I don't discount the possibility of losing to A&M (or dropping another game we should win), but Mullen has showed the ability to win at least one marquee game a year (LSU in 2018 and Auburn last year). Heck, we were giving LSU all they could handle last year without our best two defenders, so it's not like we're hopeless in big games.
I say 8-2 is more realistic; and 9-1 (or better) is certainly within our ceiling. We do have concerns (average OL, replacing a few elite defenders and some questions on the DL and at LB for next year), but have a lot of pieces that many other teams lack (great weapons on offense and a pretty good QB room between Trask and EJ; great corners and some emerging talent on defense).