This was the year Mike Sherman was supposed to take Texas A&M football over the top. The Aggies started the season in the top 10 in the preseason polls and were expected to compete for the Big 12 title.
Instead, the Aggies went 6-6 and are heading to the SEC with uncertain prospects. Not exactly what the Texas A&M brass had in mind. 
And for that, the word is that they've had just about enough of Sherman. Here's the latest from San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle reporter Brent Zwerneman:
For the record, Zwerneman also noted that Sherman's buyout is for three years and $1.8 million annually.
Aside from that, there are a couple things to discuss here. 
First and foremost, we should acknowledge that Sherman had to go. He brought some pretty good talent into Texas A&M, but he never got it to gel together. This is particularly true of this season, in which the Aggies should have been much, much better than they were. They found all sorts of different ways to lose games, and that's on Sherman.
Secondly, we should discuss Kevin Sumlin's candidacy as Texas A&M's next coach. It's not at all surprising to see his name mentioned, as he's turned to Houston Cougars into a non-AQ powerhouse. Until he leaves to take another job, you can expect to hear his name a lot.
Sumlin makes perfect sense for Texas A&M. He's a hot coach on the rise who has managed to do a lot with lesser talent. He also obviously has experience recruiting in Texas, and one assumes that he would be able to attract some top talent to College Station.
As far as Sumlin is concerned, Texas A&M would offer him a chance to take his coaching career to the next level. Not only would he be moving up into a BCS conference, he would be moving up to the best conference in the country. That means a stiff challenge, but it would also mean a nice paycheck.
Speaking of paychecks, it's going to take a handsome sum to lure Sumlin. There are other schools interested in bringing Sumlin aboard, and they're not going to let him go without a fight.
To give you an idea, Texas A&M may have to pry Sumlin away from Arizona State's gaze. Here's the latest from SPORTSbyBROOKS:
If $4 million per year is the starting point for Sumlin's services, Texas A&M better get ready to break the bank if it wants him. 
Unless the Aggies have somebody else in mind