After a long summer of speculation and pointless predictions, Texas A&M will kick off the 2026 season on Saturday night against Missouri State, with even higher expectations after making the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. However, the new nine-game SEC schedule will challenge every team and could result in more 9-3 or 8-4 records than previously expected.

This month, we at Aggies Wire released our final season predictions, believing the Aggies will finish 9-3 (Jarrett Johnson, Dylan Flippo) or 10-2 (Cameron Ohnysty) based on the brutal road schedule, which includes road games vs. LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma before hosting the Texas Longhorns at the end of the season.

Personally, I think losses to Alabama and Oklahoma make the most sense, while LSU and South Carolina will be extremely challenging given A&M's recent struggles against both opponents on the road, even after defeating the Tigers 49-25 in Baton Rouge last season.

Still, with redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed returning for his second full starting season, it should result in Texas A&M's offense, led by the deepest wide receiver rotation in the SEC, matching last season's production, while the Aggies' loaded defense, especially in the secondary, is expected to serve as a consistent strength.

Heading into Saturday's season opener, here are our final staff predictions for Texas A&M vs. Missouri State.

Cameron Ohnysty — Lead writer

I'll keep this short and sweet: Last season's brief struggles against UTSA before ultimately blowing out the Roadrunners in the second half must be avoided, starting with Texas A&M's four new starting offensive linemen gelling early in the game, especially in the running game.

Talent-wise, Texas A&M has the potential to score 40 or more points on Saturday, and if I had to guess, first-year OC Holmon Wiggins will look to establish the run and set up play-action looks for Marcel Reed to connect with his elite wide receiver rotation, including 6'4" transfer addition Isaiah Horton.

Defensively, Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka and sophomore starting Jack Marco Jones will be the names to watch, as Mike Elko is hoping both players record multiple sacks and TFLs, paired with A&M's secondary producing a handful of turnovers after recording just three interceptions last season.

This should be a cakewalk for the Maroon & White on Saturday night.

Texas A&M 45, Missouri State 7

Jarrett Johnson — Contributor

Week 1 is a surprisingly intriguing matchup for the Aggies. Missouri State is coming off a solid season, especially considering it was its first year as an FBS program, and now has a coach who has had success calling plays against Top 25 teams. Do I expect Missouri State to put A&M in serious trouble for four quarters? No. But I do expect its offense to have some productive moments throughout the game.

For A&M, this is an opportunity to work through lineups and rotations. Over the long run, the talent gap is real, and the Aggies should be able to build a sizable halftime lead. The key is showing a killer instinct across the entire roster, regardless of the opponent, while coming out of the game as healthy as possible.

Texas A&M 47, Missouri State 10

Dylan Flippo — Contributor

After months of anticipation, Texas A&M will kick off the 2026 season against Missouri State. The Bears have a lot of turnover from last year’s team, which finished 7-6 in their first season at the FBS level. Missouri State has a new head coach, new offensive coordinator, new quarterback and three new starters on the offensive line.

There isn't much depth with this team, compared to the Aggies, who have a slew of talent at every position. I’m intrigued to see Marcel Reed’s development, after much talk about his outstanding performances during fall camp, and how new pieces on defense like Northwestern transfer Anto Saka will perform in the season opener.

This should also give the newcomers on Texas A&M’s offensive line an opportunity to settle in and mesh. I like the Aggies big in Game 1 at Kyle Field on Saturday.

Texas A&M 52, Missouri State 10

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Staff predictions for Texas A&M vs. Missouri State in Week 1

Source: Yahoo Sports