Texas A&M Aggies Expert Says Why First Game Is Critical

The Texas A&M Aggies are just about a week and a half away from kicking off a new era and the 2024 season .

Mike Elko is not done any favors by the schedule , and there will be no easing into things for the Aggies with a cupcake opponent in week one. Instead, it will be the biggest microscope possible under the lights at Kyle Field hosting top-ten Notre Dame in what will be one of, if not the marquee matchup on August 31.

If Elko's Aggies can pull of a win, it sets a tone for the season that this is not a rebuilding year, and Texas A&M is back and ready to compete already, while a loss essentially says the opposite. Jeff Tarpley of GigEm247 echoed a similar sentiment during a Texas radio appearance with Glenn Smith, essentially calling the matchup a must-win.

"I think A&M has to win because you have got to make a first impression on everyone. You got the Texas game at the end and so you can make another strong impression going into the off season even if you don't make that conference title game," Tarpley said . "This may well be a play-in game for the college football playoff. Notre Dame doesn't have a conference title to win. A&M may not win the SEC. If you win this game, it gives you a leg up on the playoff...For game one, there's a lot of pressure on A&M, not just for the season, but in order to show everyone what they've got as soon as possible."

It won't be long before we start to get a very clear picture of the kind of product Elko and the Aggies are going to put on the field in 2024, and the countdown to kickoff is officially on.