Texas A&M football: 5 best seasons in program history
By Ethan Lee
No. 4: 2012
In 2012, the Texas A&M Aggies made the move from the Big 12 to the SEC, resulting in an end to a storied rivalry game against the Texas Longhorns. While many expected the Aggies to struggle in that transition, A&M actually thrived in its first year in the Southeastern Conference. Under first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin and with redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M took the SEC by storm.
The Aggies actually stumbled in their first SEC game, falling to a Florida Gators team that eventually won 11 games, but A&M quickly bounced back from that loss. A&M rattled off five consecutive wins, beating SMU, South Carolina State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Louisiana Tech.
A&M fell short in its game against LSU, losing by five points, but responded by taking to the road for back-to-back-to-back wins over SEC teams. That three-week road trip began with Auburn, then over to Mississippi State, and finished in Tuscaloosa.
Texas A&M football modern-era Mount Rushmore. light. Related Story
A&M went into Bryant Denny Stadium and beat the previously unbeaten No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Manziel and Sumlin rolled into the home of the defending national champs and beat the Tide thanks to a thrilling offense. Manziel had his Heisman moment in the win over Alabama and would go on to be the story of the season in 2012.
The Aggies returned home and grabbed easy wins over Sam Houston State and Mizzou before heading up to face Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
In Arlington, Texas A&M won with ease, crushing the Sooners, capping off an incredible season in which the Aggies won 11 games. A&M’s two losses that season came against teams who won a combined 21 games and those losses were by a combined eight points.
Manziel won the Heisman Trophy that season. The star quarterback completed 68 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns. But Manziel was the definition of a dual-threat quarterback, and his Heisman campaign was bolstered by similarly great rushing numbers. Manziel, a quarterback, ran for 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns.
An 11-win season, a Cotton Bowl victory, a Heisman Trophy winner and a win over Alabama, the defending and also eventual national champion. Texas A&M certainly had a spectacular season in 2012.