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NCAA Football: Mississippi State at Texas A&M

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Texas A&M backs out of Gator Bowl amid COVID-19 outbreak

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

It was revealed yesterday that Texas A&M had paused bowl preparation due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team, and today, the unfortunate outcome of that outbreak was realized: The Aggies have backed out of the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest, which was slated to be played on Friday, Dec. 31 (the Aggies had been a three-point favorite*, according to DraftKings Sportsbook). A&M is reportedly is down to only 42 scholarship players (four of which are kickers), which is 13 below the SEC’s 2020 minimum to play a game.

Texas A&M is the first college football team to back out of a bowl in 2021, but given the outbreaks that seem to be happening across the sports landscape, they likely won’t be the last. The Aggies roster problems also weren’t helped by a number of transfers and early opt outs for the 2022 NFL Draft.

So it seems the Aggies will finish the year at 8-4, and while that night in Baton Rouge is a sour way to unexpectedly end your season, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2022, with a ton of talent returning, as well as the much-discussed 2022 recruiting class.

And with that, the Aggie Football offseason has arrived.

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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