November 8, 2025 • 11 mins
Originally aired on November 8th, 2025. Cole's insighful interview with Mark Passwaters, for your listening pleasure.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Texas A and M has a game today against Missouri.
But before I ask Mark Passwaters from Aggie Yell dot com.
If you want to give him a follow on social media,
you know where to find him. I got to ask
him this question. Mark we saw as the college football
playoff rankings were unveiled on Tuesday night, Texas number eleven.
Gun tohead right now, does Texas belonging to the college
(00:22):
football Playoff?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
No, at least that's my personal opinion. If they want
to be in the playoff, go be Georgia. Then you're talking.
Then you're in business. Otherwise, you know, they have a
pretty tough go here. They they got Georgia, Arkansas's offense
is really really good, and their defense hasn't played very
well lately, and then obviously you got A and M.
(00:47):
So you know, at this point in time, No, I
don't think they're in. Do they have an opportunity to
be in?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Okay, So so let me just put it this way.
Let's say they beat Georgia, then they beat Arkansas and
they lose by a touchdown or less to Texas A
and M at home, they would have a top five
win over a Georgia team who right now is trailing
seven three Mississippi State.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They would have a top ten win.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Over Vanderbilt, they'd have a close loss on the road
in a neutral site game against Ohio State, who very
well could be Number one, and then a very close
loss to a Texas A and M roster who would
be in their own backyard. Now, my personal stance, you're
nine and three. You don't get to qualify automatically get
in the College Football Playoff, But depending on what we see,
(01:29):
do you think that nine and three is good enough
for the committee to look at a team like Texas
and say, you know what, they played their schedule, they
had a few hard hits delivered their way, but they
were able to get a couple significant wins. We're gonna
put them in No.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Ninety three?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Is that's not I don't think that's feasible or fair
to other teams that probably have better records. And if
you wanted to be in, don't get humiliated by Florida.
It's a pretty simple equation. You know they went down
to the Swamp, which is a place where A and
M has not lost, and they know they won last
(02:04):
year pretty handily played a team in total turmoil.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
And got their hats handed to him.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So I think that at that point, you're nine and three,
you lost Florida, you're out awestly.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Can't argue with you that much. Mark Passwater MBP on three.
If you want to give him a follow, Aggieyell dot com. Mark,
let's talk about today's game. This is a really intriguing
matchup Texas A and M. They're sitting at eight to no.
And of course we've heard for years about the battered
Aggie syndrome. It is a thing that it continuously exists.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I personally think that after winning on the road against
Arkansas and against LSU, that stigmatism has drastically changed because
they're not getting just wins, they're getting convincing wins away
from Kyle Field. But there are some challenges when you
go up against a Miszoo defense that is top ten
in pressure rate and top ten against the run. So
when you look at one thing that could derail Texas
(02:57):
A and M moving to nine to o, what is
that thing to look for in Columbia this same afternoon, missing.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Tackles on a Matt Hardy. It's that simple.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
If they go out there and they play against the
run the way that they did in their first three
conference games, then they're in good shape. They play it
the way that they did against Arkansas and the first
half against LSU, they might have trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
They well probably will have trouble.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
If you go out there and you're able to limit
the damage that Hardy does and you're not gonna completely
shut him down, it's not a pipe dream. You got
to go out there and just minimize the damage. Get
them into situations where a true freshman making his first
started quarterback has to make the throws, and then you're probably.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
In good shape.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
But if you let them run and you let them
do what they do, which is, you know, just grind
the game out, control time of possession, then you got
a problem.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You do bring this up without Matt Zohlers, the starting
freshman quarterback for Missouri. They end of a week to
be able to kind of work with him. He filled
in in the second half against Vanderbilt. Is there a
part of you that the worries about the theory of
backup quarterbacks that don't have a lot of film put
on them, that they could easily create some opportunities that
maybe put a team that has a great defense in
(04:16):
a position to where it ends up being a little
bit too close for comfort at times.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Well, sure, I.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Mean you're talking about something that you just don't have
a real answer for. I mean, Mike Helko was asked
about this on Monday at his press conference and he
said that they went back and watched his high school
huddle film. So that's how far back they went to
try to get information on Matt Sellier's And this is a.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Guy who you know, was a top one hundred prospect.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
He's got a big arm, but what he doesn't have
is any experience against a team like A and M
that can be very let's say tricky in passing situations,
and they'll probably show him a lot more thing then
they would normally if Bo Prabuela was still under center,
because they think that they can probably confuse him. Now,
(05:08):
if they can't and he has time, that could be
a problem. But you know, asking a true freshman making
his first start and he's only thrown twenty nine passes
all season to go out there and you know, really
carry the game on his shoulders, I think would be
way too much to ask.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Now, for the opposing side, you talk about Texas a
and M Marcel Reid making his I believe it's an
eighteen start since last season. On top of that, he
has been able to kind of figure some things out.
