Jimbo Fisher downplays concern of Bobby Petrino facing old school

Bobby Petrino is back in the SEC, working with Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M as the offensive coordinator. And for the first time, he will be facing off against the team he was once the head coach of — the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Southwest Classic will take place at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, a crucial matchup in the SEC West.

Fisher was asked if Petrino playing Arkansas was going to cause any concern, with the Aggies headman playing it down. He says coaches their age are going to play former teams all the time. Petrino is going to want to win this season, no matter who the opponent is.

“When you win them, they feel good,” Fisher said. “When you lose them, they hurt. I know that sounds cliche. You can’t get into that part of it. When you get to our age, you’re going to crossover somewhere. You’re going to have a lot of places.”

Fisher himself has two crossover games every single year in the division. He won a national championship under Nick Saban during his time in Baton Rouge. In recent times, LSU and Texas A&M have played each other on the final weekend of the regular season.

Even last week’s game against Auburn was Fisher facing a former employer. For six seasons, Fisher called the Plains home as the quarterbacks coach when Terry Bowden was in charge of the Tigers.

A Texas A&M win was the result of the 2023 crossover between Fisher and Auburn. But there was not too much discussion of Fisher facing a school he used to coach at.

However, there is a different history between Petrino and Arkansas. While Fisher may have generally left Auburn and LSU on good terms, the not can be said about Petrino’s past in Fayetteville. In fact, it’s one of the lowest points of the Razorbacks’ recent history.

There have been multiple stops since then for Petrino, including Louisville when the Cardinals were opening their time in the ACC. It’s been over a decade since the Arkansas incident, occurring back in 2011.

So, yes. Petrino facing off against Arkansas for the first time since their divorce is going to be a storyline heading into the game. Fortunately for Texas A&M, Fisher does not believe it will provide any kind of distraction. In a series they have dominated since joining the SEC, getting another win in Arlington would be huge for the Aggies.

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