Expectations are high at Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Before becoming the Texas A& M athletic director in July, Ross Bjork only knew Jimbo Fisher by reputation and by common relationships.

At a recent practice, Bjork got significant insight into what separates Fisher from most other college football coaches.

During one drill, A& M quarterbacks were throwing to the boundary. A former college player himself, Bjork thought he saw good passes. Not Fisher, who set a cone at 18 yards.

“He wanted the quarterbacks to throw over that cone at the 18-yard mark,” Bjork said. “He wasn't going to stop running that drill until each quarterback hit the spot. …

“That moment kind of stood out to me. Why is that cone at 18 when it could easily be at 20 yards or 15 yards? That attention to detail is what I'm seeing day in and day out.”

It's exactly what A& M hoped to see when it hired Fisher and his national championship resume from Florida State in December 2017.

While so much of Fisher's first season was about the hype — from the 10-year, $75 million contract to the blank national championship plaque he was given — Year 2 is now about realistic expectations and having the foundation in place.

Coming off a 9-4 season and an epic seven-overtime win over budding rival LSU, the Aggies are ranked 11th in the Amway Coaches Poll, the highest they've been to open the season since 2013, Johnny Manziel's sophomore season.

Some are even suggesting this could rival the 1998 season, when R.C. Slocum's team finished 11-3 and beat Kansas State in the Big 12 title game.

Fan enthusiasm is high as reflected in season-ticket sales. A&M is on pace for what could be another top- 10 recruiting class with three five-star recruits committed for 2020.