SEC Unfiltered: Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M aren't out of the woods yet – not even close

Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the USA TODAY NETWORK's newsletter on SEC sports. Look for this newsletter in your inbox every Monday through Friday. Today, SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer takes over:

How bad will it get for Texas A&M?

Already, perception of the Aggies has soured, and they haven't even hit the teeth of their schedule. And to think, just a few weeks ago, ESPN's Desmond Howard picked A&M to be a College Football Playoff qualifier during "College GameDay."

To quote Jim Mora: "Playoffs?! Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game."

That's where the Aggies (1-1) are right now. They just need to win a game after last week's 17-14 loss to Appalachian State, and there's not a cupcake opponent in sight.

No. 22 Texas A&M will host No. 13 Miami (2-0) on Saturday (8 p.m. CT, ESPN). The Hurricanes' defense has looked stout, albeit against weak competition. Then comes a neutral site game against No. 11 Arkansas (2-0), followed by road games against Mississippi State (2-0) and No. 1 Alabama (2-0).

Through two weeks, each of A&M's next four opponents has looked better than the Aggies. You think fifth-year coach Jimbo Fisher is facing heat now? The oven may be only preheating.

A&M has backed itself into a corner with Fisher after senselessly handing him a massive contract extension last season. Fisher is earning $9 million this year on a deal that runs through 2031, and his salary is fully guaranteed. As of last December, Fisher's buyout stood at $95.6 million — more than twice as much as the coach with the second-priciest buyout (Clemson's Dabo Swinney).

So, despite Fisher having a worse record through the first 50 games of his tenure than predecessor Kevin Sumlin, this is Fisher's ship to steer and his problem to fix. The defense looks solid enough, but the Aggies must improve on the offensive line, and they require a quarterback change.

A playoff-qualifying season isn't happening, but the season can be salvaged.

These next four games will be telling.

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M football not out of the woods as Miami arrives