who else is at risk of dwelling near the bottom of the SEC?

Sep 26, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer observes from the sideline during the second quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arkansas is next on Texas A&M's schedule, and its struggles to open the season are well-documented. The Razorbacks were dreadful in blowout losses against Utah and Georgia, and Texas A&M is their first opportunity at a "get right game" against a conference opponent.

Another team that has begun to sink in the last two weeks is South Carolina. Several positive developments can occur on both sides before the Aggies' trip to Williams-Brice Stadium, but the Gamecocks played a horrific third quarter in their SEC opener against Mississippi State and were uncompetitive at Alabama, a worrying sign for a program with a head coach on a slippery slope.

While it does not appear on Texas A&M's schedule, Vanderbilt is another program showing signs of concern through four games. The defense looks volatile against Power Four competition, and even though Jared Curtis has showcased his five-star potential, he needs more help from his surroundings.