In my opinion, he was the best quarterback of the
month of October in the SEC. When you look at him,
what does a win like this on the road do
(05:48):
for his resume to be able to maybe make a
run to the Heisman Trophy presentation in the Big Apple
later on next month.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Well, obviously it depends on how he performs, but if
they win, it's probably because he had a good day.
So I think that if you sit there and say
that A and M has gone nine and oh and
they went three and oh on an SEC road schedule
at Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, then I think that
(06:19):
that at his Heisman campaign certainly adds some weight because
it to go and three and oh on the road
in the SEC is no mean feat. I don't care
who you play, So if they he can go out
and he can played well today and they win again,
(06:39):
then I think more people have to start taking him seriously.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Mark Passwater from aggiel dot com MDP on three. If
you want to give him a follow on Twitter, Mark
I gotta ask you, this is from a standpoint and
looking at it from a neutral site. Does Texas A
and on the best offensive line in the SEC? And
are they also the most underrated or underappreciated offensive line
in the country right now? Because we hear about what
Miami's doing, we hear about what teams in the Big
(07:04):
twelve are doing. Texas A and M's only allowed eight
sacks this year, and credit you have a mobile quarterback.
But they also are creating opportunities to create those big
time plays downfield to Mario Craver in case of concepcium.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, not only that, they put A and M in
a position where if they're ahead in the middle of
the third quarter, they're gonna just start wearing you down.
We saw that against Mississippi State, We saw that against Florida.
You know, obviously Arkansas became a shootout, but they provided
plenty of room for Reed to do his thing and
(07:37):
the running game was very strong. And then against LSU,
I mean you look at it, the drive where they
took the lead back in the in the very first
minutes of the third quarter. Nine play drive, eight plays
are runs. I mean, they just they just lean on people.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
So yeah, I think that they are probably overlooked. And
you know, I.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Think that the people who know things are looking at
him for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the
best offensive line in college football.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
You know, they have exceeded expectations to this point.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
And if they can go out and they can continue
to play at this level against a very good, it's
very pass rush, then yeah, I think that they're not.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Only being overlooked, they're being undervalued.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
All right, before we get on out of here, two
more one quick ones for you. The first one is
when you look currently at Texas, A and M I
personally just think this way because it's the way my
brain is. I do not see a scenario where anybody
goes undefeated in the SEC this year. So which do
you think is a tougher matchup for the Aggies to
go ahead and pull off the win, a road victory
against Missouri today or later on down the wire on
(08:46):
a Friday night in Austin against Texas.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I think the Texas game just because of the level
of intensity that is inherent to that rivalry, and the
offense is starting to play better. They're very, very good
against the run. They get to the passer a lot.
You know, they're number two in sects per game in
the country. Number one is A and M. So is
(09:11):
there a chance that A and M's defense can really
get going against a weak offensive line of Texas.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Yeah, but that defense for Texas is nasty, and you.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Know it only takes a couple of big plays for
March Manning and Texas is in good shape to win
that ball game.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
And last, but certainly not least, I have to bring
this on up. There's an opening out in State College Pennsylvania.
Mike Elco previously played at Penn He has ties to
the Northeast. But when I see the way that he
is easily fitting in with the culture, the identity, and
what he's been able to establish in two years down
to Kyle Field, can you just go ahead and make
(09:50):
it clear to everybody else out there, Hey, thanks but
no thanks, Pat Craft, thanks but no thanks. Elon's nation,
we got our head coach. He can't go on anywhere
anytime so.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, I mean, on Monday, I asked him about the
other four coaches, the four quotes that have been fired
so far in the SEC, and he knocked on the
wooden podium, and I said, I'll knock it off. You're
not going anywhere, and he looked at me again, paused
for a second, and knocked on wood again. Yeah, that
seems like a man who's not really in a hurry
(10:21):
to go anywhere. And you know, people say, okay, he's
a pen man, and you know he's from Jersey and
all this. He's had opportunities to go back to the Northeast,
you know, several times, including the Temple.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Job, and he stayed.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
He in his last five stops, he's been in Indiana,
North Carolina twice and Texas twice. It doesn't sound like
a man who's in a hurry to go back to
the Northeast.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Mark Passwater MBP on three. If you want to give
him a follow on Twitter, make sure you check out
his work at Aggie yeall dot com. And always make
sure you go ahead and give him flack because the
bat at Aggie syndrome until proven otherwise, it is still
well Passport, you're the best man, all right, you lady,
appreciate you. Mark Passport to give him a follow on
Twitter at MBP on three
Texas A and M has a game today against Missouri.
