SEC Pre(diction) Season: Texas A&M

WMack4Bama · Jul 18, 2014

Why they'll be good:
- Heck of a football coach in Kevin Sumlin
- an explosive offense
- good leadership on the offensive line
- two very very good freshman WRs

Why they'll be bad:
- ridiculously Porous defense
- can incumbent QB replace Manziel's ability to mask deficiencies in offense

Schedule prediction:

@ South Carolina - L
vs Lamar - W
vs Rice - W
@ SMU - W
vs Arkansas - L
@ Miss St - W
vs Ole Miss - W
@ Bama - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ Auburn - W
vs Mizzou - W
vs LSU - L

Summary
This team is inexperienced in key positions. They have yet to settle on a QB. Whoever it is (Kenny Hill or Kyle Allen) will have limited or no game experience. The same is true for what will definitely be their two biggest playmakers in freshmen WRs Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil. They were able to convince all-everything tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to come back for his senior season. He'll be the glue that holds the young offense together, but aside from him, they are very experienced on the offensive line, which bodes well to comfort a new QB.

The biggest question mark as always will be their defense. I am, and have always been, high on Kevin Sumlin as a football coach. They have been the most entertaining team in the league since they came in, but most would attribute that to Manziel. I think Sumlin proves his worth as a maestro this season. They will lose a game they're not supposed to (Arkansas) but will win a couple they're not supposed to (they catch Auburn between Ole Miss & Georgia, they catch Ole Miss the week after Bama).

I have them matching their 8-4 regular season record from a season ago, but without three 1st round draft picks on their offense.

Your thoughts?

TouchThatThang · Jul 18, 2014

Having A&M beat Auburn without Johnny is a pretty bold prediction. I'd love to see it but their defense will need to be worlds better. A&M is a team that needs their QB to be a real aggressive playmaker--they ask a lot more of their QB than we do. For me it all hinges on how well their QB does and if their defense can get stops. I'm predicting 7-5. I think they'll lose to Auburn and Ole Miss but beat Arkansas.

TideEngineer08 · Jul 18, 2014

I think you have it right. They take a step back from their success of the past 2 years (although they did lose 4 games a year ago). But they are really in a situation of building something long lasting, IMO. I too still think Sumlin is a good coach. I don't think he's great yet, and they probably overpaid him but hey... this is Texas A&M we're talking about.

They have the potential of a sleeping giant with so many resources at their disposal and now they are out of the Texas shadow and have the backing of the SEC. I'll continue to be interested in watching how they build up their program.

RammerJammer91 · Jul 18, 2014

TideEngineer08 said:
I think you have it right. They take a step back from their success of the past 2 years (although they did lose 4 games a year ago). But they are really in a situation of building something long lasting, IMO. I too still think Sumlin is a good coach. I don't think he's great yet, and they probably overpaid him but hey... this is Texas A&M we're talking about.

They have the potential of a sleeping giant with so many resources at their disposal and now they are out of the Texas shadow and have the backing of the SEC. I'll continue to be interested in watching how they build up their program.

Totally agree, especially since they're owning the state of Texas and are a threat to land quality players in Louisiana. Regarding the former, A&M is the "it" school in Texas for in-state kids. If Strong underachieves at Texas, the gap will be even wider.

B1GTide · Jul 18, 2014

I don't follow the SEC, top to bottom, the way that you guys do, but do you really see them losing to Arkansas? Arkansas was pretty horrible last year.

crimsonaudio · Jul 18, 2014

While I'm far less knowledgable about this team than you are, WMack, I tend to agree. That said, the ATM OL should be very, very good and that can cover a multitude of sins, so to speak...

WMack4Bama · Jul 18, 2014

B1GTide said:
I don't follow the SEC, top to bottom, the way that you guys do, but do you really see them losing to Arkansas? Arkansas was pretty horrible last year.

Yeah. I do. It's just a matchup kind of thing. Because as I said in the prediction thread about Arkansas a couple of days ago, the one thing that Arkansas does very well is run the football. The one thing that TAMU is absolutely horrible at is stopping the run. A&M runs an uptempo type offense. How do you stop it? Keep them off the field with ball control. I just think the one thing that Arkansas does well just happens to be the one thing that TAMU is awful at

JBama_in_PCOLA · Jul 18, 2014

Very bold prediction with that Auburn pick. Auburn does have a bad defense though. Maybe that Auburn luck runs out this year. I'm think 7-5 for them. Miss St will beat them.

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Blindside13 · Jul 18, 2014

JBama_in_PCOLA said:
Very bold prediction with that Auburn pick. Auburn does have a bad defense though. Maybe that Auburn luck runs out this year. I'm think 7-5 for them. Miss St will beat them.

