Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Aggies are the best team in the nation according to one surprising ESPN analytics measure
Texas A&M Aggies strength of record is unmatched by any other top teams in college footblal
The Texas A&M Aggies continue to put together one of the most impressive season’s in program history. In fact, they’re easily on pace to have the best season of this century given how well they’ve performed, even accounting for this last week’s struggles against Arkansas.
They already have their first 7-0 record since the mid-1990s. They’re going for an 8-0 record this week against LSU. According to ESPN Analytics though, the record itself isn’t what’s most impressive, it’s the strength of it.
Texas A&M Aggies Strength of Record Stats
- Texas A&M ranks number one in ESPN Analytics’ “Strength of Record” measure
- Strength of Record is the percent chance that an average Top 25 team would have a team’s win-loss record or better, given the schedule
- The Aggies have faced the 16th toughest schedule in the country so far among all FBS teams according to ESPN (5th toughest according to Pro Football Reference’s methodology)
- The Aggies also rank 8th in average in-game win probability, which adjusts for how they control games compared to the typical FBS team versus their given schedule
Texas A&M Aggies rank number one in strength of record according to ESPN
The Aggies have the number one “Strength of Record” this season according to ESPN Analytics, with only one other team coming close to them (the Indiana Hoosiers). Yes, of course it helps that they’re 7-0. Any team that remains undefeated this deep into the season is going to have a good mark for strength of record, but apparently what the Aggies have accomplished is even more impressive than Indiana, Ohio State, and BYU who also have zero losses.
How so? Strength of record is essentially just the probability that the typical Top 25 team would have the record that a team does, and apparently A&M’s run of success has been almost impossible. ESPN Analytics gives the average Top 25 team only an 8% chance to pull off a 7-0 record against the Aggies’ schedule to date. Indiana, 9%. Ohio State, 16%. BYU, 28% (thanks to their extremely soft strength of schedule).
7-0 against a schedule that includes Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, and Mississippi State is a strong start, but their remaining schedule might be even more difficult. The Aggies do avoid both Alabama and Georgia this season, but they still have to beat LSU this week, then finish up against Missouri, South Carolina, Samford, and Texas.
The path to 12-0 is certainly there, but ESPN (and most other measures of strength of schedule) would agree that the remaining games might be even more difficult than their first seven overall compared to the rest of the country.
Mike Elko should have his team ready. Marcel Reed and his squad of offensive weapons should keep putting up numbers. Cashius Howell and the defense should continue bringing the pressure. Texas A&M seriously has its best shot at an undefeated season in forever, and most definitely looks to be in good position to make the College Football Playoff given their impressive strength of record so far. Hopefully this momentum continues.
We’ll be back with more Texas A&M Aggies coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
