I do my best to stay fairly unbiased in anything I write or do. I'm an equal opportunity offender I guess you could say. I'll make fun of my team for being a bunch of retards just as quickly as I will another team. Lord knows my team offers enough things to the world to make fun of.
You look at A&M and you wonder why they haven't gotten to the top 5. Texas has since won a national championship. LSU, USC, and Florida. There's no reason A&M is not at that level
- An opposing Big XII Ass. Coach"You're not as good as they are and you're probably never going to be."
and
You're not as good as they are and you're probably never going to be."
- A Nike rep when A&M asked for the same deal
A&M is a school that has the budget, the campus, the facilites, and the talent pool to be a great team year in and year out.
There problem lies with real estate.
Location. Location. Location.
A&M gets some top talent year in and year out. Reggie McNeal had the talent to be a top level QB, but was forced to run the option (not his skill set) his last year. Martellus Bennett was one of the top talents in the country these past three years and you've probably barely heard of him outside of the Big XII. Michael Goodson had less yardage carrying than his QB. So it's not that they can't get the talent. It's that it's shared with Texas, OU, and LSU.
A&M can pull in a couple of 5-star recruits a year, but by the time the recruiting season rolls around Stoops and Brown have already got 4 5-star recruits ready for next year and A&M is just getting around to talking to their first set it seems.
A problem has lied w/ the fact that A&M has fallen on their hard times the same time that OU, LSU, and Texas have come across some of the best coaches in the country. To start beating these guys in the trail they have to start doing it on the field.
The Aggies beat the Longhorns the last two years in two very different fashions. In 2006 they took on Texas' #1 running defense and shoved the ball down the face of the Longhorns one run at a time. Last year it looked like Franchione let somebody else do the play calling as innovative runs, screens and passes fell like rain in College Station. It's a start. If the aggies can start pulling some more upsets over OU and Tech I think things will even out.
McGee should still start and Aggies want to see if the record breaking 3A arm can do any damage his last year. The defense can only get better under Kines. Who rules all, if you weren't aware.
Week 1 Wake Forest at Baylor - Battle of the baptists. Wake Forrest has finally found it's way out of the cellar. Can Baylor? Colorado vs. Colorado State - The first game in years without Sonny Lubick. Colorado should finally pull away from CSU this year and stay there. Illinois vs. Mizzou - Who the heck knew this was as big a game as it was last year? Or would be this year? Oklahoma State vs. Washington State (Seattle) - WSU should be improved under Wulff. The Cowboys are going to have to get better unless they want to challenge Baylor for the bottom of the barrel.
Week 2 Cinci at Oklahoma - Cinci has finally risen out of the mediocrity of the Big East and become a competitive team. Oklahoma is thinking MNC early this year and this will be a great test to see if they're able. Houston at Oklahoma State - Kevin Sumlin hopes to continue to frustrate the Cowboys
Week 3 Kansas at South Florida - Two teams that had better years than could have been expected by anybody last year meet up. Iowa State at Iowa - ISU stole this one last year. If Kirk Ferentz wants to keep his job, he needs to not losethis one and start at least competing for the middle of the Big Ten. Chizick has to get ISU out of the cellar Oklahoma at Washington - Washington has to improve or this will be it for Willingham. Expect Jake Locker to give the Sooners some fits. But not too many. Arkansas at Texas - The old SWC rivalry renews. This will be Bobby Petrino's first big game at the helm. SMU at Texas Tech - Time to see if the SMU offense brings the same firepower we saw at Hawaii. The talent level isn't equal, but if you want to see a game with matching offenses slinging the ball for probably over a 1000 yards in a game, you got it.
Week 4 Kansas State at Louisville - Two teams that had very disappointing finishes last year that are looking for big rebounds before going into conference. Baylor at Connecticut - Baylor faces another team that has recently shown improvement while they've still floundered. West Virginia at Colorado - Colorado continues to take on some impressive OOC games. WVU should be an early indicator of the rest of their season. Miami at Texas A&M - In a game that should have been a big one for the winner, Miami rocked the Aggies last year. Neither went on to do just a whole ton afterwards. Hopefully for both teams that won't be true again..
