In a weekend that saw Texas A&M Football make history, extending their undefeated season to 10-0 with an improbable comeback, one prominent media personality decided to focus not on the triumph, but on delivering a spectacularly ill-timed—and factually questionable—take.
Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports and the Unnecessary Roughness podcast, who has a well-known, antagonistic relationship with the Aggies fanbase, has incited hysterical laughter from College Station after he labeled the undefeated A&M team a “fraud” following their miraculous 31-30 victory over South Carolina.
The win was a landmark moment for the program. Trailing the Gamecocks 30-3 at halftime—a massive 27-point deficit—the Aggies completed the largest comeback in school history, a feat that, prior to Saturday, was 0-286 in SEC play since 2004 when a team trailed by 27 points or more. The dramatic, second-half shutout performance by the defense and the stellar play of quarterback Marcel Reed was hailed as one of the most significant conference victories of the decade.
The Problematic ‘Fraud’ Argument
Walker’s argument for labeling the 10-0, top-five ranked Texas A&M team as a “fraud” centered on the fact that they allowed South Carolina to jump out to such a large lead in the first place. While A&M fans acknowledge the disastrous first half—which included two interceptions by Reed and a costly fumble—they view the historic comeback as a demonstration of elite resilience and coaching, not fraudulence.
However, the element of Walker’s argument that truly drew the ire and amusement of the Aggie faithful was his baffling dismissal of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Walker reportedly called Sellers a “bad quarterback,” a comment that entirely ignores the on-field evidence.
The Sellers Misread
As any knowledgeable SEC Football observer knows, Sellers is far from a “bad quarterback.” While South Carolina has struggled overall this year, Sellers is a highly-touted dual-threat quarterback with elite arm talent and athleticism. In the first half against A&M, Sellers was brilliant, engineering a prolific scoring attack and hitting deep shots that stunned the Kyle Field crowd. Though the A&M defense eventually shut him down in the second half, Sellers has consistently demonstrated his high ceiling, leading the Gamecocks in both passing and rushing in multiple games.
Aggie fans correctly point out that only an analysis tainted by a clear bias against the Texas A&M program could overlook the quality of the opponent’s quarterback and the sheer improbability of the 27-point rally.
Ultimately, Walker’s take, whether fueled by legitimate critical analysis or merely a desire to engage (or enrage) the Aggie fanbase, falls flat. The Texas A&M program is focused on its first-ever College Football Playoff berth, and the greatest comeback in its 128-year history speaks louder than any podcast critique. The Aggie response is not anger, but a unified laugh at the “brainless” noise coming from the peanut gallery.