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I Feel the same way 7-5 they are not going to beat the barn in the pasture. I do not see them beating Miss State either. However I think they beat Arkansas.

jps1983 · Jul 18, 2014

Tough to predict unknowns; I could see them losing to MSU, OM, or auburn. I could also see A&M winning all 3. I think they lose to OM and auburn, but beat Arky for 7-5.

Arky could beat A&m if they get an early lead and run the ball the rest of the game as Arky should run the ball well and A&M couldn't stop the run for anything. If Arky is forced to come back or throw, A&M should win.

ALA2262 · Jul 18, 2014

Schedule prediction:

@ South Carolina - L
vs Lamar - W
vs Rice - W
@ SMU - W
vs Arkansas - L
@ Miss St - L
vs Ole Miss - L
@ Bama - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ Auburn - L
vs Mizzou - W
vs LSU - L

5-7 (1-7)

atm is glad MO came to the SEC with them. Could have been 0-8.

rgw · Jul 18, 2014

Unlike Arkansas, they get a schedule built to at least hold serve off the Manziel years. That may only mean 7-8 wins but I don't think the fanbase will be disappointed with that feat off losing one of the most dynamic players in recent football history. Lamar, Rice, SMU, and LA-Monroe are likely layups. They only need to beat two SEC teams to go bowling.

jps1983 · Jul 18, 2014

ALA2262 said:
Schedule prediction:

@ South Carolina - L
vs Lamar - W
vs Rice - W
@ SMU - W
vs Arkansas - L
@ Miss St - L
vs Ole Miss - L
@ Bama - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ Auburn - L
vs Mizzou - W
vs LSU - L

5-7 (1-7)

atm is glad MO came to the SEC with them. Could have been 0-8.

Mizzou is probably going to be one of the better teams in the conference? You think A&M beats them, but loses to MSU and Arky?

ALA2262 · Jul 18, 2014

jps1983 said:
Mizzou is probably going to be one of the better teams in the conference? You think A&M beats them, but loses to MSU and Arky?

MO is probably going to be one of the worst teams in the SEC. I have them at 4-8 (2-6) beating only Vandy and UK in the SEC. Losing to UCF and at Toledo OOC.

Only one 1A team, Utah State with 7, returns fewer starters than does MO with 8. They also have serious off-field issues.

JDCrimson · Jul 18, 2014

Schedule prediction:

@ South Carolina - L
vs Lamar - W
vs Rice - W
@ SMU - W
vs Arkansas - W
@ Miss St - L
vs Ole Miss - W
@ Bama - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ Auburn - L
vs Mizzou - W
vs LSU - L

I think they go 7-5 but with only 3 wins in the conference. I think they get win against Ark but get beat up in the process and then lose on the road to MSU. I think they can rebound and get a win against Ole Miss. After that the toss up imo is the Mizzou game toward the end of the season. Both teams will likely have a similar record.

A&M has played some of the worst defense the last 2 years in this conference that I have seen in a long time. If they havent not dedicated themselves to improving defense along with the inexperienced QB play it could get really ugly for them. It it will be toss up between them and Arkansas as to who finishes at the bottom of the division.

Bamabuzzard · Jul 18, 2014

@ South Carolina - L
vs Lamar - W
vs Rice - W
@ SMU - W
vs Arkansas - W
@ Miss St - L
vs Ole Miss - W
@ Bama - L
vs La-Monroe - W
@ Auburn - L
vs Mizzou - W
vs LSU - L

7-5 is my prediction. There WILL be a drop off in QB production and their defense will still be bad.

teamplayer · Jul 18, 2014

Your picks
@ South Carolina - L Agree
vs Lamar - W Agree
vs Rice - W Agree
@ SMU - W Agree
vs Arkansas - L (W) If this were at Arkansas, I would probably agree with your reasoning, but I think A&M wins this one at home.
@ Miss St - W (L) I think State beats A&M in Starkville.
vs Ole Miss - W I really think Ole Miss would win this straight up, but if Ole Miss does play Bama the
week before, I will agree.
@ Bama - L Agree
vs La-Monroe - W Agree
@ Auburn - W (L) In Auburn with A&M's defense, I'll take the Tigers here.
vs Mizzou - W Agree
vs LSU - L Agree
I flipped your Arkansas and Miss. St. predictions and changed your Auburn prediction, but I agree with your others. I think that puts them at 7-5 with my predictions.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Jul 18, 2014

5-7 wow! Big step back. That offense should carry them. No worse than 6-6.

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bamacpa · Jul 18, 2014

7 or 8 wins .

81usaf92 · Jul 18, 2014

SEC Pre(diction) Season: Texas A&M

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