Texas A&M Football Never Looked More Superior to Texas Than After Tom Herman Debacle — Jimbo Fisher is Not Just Outrunning the Gatorade Bath

The most surprising burst of speed in Texas A&M’s surge past North Carolina in the Orange Bowl came from a 55-year-old coach. Jimbo Fisher outrunning the Gatorade bath turned out to be the great upset of the night.

But that is not the only thing A&M and its $75 Million Coach are easily outrunning. The Aggies are also leaving the University of Texas, the once shining college football program that routinely overshadowed them not so long ago, further and further behind. UT’s bumbling firing of Tom Herman and hiring of the flawed Steve Sarkisian on the same day that A&M finishes a 9-1 season only drives home a truth that’s been there in the background for a while.

The University of Texas is now the program just desperately trying to keep up. To Texas A&M. And its inflated view of its own self importance.

“We’re not done yet,” Fisher says after this 41-27 late-game surge of a win for Texas A&M.

UT is not done yet either. Only, it’s not done making panicky coaching decisions — in another attempt to keep grabbing for past glory. That is what the firing of Herman just weeks after he received a very public vote of confidence from Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte screams out.

Replacing Herman with Steve Sarkisian, the offensive coordinator for national championship favorite Alabama, only reinforces that notion. Sarkisian is doing great things with Alabama’s overwhelming talent, but he picked up the nickname “Seven Win Steve” during a run as the University of Washington’s head coach and flamed out at USC as he battled alcoholism.

Sarkisian should be commended for seemingly turning his life around. That’s a bigger victory than anything you’ll get in football. One of the underrated aspects of Nick Saban’s juggernaut Alabama program is how many coaches that Saban has given second chances to — setting them up for better jobs elsewhere. But Sarkisian’s journey offers little proof that he is a better coach than Herman.

Herman memorably guided the University of Houston to a 13-1 season and a Peach Bowl win, no small feat in the Group of Five. Sarkisian’s best record as a head coach is the 9-4 mark from his first season at USC.

There is little to suggest that the Longhorns industrial sports complex (one capable of not even blinking at dropping $25 million during a global pandemic just to tell Herman and his assistants to not coach next season) will not be in this same position four years from now. Or sooner.

What a turn things have taken since Texas A&M joined the SEC and later secured Fisher with that ridiculous seeming $75 million contract. Now, the deal — and the security it offers the Aggies program — almost seems reasonable.

Fisher now seems to have the Aggies traveling the same path that Florida State took to winning a national championship in his fourth season. That came after an Orange Bowl win. Now, Fisher will be entering his fourth season at Texas A&M in 2021 off another impressive Orange Bowl victory.

The Aggies should have had a chance to play for the national title this season. This is clearly one of the four best teams in college football — and the final rankings will likely reflect that. Still, Texas A&M made the most of having its dream deferred. After a day of watching UT try to pull off another desperate rescue of a program that’s been largely rudderless since a still underappreciated Mack Brown was forced out, the Aggies reinforced their own stability in a primetime TV showcase.

There is Fort Bend’s own Devon Achane running for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. There is A&M proving its learned how to close, outscoring its last four opponents 51-7 in the fourth quarter. There is quarterback Kellen Mond getting a well deserved moment, even being dubbed the goat by a very enthusiastic Johnny Manziel on Twitter.

And yes, there is Fisher outrunning that Gatorade bath, spawning a thousand memes in the process.

“I pulled my hamstring,” Fisher cracked on ESPN. “Somebody in there’s gonna pay for that.”

Texas A&M Football’s Good Times Machine

It is all good feelings and happy tales for Texas A&M football. Meanwhile their old rivals lurch into another coaching transition. There are emo rockers who spend less time searching for themselves than UT football. One of the strongest brands in college football is now largely distinguished by change for the sake of change.

What a turn in the state of Texas’ college football landscape. Just seven years ago — heck, only four years ago too — no one would have imagined a time when Texas A&M football would be so up and UT football so frantically shaky. There is little doubt which program holds the solid ground now, though.

And the first Saturday of  2021 only made the gap seem to be growing wider and wider. Big moment after big moment. Including some lighthearted ones.

“I hadn’t run that fast in 25 years,” Fisher cracked of his great Gatorade escape.

Outrunning a Gatorade bath is impressive. But leaving Texas in his dust is Jimbo Fisher’s real feat.