Aggies Mailbag: Jimbo Fisher all for getting bowls involved in 12-team playoff

“It’s great for college football,” said Fisher, in describing himself as a historian of the sport. “Now that the bowls got depleted because of the (four-team) playoff … it’s almost like there’s a playoff and everyone said, ‘That’s a nice bowl but it’s not a big deal.’ It could help enhance some of those (bowls) … if those games are involved in the playoff.”

The sport is moving to a 12-team playoff by the 2026 regular season but perhaps as soon as the 2024 regular season. The first round of games will be played at or near campuses, traditional bowls will hold the quarterfinals around the turn of the new year and the semifinals and final will be held at neutral sites not necessarily old-school bowl related.

“We’ve (gotten) so caught up on the top end of things that we’re forgetting what allows these teams to develop with bowl games … bowl games originally were rewards for players having a good year, going somewhere, getting to spend time with their teammates, getting more practice and playing a game,” Fisher said. “We’ve kind of changed that in college football, and hopefully this will do it and keep that excitement.”

In other words, keep less players from opting out of what they consider meaningless bowl games that could hinder their pro chances should they suffer an injury in the bonus contest. A&M following an 8-4 regular season bowed out of the Gator Bowl last year, for instance, because of a combination of multiple opt-outs from key players, injuries and COVID-19 cases.

Two years ago A&M would have made the playoff under the coming system, after finishing fifth in the College Football Playoff committee’s final rankings in 2020.

“At the end of the year (right now) there are maybe six or seven teams that can get in the playoffs at the end, when you’re talking about those last three weeks, maybe eight at the most,” Fisher said. “Now with 12 you may have 25 teams (in the mix) … 12, 15, 18 games across the country (late in the year) could still affect the playoff, and that will be good for college football.

“And it will help in recruiting for different schools and different leagues when they’re in the playoff more. You don’t have to go to certain schools to be there — this will just be good for college football overall.”

On to your missives as Appalachian State visits No. 6 A&M at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with some inquires edited for brevity and clarity:

Q: Is a big ol’ unit of Buffet Boys (what our high school coach lovingly called us offensive linemen back in the day) capable of making a drastic improvement in just a couple of weeks? — Maximillius

BZ: The Aggies better be, following that dismal performance against Sam Houston. Running back Devon Achane had zero space to even try and get A&M’s ground game rolling against the Bearkats — so what’s it going to be like against Miami, Arkansas and Alabama, among others?

With center Bryce Foster still absent from the lineup, the Aggies returned two starters on the line from last year, and they looked green indeed in missing last year’s rock, Texans first-round selection Kenyon Green.

Are there any quick answers? No. Can Aggies take heart in the improvement of the line two years ago leading to a 9-1 finish following a rocky opener against Vanderbilt? Yes. But there’s a lot of work to be done between now and one week, when No. 15 Miami visits Kyle Field the night of Sept. 17.

Q: Also, when is the last time you saw our defense this dominant? — Maximillius II

BZ: Appreciate the two-parter, Max. Well, since last year when the Aggies shut out New Mexico in the third week of the season. To your point, the five-star recruiting on that side of the ball appears to already be paying off, especially on the defensive line. Whole lotta solid options there, and not all five stars, either.

Q: My fear is the A&M offense is going to look amazing this weekend against Appalachian State, but the success will not carry over against better teams. When will Jimbo Fisher get more creative with his offensive scheme? — Big John

BZ: You kind of semi-buried the lead there, John, in getting to the heart of the matter: Fisher’s play-calling. The idea is more downfield burners like Evan Stewart and a playmaker in the backfield like Achane would have this offense humming from the start — therefore making it appear more “creative” — but that wasn’t the case against Sam Houston.

And you might be right about the “amazing” part of this weekend (although I have my doubts), considering Appalachian State allowed 63 points to North Carolina. Huge “To Be Determined” on the general direction of Fisher’s oft-maligned offense, the primary thing to keep an eye on in the first few weeks.

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