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Is a Big12 championship possible with McGee in charge? “No way!” you say. “Take the maroon blinders off!” you’re told. After so much disappointment in recent years, even the most optimistic Aggie seems reluctant to offer predictions. Add a national title for the Texas Longhorns - and a recruiting windfall for Mack Brown - and you suddenly have a very introverted and almost embarrassed maroon prognosticator. The schedule does lend itself to something positive, and yes, Dennis Franchione does finally have his players in place and ready to direct the program, but…... “Prove it!” they mumble. Whether you’ve felt like voicing your opinions on the season or not, those who are talking have been asking the same questions. Things like…. “Can the A&M defense improve under its new leadership?” “Can the Aggies beat Texas Tech to open the Big12 season?” “Will Stephen McGee have an impact on the program like Bucky Richardson in the late 80’s?” “Will the offensive line again be a dominant force?” Aggie fans may be too frustrated to respond, but there are a number of key areas which could eventually have this season ending on a high note…. The impact of Stephen McGee If anyone remembers the days of Bucky Richardson, and they also watched the games that ended the ’05 campaign (Oklahoma and Texas), then you’d have to be a blind man, or woman (we hear Bucky was quite the idol back then) to miss the similarities. Future A&M opponents should know this one very obvious thing – this 2006 team will most definitely believe in its newfound leader. Why? Because he’s tough, just like Richardson was tough, and he’s not afraid to look a linebacker square in the eye and go toe-to-toe with him for that extra yard. Any offensive line worth its salt can relate to that mindset and will usually play above their skill set when blocking for a player of that type. Just ask Bucky Richardson. McGee is an extremely talented QB. Sure, some – including a number of Aggies it seems - say he’s too young to make a difference, but Richardson’s former coach, Jackie Sherrill, disagrees with those that might take that position. When asked who the best QB in the Big12 was, Sherrill responded, “Today, if I had to pick from what I’ve seen from the kids on film, I’d have to say Stephen McGee from Texas A&M…his size, his arm strength, his speed, his toughness and his ability to run and throw. The kid was raised as a coach’s son who understands the game and has tremendous mechanics. I like Bret Meyer. I like Rhett Bomar. But if I had to make the choice, I’d take Stephen McGee.” Is there another comparison to Bucky? As a freshman quarterback under Sherrill in 1987, Richardson led Texas A&M on an eight game winning streak, a SWC championship and a 35-10 mauling of Notre Dame in the 1988 Cotton Bowl. Only time will tell how similar these two really are. Will the offensive line dominate? This should be one of the team’s top units. Recruiting successes in Franchione’s first two classes should finally pay huge dividends. Juniors Kirk Elder, Cody Wallace and Corey Clark, along with sophomore Yemi Babalola, are all returning starters. There is size, there is depth, and there is experience from tackle-to-tackle. Add sophomore TE Martellus Bennett and you have what should prove to be a very formidable front line. The scarier thing for future A&M opponents is that virtually everyone returns again in 2007. If A&M explodes onto the scene in ‘06 then at some point in December or early January you’ll probably look back and nominate the OL as one of the key contributing factors to the turnaround. It wouldn’t be surprising, either, to see the offensive game plan built around the strength of the offensive line, which would not only help the Aggies minimize turnovers and control the clock, but also lessen the number of snaps the defense would have to play throughout the course of a game. How about that defense? It will be much better, but I know you won’t believe me until you see it for yourself. Yes, over the last 3-4 years, the once proud Wrecking Crew has more closely resembled a wrecked crew. The game-changing speed, sacks of the quarterback and the in your face approach which once dictated play has long since disappeared. Exit (by bus) Carl Torbush and enter (less the white horse) Gary Darnell. The new defensive coordinator will attempt to implement a new 4-2-5 alignment in an effort to get more speed and playmaking ability on the field. This should not only fit well in trying to defend the spread offenses of the Big12, but should also be well received by the players because it will allow them an opportunity to better utilize