RANKING THE STATE

Texas Division I football rankings: A&M is on the move

Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies.
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Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!

12. RICE

Well, another week, another loss. This time the role of winner was played by Marshall. Mercifully Rice is off this week. Resting comfortably numb in last place of what is not exactly a strong Conference-USA. Zero wins through nine weeks, this has got to feel like the year that never ends. I feel truly sorry for any seniors on the roster and every guy playing through injuries to keep showing up and losing by multiple scores.

11. UTEP

They gave up seven passing touchdowns to UNT's quarterback, Mason Fine. I think Mason's grandkids will hear about this game, "did grandpa ever tell you about that time he threw seven touchdowns in one game?" This year isn't over but UTEP has to be wishing it was, as the Charlotte 49ers come to town and they are heavy favorites to win. So there's that.

10 UTSA

I'm not going to be mean about this one, when UTSA scheduled Texas A&M they had to know what this game was going to look like. There's just no way around this game, and if we're being honest they played this game closer than the Baylor game so in some ways, this isn't a total waste. I know why programs schedule these games, the money helps offset costs these smaller programs have to deal with and I completely understand that, but honestly, this is going to be a loss every time. Good energy and effort, way to stay in there and now you get to travel to Old Dominion University which is basically an even match up; here's hoping things go the Roadrunner's way.

9. NORTH TEXAS

Seven passing touchdowns is the kind of "get right" game Mason Fine and the offense needed to feel way better about themselves. It doesn't erase the loss to the 49ers but it does make the team feel a lot better about the direction and future of this season. They travel to Louisiana Tech for a winnable game this weekend.

8. TEXAS STATE

The Ragin' Cajuns hurt the Bobcats really bad, winning 31-3. Texas State is flailing in free fall and hoping they can catch onto something even remotely resembling momentum. Thankfully the University of Southern Alabama comes to town, and the Jaguars have one win all season and are winless in conference. The Bobcats can turn things around right here if they care enough to. Let's see if they can make it happen.

7. TEXAS TECH

Well now the Red Raiders, who have had a disappointing season in conference so far, travel to West Virginia and have a chance to get a much needed in conference win. There's really no wiggle room for Texas Tech at this point, with five losses they can hope for seven wins and maintain bowl eligibility but only by winning out. They need four in a row.

6. HOUSTON

After a brutal, physical and emotionally draining game, The Cougars are blissfully off this week. Houston has to be in a confusing place as a program. I've made it clear in these rankings what I think of the coaching and the roster decisions that are leading this program and I think the program is going to look back on this brief period of time wondering what were they thinking. They are off this week, so hopefully players are doing their best to prepare for a few more games in spite of everything around them.

5. TCU

It wasn't like they were expected to win all of these crazy games on the back half of their schedule and that's the thing to remember as the last of the season happens. Beating Texas was awesome and raised eyebrows and perhaps expectations but losing to Oklahoma State was likely and therefore isn't and shouldn't be a big shock. Keep in mind even after playing Baylor this week, TCU still has Texas Tech and Oklahoma on the schedule so the losses might stack up.

4. TEXAS A&M

The Aggies laid down a beating on UTSA and they should have but TCU lost so they get the bump. It isn't in doubt who has the better athletes and coaching and the most money etc. If the Aggies would have lost that would have been a bigger problem for the program. That being said, the Fighting Texas Aggies are off this week and then play South Carolina before finishing the year on the road traveling to both Georgia and LSU. These aren't games they're likely to win so seven wins may be the goal for this team at this point.

3. TEXAS

They were off last week and this week Kansas State is coming to town. Texas desperately needs this win to get back into the Top 25 and honestly to save what started off as a season with promise and has had some big setbacks. There were people who were ready to say The Longhorns were back and now, not so much.

2. SMU

While the game was close in score it actually wasn't that close and SMU spent the entire second half chasing Memphis. It's surprising considering that Temple in common made it look like a much closer match up but the reality was in the 3rd quarter when Memphis put touchdowns on the board, SMU just didn't respond. This is that difference of being the team people are looking at instead of being the team people look past. The success is new to these guys and they'll shake it off and figure it out. They have played good football all year until now but they can get their mojo back with the East Carolina Pirates coming to town.

1. BAYLOR

Baylor survived a close call against West Virginia and now they are number 12 in the country. They go on the road to TCU who just lost a game to Oklahoma State and might be looking to try and get another upset in just two weeks after upsetting Texas. Baylor better be on guard or this season could sneak away from them.

