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Texas A&M versus Oklahoma - November 2nd - 7:00 pm - ABC (National) @ Norman, Oklahoma It was mentioned in last week's preview that the Aggies needed to defeat Kansas in order to keep all of their preseason hopes and dreams, and at the time their first-place standing in the Big 12 South conference, alive and well. After being shutout at home for the first three + quarters and eventually losing 19-11 to a tough Jayhawk team, the Aggies now face the most difficult portion of their 2007 schedule - Oklahoma and Missouri - on the road. It's fairly safe to say that any of the dreams which may have lingered into last weekend have all but vanished. Not to say there won't be interest in the game against the Sooners, but a majority of Aggie eyes have now shifted their focus on the future. There were high hopes when head coach Dennis Franchione and his staff of coaches arrived in Aggieland almost five years ago. He not only brought with him the name-tag of turnaround master - rebuilding programs at New Mexico and TCU and taking Alabama, a program in the midst of NCAA troubles, to an SEC championship - but he was also known as the type coach who could implement a system and mold it to fit his player's specific strengths. The inability to accomplish the latter is one of the main reasons that most Aggie observers have now shifted their attention to what will hopefully be better days in the years to come…… There weren't many critics - if any - who didn't expect the Aggies to possess one of the most dangerous offenses in the country at the start of the season. There was a tough, gritty quarterback - Stephen McGee - who had thrown for 2300 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first full season as the starter; there was an electric running back - Mike Goodson - who had rushed for 847 yards (6.7 per carry) in his true freshman campaign; there was an NFL-caliber tight end - Martellus Bennett - who caught 38 passes for 497 yards and helped form, along with senior Joey Thomas, one of the best TE combinations in the country; there was a bruising tailback - Jorvorskie Lane - who rushed for 725 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. There was a fullback - Chris Alexander - who, though underrated, was among the best at his position in the country; and there was a starting offensive line that was regarded as one of the absolute best in the Big 12, if not the country. Nine games into the season and with the toughest opponents yet to come, McGee has thrown for only half his '06 touchdown total (6), Goodson is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and if not for last week's 8-catch, 91 yard performance (mostly due to a 19-0, 4th quarter deficit), Bennett would still be sitting at only 24 catches on the year. Granted, McGee has eclipsed his '06 rushing totals (666 yards) with 722 yards and the Aggies are actually averaging 7 more yards per game than they did through nine games last season, but the offense has been shut down in the three losses to Miami, Texas Tech and Kansas. The difficulty for most fans in accepting those results is that it can be argued that A&M actually possesses more talent than at least two of those teams. And, more importantly, it doesn't appear - as we enter the 10th game of the season - the current coaching regime is getting the most out of its skill talent. The loss at Miami was an embarrassing one, but the Hurricane defense possesses some talented NFL-caliber players and was, in this corner, given a majority of the credit for slamming the door on the Aggies. Texas Tech plays its Super Bowl against A&M every year and their recent on-field results would certainly help support that, but Tech's "defensive" talent is simply not on-par with A&M's "offensive" talent. The Red Raiders out scheming and out gaining A&M 533 to 366 is simply unacceptable for a coaching staff in its 5th year and once thought to be better than a majority of its coaching peers in game-planning and getting their skill people the football in a majority of the right places. Additionally, there was a blown call on 2nd and 6 inside the Tech 30 (with A&M up 7-0) that could have cost the Aggies the momentum they needed to win the football game. Kansas is a solid team and one that could win the North division of the Big 12, but A&M, in front of 85,000 fans at home, should not be getting shut out through three + quarters with the collection of offensive skill they currently possess. Maybe the decision was made a quarter too late (approx. 