their talents in making plays. How much can a defense, which ranked #107 in total defense (out of 117) and played so poorly against the pass (117 of 117), really be expected to improve? While it’s understood that questions of this nature can’t really be answered until play begins, there’s some definite reasons for optimism….. Justin Warren, a very talented and seasoned inside linebacker, should have his best season yet. Mark Dodge, a transfer from Feather River Community College, is slated to start beside Warren and could, quite possibly, mean as much to the heartbeat of the defense as McGee does to the offense. Much like McGee, Dodge possesses an internal flame that just won’t burn out - and he’s sure to be an instant fan favorite for his all-out play. Mix a little talent (Warren) with a little fire (Dodge) and a LOT of bad things can happen for opponents on Kyle Field. Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Talented players with heart and determination are being recruited and inserted into the starting line up. Recent championship teams at A&M have all fielded players with that championship demeanor – Dat Nguyen, Dan Campbell, Bucky Richardson, Rodney Thomas and too many others to mention. Point is: There’s a similar identity developing within this current group of A&M players. Junior Red Bryant, junior Jason Jack and junior Chris Harrington are just a few of the players up-front who are expected to lead a unit that’s worked hard this past spring at restoring an attitude and effort level required to succeed on the Big12 level. It’s believed that sophomore Cyril Obiozor, sophomore Michael Bennett and Harrington can address one of the unit’s biggest question marks – pressure on the quarterback. The new system (along with the hybrid LB/S in the 4-2-5 set) should assist in the front being more flexible (multiple) in their looks, thus allowing – in typical Wrecking Crew fashion – the ability to create havoc for opposing quarterbacks, both in coverage and in pressure. Experience is as much a factor in this defense improving as anything else. It’s interesting, but A&M is young (11 of the top 22 players on defense are red-shirted freshmen or sophomores) at the same time it’s experienced. And after this season you’ll finally realize there’s a little talent mixed in too. No where is that more obvious than in the defensive backfield. 7 of the 10 players listed on the two-deep are red-shirt freshmen or sophomores. Devin Gregg, Jordan Peterson, Chevar Bryson, Alton Dixon and Arkeith Brown – all heavily recruited players - are just some of the newcomers expected to contribute. Add returning starters Danny Gorrer, Kay Carpenter and Melvin Bullett and the unit just became faster and more athletic overnight. Getting the injured Japhus Brown back would be a big bonus. The schedule All the big games – save Texas – are at Kyle Field. Should improvements (above) be made then confidence will surely improve and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see A&M start the year 9-0. A victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Kyle Field would be included in that total and that’s probably where the season hangs in the balance. A young team who’s struggled in recent years usually needs a few early successes to help propel it forward. If the Aggies win that game against Tech then they could be off to the races and looking forward to a Nov. 4th showdown with OU. Lose it and, well, we all remember RC Slocum’s last year, don’t we? Looking beyond Oklahoma @ Kyle Field, where A&M always seems to play the talented Sooners tough, and it gets a little blurry for most A&M fans. Nebraska would come calling next and then a trip to Austin to face Texas would close out a difficult November stretch. But it’s getting to November that has everyone’s attention…. Or it should. No matter what the college football gurus might say, there’s not a clear-cut favorite in this Big12 race. Not one! It’s wide open! And aside from the Texas Longhorns (and they do have a young quarterback), all the favored contenders will visit A&M’s Kyle Field. I don’t need to tell you what happens at Kyle Field when there is something riding on the outcome. As was the case in the movie Seabiscuit, it might be that the winner of this race will be all about heart. There could be a horse that’s bigger, one that’s stronger, or maybe one that’s prettier, but, in the end, it’s quite possible that the winner simply will possess more grit and determination. And even though A&M fans have been beaten up too much recently to talk about it, this could be the race they get the last laugh. For what will be considered a long-shot chance, it’s worth the bet. |