But before I ask Mark Passwaters from Aggie Yell dot com.
If you want to give him a follow on social media,
you know where to find him. I got to ask
him this question. Mark we saw as the college football
playoff rankings were unveiled on Tuesday night, Texas number eleven.
Gun tohead right now, does Texas belonging to the college
(00:22):
football Playoff?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
No, at least that's my personal opinion. If they want
to be in the playoff, go be Georgia. Then you're talking.
Then you're in business. Otherwise, you know, they have a
pretty tough go here. They they got Georgia, Arkansas's offense
is really really good, and their defense hasn't played very
well lately, and then obviously you got A and M.
(00:47):
So you know, at this point in time, No, I
don't think they're in. Do they have an opportunity to
be in?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Okay, So so let me just put it this way.
Let's say they beat Georgia, then they beat Arkansas and
they lose by a touchdown or less to Texas A
and M at home, they would have a top five
win over a Georgia team who right now is trailing
seven three Mississippi State.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
They would have a top ten win.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Over Vanderbilt, they'd have a close loss on the road
in a neutral site game against Ohio State, who very
well could be Number one, and then a very close
loss to a Texas A and M roster who would
be in their own backyard. Now, my personal stance, you're
nine and three. You don't get to qualify automatically get
in the College Football Playoff, But depending on what we see,
(01:29):
do you think that nine and three is good enough
for the committee to look at a team like Texas
and say, you know what, they played their schedule, they
had a few hard hits delivered their way, but they
were able to get a couple significant wins. We're gonna
put them in No.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Ninety three?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Is that's not I don't think that's feasible or fair
to other teams that probably have better records. And if
you wanted to be in, don't get humiliated by Florida.
It's a pretty simple equation. You know they went down
to the Swamp, which is a place where A and
M has not lost, and they know they won last
(02:04):
year pretty handily played a team in total turmoil.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
And got their hats handed to him.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So I think that at that point, you're nine and three,
you lost Florida, you're out awestly.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Can't argue with you that much. Mark Passwater MBP on three.
If you want to give him a follow, Aggieyell dot com. Mark,
let's talk about today's game. This is a really intriguing
matchup Texas A and M. They're sitting at eight to no.
And of course we've heard for years about the battered
Aggie syndrome. It is a thing that it continuously exists.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Now.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I personally think that after winning on the road against
Arkansas and against LSU, that stigmatism has drastically changed because
they're not getting just wins, they're getting convincing wins away
from Kyle Field. But there are some challenges when you
go up against a Miszoo defense that is top ten
in pressure rate and top ten against the run. So
when you look at one thing that could derail Texas
(02:57):
A and M moving to nine to o, what is
that thing to look for in Columbia this same afternoon, missing.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Tackles on a Matt Hardy. It's that simple.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
If they go out there and they play against the
run the way that they did in their first three
conference games, then they're in good shape. They play it
the way that they did against Arkansas and the first
half against LSU, they might have trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
They well probably will have trouble.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
If you go out there and you're able to limit
the damage that Hardy does and you're not gonna completely
shut him down, it's not a pipe dream. You got
to go out there and just minimize the damage. Get
them into situations where a true freshman making his first
started quarterback has to make the throws, and then you're probably.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
In good shape.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
But if you let them run and you let them
do what they do, which is, you know, just grind
the game out, control time of possession, then you got
a problem.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
You do bring this up without Matt Zohlers, the starting
freshman quarterback for Missouri. They end of a week to
be able to kind of work with him. He filled
in in the second half against Vanderbilt. Is there a
part of you that the worries about the theory of
backup quarterbacks that don't have a lot of film put
on them, that they could easily create some opportunities that
maybe put a team that has a great defense in
(04:16):
a position to where it ends up being a little
bit too close for comfort at times.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Well, sure, I.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Mean you're talking about something that you just don't have
a real answer for. I mean, Mike Helko was asked
about this on Monday at his press conference and he
said that they went back and watched his high school
huddle film. So that's how far back they went to
try to get information on Matt Sellier's And this is a.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Guy who you know, was a top one hundred prospect.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
He's got a big arm, but what he doesn't have
is any experience against a team like A and M
that can be very let's say tricky in passing situations,
and they'll probably show him a lot more thing then
they would normally if Bo Prabuela was still under center,
because they think that they can probably confuse him. Now,
(05:08):
if they can't and he has time, that could be
a problem. But you know, asking a true freshman making
his first start and he's only thrown twenty nine passes
all season to go out there and you know, really
carry the game on his shoulders, I think would be
way too much to ask.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Now, for the opposing side, you talk about Texas a
and M Marcel Reid making his I believe it's an
eighteen start since last season. On top of that, he
has been able to kind of figure some things out.