11:00 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter) in implementing a spread, no-huddle passing offense against a tough Kansas defense? Maybe a pro-style, I-formation attack and throwing the football down the field out of that formation might be the better utilization of A&M's skill? Whether it is 3rd and 2 at the Oklahoma 2 yard line in '06, or 2nd and 6 at the Tech 23, or 4th and 1 at the KU 9, the calls are simply not working to A&M's favor. That might be acceptable if opponents were clearly better than the Aggies, but in the above cases it can be argued to the contrary. And now OU, who does possess more defensive talent than any of the other opponents A&M has faced to this point in the season, is next on the schedule - in Norman. If the Aggies couldn't get it done against an inferior opponent, then how will they accomplish the feat against a team with more talent? If A&M is to change the past and have success in the near future, especially with the schedule they face to close the season, the coaches simply must find a way to better utilize their offensive talent and get them the football in more of the right places. Oklahoma offense versus Texas A&M's defense: O'Brien semifinalist Sam Bradford, who has thrown for 20 touchdowns and 1872 yards (68.9 % completion rate) in eight games, is the leader of the OU attack. It would be one thing if the explosiveness ended with the redshirt freshman signal caller from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, but the Sooners possess one of the best offensive lines in the country and one of the best tailback combinations in the Big 12. Patrick Allen and Demarco Murray have combined to rush for over 1000 yards and both are averaging right at 6.0 yards per carry. And you can't load up to stop the run or OU will literally burn you over the top…. Juaquin Iglesius and Malcolm Kelley have combined for over 1200 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. Though the A&M defense has shown flashes of improvement as the season has drawn to a close - specifically in the first half last week against Kansas - this week will be the ultimate challenge, and not necessarily because of any one specific OU player, but because of the balance that Oklahoma possesses offensively. The Sooners, as they did last year, will certainly try and establish the run against an A&M defense that showed vulnerability in the trenches last week. As was mentioned in the preview last week, for A&M to win they'll have to stop the run first. If they don't do it this week like they didn't against Kansas, then the Sooners will run the Aggies right out of Norman. Advantage: Oklahoma Texas A&M offense versus Oklahoma defense: If being shutout through three quarters and only scoring 11 points at home against Kansas wasn't the low point of the season, then this week, against an Oklahoma defense in Norman, could be. The Aggies must try and open up the offense in areas they've not consistently tried to this point in the season if they expect to have any success against a tough and talented OU defense. Kansas is/was giving up an average of 77 yards per game on the ground and yielded only 74 to the Aggies. Oklahoma is an even tougher challenge and possesses the top-ranked rush defense in the league, allowing only 68.9 yards per contest on the ground. The Sooner defense is allowing 16.6 points per game and ranks second only to Kansas. Though A&M has had success the last two seasons against the Sooners (rushing for over 200 yards), OU appears more vulnerable to teams looking to throw. Boise State had success in their bowl game against the Sooners last season and OU is giving up 255 passing yards per game in '07. Will A&M try and mix it up offensively? Can they mix it up offensively? Emphasis is on the word "mix" because if A&M gets into a throw it every down scenario then the Oklahoma defenders will probably live in the A&M backfield, as they lead the Big 12 conference with 26 sacks on the season. Advantage: Oklahoma Special teams - other intangibles: Oklahoma has lost only two home games under head coach Bob Stoops. Though A&M has played well on special teams this season, Oklahoma has recruited better athletes than A&M over the last five years and those athletes make up a bulk of the special teams participants that will take the field on Saturday. Coach Dennis Franchione is 0-4 against the Sooners since arriving at A&M. And this game will be played in Norman where coach Fran's first A&M team was hammered, 77-0. Advantage: Oklahoma PREDICTION: The Aggies still control their own destiny in the race for the Big 12 South championship, but they controlled it last week when they were playing at home against a Kansas team which is significantly less talented than this current Sooner team. There might have been outside hope that the Aggies could keep the game close - as they have the last two seasons - and win with a few breaks bouncing their way. But, following last week's defensive domination by Kansas, those hopes have all but disappeared. Oklahoma 38 - Texas A&M 17 |