Week 5 Colorado vs. Florida State (Jacksonville) - Dan Hawkins keeps the big boys coming back for more. The Buffs are ready for the big time this year with WVU and FSU early. TCU at Oklahoma - Nobody expected TCU to pull this one off three years ago but they did it. OU is going to have one of the best teams in some time this year you can expect payback. Virginia Tech at Nebraska - Nebraska pulls away from the USC game to another heavyweight in Va. Tech. Expect a defensive game here as neither has a lot of firepower on offense. Troy at Oklahoma State - An expected easy game for oSU turned into a blowout... that oSU was on the wrong end of. The cowboys should be a little more prepared this year.
Week 6 Texas at Colorado - Texas has some questions... especially at RB. Colorado has one that Texas is just a bit jealous of. Colorado was embarrassed 2x in 2005 and they haven't forgotten it. Mizzou at Nebraska - Chance for Nebraska to stake a claim at the top of the division again Texas Tech at Kansas State - If nothing else just to post this and hope it happens again.:
Week 7 Iowa State at Baylor - I have no idea what to expect from this game. Baylor can only go up and Iowa State started to show a little life in 2007 (even if it didn't translate to W's) Should be a bottom dweller game but we'll see Oklahoma State at Missouri - Two high powered offenses with mobile QB's Nebraska at Texas Tech - This game ended in a crazy fashion as Tech fumbled inside the Nebraska 20, only to recover a fumble on the same play and scored to win. Both teams are probably hungry to revisit this one Oklahoma at Texas - This is normally the battle for the south. It's been a good game for 2 years now, but is Texas good enough to keep it that way?
Week 8 Kansas at Oklahoma - A game we would have like to have seen last year. Kansas really was that good. Mizzou just got the nod after a close game. Missouri at Texas - Another one we'd like to have seen last year. Texas Tech at Texas A&M - Another heated rivalry that's been a little one-sided lately. No matter what the Aggies do, the Raiders just seem to have their number
Week 9 Texas A&M at Iowa State - Iowa State beat A&M for the first time ever in College Station last time they met. Todd Blythe and Brett Meyer exposed the A&M secondary as one of the worst in the nation. The Ags have improved, but so has ISU. Texas Tech at Kansas - Kansas thrived on good defense last year. Tech is starting to show some life on that side of the ball. Both should be playing to get a spot towards the top of their divisions. Oklahoma State at Texas - oSU continues to get thisclose to frustrating and beating Texas to no avail.
Week 10 Kansas State at Kansas - This game was the beginning of the end for KState last year and showed us that Kansas was for real Nebraska at Oklahoma - The Big Eight rivalry only comes around every two years. Pelini has a chance to shine and shine quickly by getting the Huskers biggest rival in his first season. Texas at Texas Tech - This game seems to take a backseat to Tech-A&M and Texas-A&M, but these two have played some close games recently. This is in the middle of a tough stretch with Kansas, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma
Week 11 Oklahoma at Texas A&M - This game has been a humdinger ever since A&M upset #1 OU in 2002. Thenext year was a blowout, followed by three very close games and another blowout last year. If A&M wants to get in the South fight, taking out Oklahoma is key Oklahoma State at Texas Tech - Another non-rivalry that is turning into one quickly. The two high-octane offenses keep putting on a show. They've split this series as of late, with the home team winning the last 6 years.
Week 12 Texas A&M at Baylor - Battle of the Brazos. Baylor fans seem particularly hostile towards the Aggies over the other in-state rivals. Baylor won this one 4 years ago, and are expecting another upset with new man Briles Oklahoma State - at Colorado Texas at Kansas - Mark Mangino remembers the last two games against Texas for different reasons. One a cheat-job (according to him) and a blowout. Now that the Jayhawks are more competitive, expect some animosity.
Week 13 Texas Tech at Oklahoma - This game has been pretty epic over the years. Mike Leach continues to be a thorn in the side of his former boss, Bob Stoops. The raiders cost the Sooners a shot at the MNC last year and you can expect the Sooners to remember that. Week 14 Colorado at Nebraska - One of the top North Rivalries, just not recently. It hasn't been a relevant game for a few years now. With the "arrival" (Gosh I hate cliche terms like that but I couldn't find something better) of Kansas and Mizzou, can these two challenge again? Texas A&M at Texas - The aggies have grabbed this one the last two years by running all over the horns in 2006 and passing in 2007. It's one of the better in-state rivalries Kansas vs. Mizzou - The Border War. This game meant something nationally for the first time in history last year. It probably won't mean as much, but should hold some weight in deciding the North. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State - Bedlam. oSU hasn't been able to take this one in a while. It's been competitive, but if Gundy wants to keep his job, a win here can go a long long long way with T. Boone Pickensthe fanbase.
