College Football

2013 Texas A&M football schedule: Opponents, game dates and more

Can Johnny Football and the Aggies repeat their impressive 2012 performance in 2013? Let’s take a look at their schedule to see how things will play out in College Station.

by Peter Berkes

Aug 29, 2013, 2:00 AM UTC

Mike Stobe

The 2012 football season was a fun ride for the Texas A&M Aggies. They were expected to get overwhelmed by their first season in the SEC, but they took the league by storm behind Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Manziel and head coach Kevin Sumlin are back in 2013, as well as an explosive cast of supporting players. Can the Aggies put in a repeat performance, or will they crash back to earth? Let's take a look at their schedule and see how things will play out.

2013 Texas A&M schedule


Date	Opponent	Conf.	Projected ranking
8/31/2013	Rice	CUSA	85
9/7/2013	Sam Houston State	FCS
9/14/2013	Alabama	SEC	1
9/21/2013	SMU	AAC	92
9/28/2013	at Arkansas	SEC	43
10/5/2013	Open Date
10/12/2013	at Ole Miss	SEC	27
10/19/2013	Auburn	SEC	58
10/26/2013	Vanderbilt	SEC	52
11/2/2013	UTEP	CUSA	112
11/9/2013	Mississippi State	SEC	49
11/16/2013	Open Date
11/23/2013	at LSU	SEC	4
11/30/2013	at Missouri	SEC	38
12/7/2013	SEC Championship (Atlanta)
Date	Opponent	Conf.	Projected ranking

Projections from Football Outsiders’ 2013 college football almanac.

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The Aggies will play in what is probably the most hyped game of the 2013 season on Sept. 14 when they host Alabama. A loss in that game won’t necessarily derail their season, but may throw off their national title hopes. That game will be very difficult, but it’s one of only two games this year where the Aggies aren’t clearly the better team. A late season visit to Baton Rouge is the other, and A&M will have a chance to avenge one of their two losses in 2012.

In addition to those two obvious showdowns, A&M will have potentially tricky roadtrips to Arkansas and Ole Miss, both of which are capable of springing the upset. The good news for the Aggies, though, is that as brutal as their SEC West slate is, they get off relatively light against the SEC East. A&M avoids Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and gets Missouri and Vanderbilt as their cross-divisional foes.

Considering all the talent that’s coming back and their schedule, Texas A&M should go at least 10-2 in 2013. Things may play out differently now that they are the ones with the target on their backs, but they have the talent to withstand many teams’ best shots. Whether 2013 is a good season or a great season will come down to the Alabama and LSU games.