In my opinion, he was the best quarterback of the
month of October in the SEC. When you look at him,
what does a win like this on the road do
(05:48):
for his resume to be able to maybe make a
run to the Heisman Trophy presentation in the Big Apple
later on next month.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Well, obviously it depends on how he performs, but if
they win, it's probably because he had a good day.
So I think that if you sit there and say
that A and M has gone nine and oh and
they went three and oh on an SEC road schedule
at Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, then I think that
(06:19):
that at his Heisman campaign certainly adds some weight because
it to go and three and oh on the road
in the SEC is no mean feat. I don't care
who you play, So if they he can go out
and he can played well today and they win again,
(06:39):
then I think more people have to start taking him seriously.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Mark Passwater from aggiel dot com MDP on three. If
you want to give him a follow on Twitter, Mark
I gotta ask you, this is from a standpoint and
looking at it from a neutral site. Does Texas A
and on the best offensive line in the SEC? And
are they also the most underrated or underappreciated offensive line
in the country right now? Because we hear about what
Miami's doing, we hear about what teams in the Big
(07:04):
twelve are doing. Texas A and M's only allowed eight
sacks this year, and credit you have a mobile quarterback.
But they also are creating opportunities to create those big
time plays downfield to Mario Craver in case of concepcium.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, not only that, they put A and M in
a position where if they're ahead in the middle of
the third quarter, they're gonna just start wearing you down.
We saw that against Mississippi State, We saw that against Florida.
You know, obviously Arkansas became a shootout, but they provided
plenty of room for Reed to do his thing and
(07:37):
the running game was very strong. And then against LSU,
I mean you look at it, the drive where they
took the lead back in the in the very first
minutes of the third quarter. Nine play drive, eight plays
are runs. I mean, they just they just lean on people.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
So yeah, I think that they are probably overlooked. And
you know, I.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Think that the people who know things are looking at
him for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the
best offensive line in college football.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
You know, they have exceeded expectations to this point.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
And if they can go out and they can continue
to play at this level against a very good, it's
very pass rush, then yeah, I think that they're not.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Only being overlooked, they're being undervalued.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
All right, before we get on out of here, two
more one quick ones for you. The first one is
when you look currently at Texas, A and M I
personally just think this way because it's the way my
brain is. I do not see a scenario where anybody
goes undefeated in the SEC this year. So which do
you think is a tougher matchup for the Aggies to
go ahead and pull off the win, a road victory
against Missouri today or later on down the wire on
(08:46):
a Friday night in Austin against Texas.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I think the Texas game just because of the level
of intensity that is inherent to that rivalry, and the
offense is starting to play better. They're very, very good
against the run. They get to the passer a lot.
You know, they're number two in sects per game in
the country. Number one is A and M. So is
(09:11):
there a chance that A and M's defense can really
get going against a weak offensive line of Texas.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Yeah, but that defense for Texas is nasty, and you.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Know it only takes a couple of big plays for
March Manning and Texas is in good shape to win
that ball game.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
And last, but certainly not least, I have to bring
this on up. There's an opening out in State College Pennsylvania.
Mike Elco previously played at Penn He has ties to
the Northeast. But when I see the way that he
is easily fitting in with the culture, the identity, and
what he's been able to establish in two years down
to Kyle Field, can you just go ahead and make
(09:50):
it clear to everybody else out there, Hey, thanks but
no thanks, Pat Craft, thanks but no thanks. Elon's nation,
we got our head coach. He can't go on anywhere
anytime so.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, I mean, on Monday, I asked him about the
other four coaches, the four quotes that have been fired
so far in the SEC, and he knocked on the
wooden podium, and I said, I'll knock it off. You're
not going anywhere, and he looked at me again, paused
for a second, and knocked on wood again. Yeah, that
seems like a man who's not really in a hurry
(10:21):
to go anywhere. And you know, people say, okay, he's
a pen man, and you know he's from Jersey and
all this. He's had opportunities to go back to the Northeast,
you know, several times, including the Temple.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Job, and he stayed.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
He in his last five stops, he's been in Indiana,
North Carolina twice and Texas twice. It doesn't sound like
a man who's in a hurry to go back to
the Northeast.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Mark Passwater MBP on three. If you want to give
him a follow on Twitter, make sure you check out
his work at Aggie yeall dot com. And always make
sure you go ahead and give him flack because the
bat at Aggie syndrome until proven otherwise, it is still
well Passport, you're the best man, all right, you lady,
appreciate you. Mark Passport to give him a follow on
Twitter at MBP on three
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