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The Texans still have work to do. Composite Getty Image.

We’re inside two weeks to the Astros starting their regular season (Yes!), but the NFL hogged this week of the pro sports scene with its annual spend like drunken sailors shopping spree via free agency. The Texans’ activity has been interesting on both the free agent and trade fronts. Let’s dig in.

Let’s start with their Tunsil-ectomy. Laremy Tunsil was a very good though not superstar left tackle here. His embarrassing number of false starts notwithstanding, Tunsil was consistently their best pass protector. That might not be saying much relative to the rest of the offensive line, but it is not meant as damning with faint praise. Pro Bowl selections can come from reputation or flat-out bad voting, but being named a Pro Bowler five times in six seasons is at least a good indicator a guy doesn’t stink. Still, had he remained, Tunsil’s salary cap figure would have been a bloated 28 and a half million dollars. Getting second and third round draft picks from the Washington Commanders for Tunsil is a good return, though it is also telling that the Texans were willing to absorb 15 million dollars in dead salary cap space to offload him.

Cutting guard Shaq Mason costs the Texans another 12 and a half mil in dead cap space, a little over five million of that swallowed this year with the balance wasted in 2026. Nick Caserio signed Tunsil and Mason to the contract extensions the Texans ultimately chose to escape from early. Caserio’s first first round pick in charge was guard Kenyon Green, whose time with the Texans was an absolute flop. Dealing Green this week to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles for safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is an absolute win, almost regardless of how Gardner-Johnson performs here. “CGJ” joins Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock in giving the Texans three talented safeties all 27 years old or younger. Back to the o-line. Two years in, former second round pick Juice Scruggs is a middling player at best. Off an undistinguished rookie season as a second rounder also, Blake Fisher has a prove himself season coming with the right tackle job seemingly being handed to him.

Tytus Howard presumably slots as the new left tackle. Season-to-season he has never been as good as Tunsil. At over 23 million dollars, Howard presently carries the second-biggest cap figure on the team, behind only Danielle Hunter. One guard spot in 2025 goes to value free agent signee Laken Tomlinson. Summing him up in one word, Tomlinson is middling. In another word he is durable. The 33-year-old Tomlinson has started every game for seven consecutive seasons. The downside is he’s just not that great. Hence the Texans get him on a one-year contract for four and a quarter mil. Yet, if Tomlinson can be an average starting guard that will be a substantial upgrade from their guard play in 2024. That leaves center and the other guard spot to sort through. Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson are still around. Caserio took a flier in trading a 2026 sixth round pick to Minnesota for guard Ed Ingram. After starting for two and a half seasons, a healthy Ingram was benched and didn’t play one snap apart from special teams in the Vikings’ last nine games. Ingram is only 26 years old and in the final season of his rookie contract. Again, he doesn’t need to be confused with prime-Mike Munchak to be able to improve the Texans at least incrementally.

Add it all up and Caserio has not done a good job where the o-line is concerned. His in-season remarks bleating about a “lazy narrative” from the media re: the weakness of that line were condescending and/or mistaken at the time, and now register as flat out ridiculous. The offensive coordinator and offensive line coach have been fired, three of the season-opening starting o-linemen have been jettisoned. With all of the changes, all offensive line problems going forward should be pinned squarely on Caserio. I think C.J. Stroud would agree.

Doubling down on defense

The Texans’ other free agent moves have been depth plays, most notably on the defensive line, re-signing defensive linemen Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, and Kurt Hinish, adding Darrell Taylor, and bringing back 2023 starter Sheldon Rankins after he had an injury-hindered 2024 with Cincinnati. The wide receiver room needed work. Stefon Diggs is probably gone, unfortunately Tank Dell is a question mark to play much at all in 2025. None among Robert Woods, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson should be automatics for roster spots. The trade for Christian Kirk from Jacksonville adds a speed component at wideout. Maybe Justin Watson from Kansas City has sleeper contributor potential. Over the last two seasons with the Chiefs Watson caught 49 passes, five for touchdowns.

The next heavy lifting for the Texans comes with the NFL Draft, which starts April 24. The Texans have the 25th pick in the first round. Pending any other free agent moves of note, offensive line and wide receiver should remain top priorities.

Closing in on Opening Day, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!


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