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Jimbo 2021: Meemaw's Got a Brand New Bag

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golfclap

golfclap 6903

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aggy has a C19 problem and is trying to get the Tenn and Ole Miss games moved -- but to do that would put the Ole Miss game on the same week as the CCG, so ... ???? 

HammLite ::

Quote

 

I posted this in another thread but didn't want it to get lost. It should just be a matter of time before things are announced.

"I think we should hear an announcement soon but I am expecting to be that the Tennessee game is postponed until Dec. 12. I don't know if they will announce the Ole Miss game just yet but I think that one will move to Dec. 19 eventually.

"Both Tarp and I have both heard that is is very likely we hear soon of the postponement of Tennessee, though."

 

 

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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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There's a thread at 24/7 site titled "Where A&M stands with every top target in the 2021 class". 

I wonder where they stand, though there aren't that many overlaps between A&M and UT targets this year-- LJ Johnson, Bryce Foster, Shemar Turner, and to some extent Tunmise "Adlai Stevenson" come to mind, though it's likely that last dude ends up at some third choice altogether.

Satyanaash, do your thang, buddy-- especially on Diwali! :D:)

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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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32 minutes ago, Scholz said:

"I think the national media is anti-A&M."

giphy.gif

It's funny because it's true. Nobody likes A&M, kinda like how nobody likes the Philly Eagles... but A&M fanbase wants people to like them, whereas the Iggles fanbase sings this:
 

(reasons for disliking the two are likely very different too...haha)

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ClubWhatever

ClubWhatever 12085

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31 minutes ago, PHLaggie said:

There's a thread at 24/7 site titled "Where A&M stands with every top target in the 2021 class". 

I wonder where they stand, though there aren't that many overlaps between A&M and UT targets this year-- LJ Johnson, Bryce Foster, Shemar Turner, and to some extent Tunmise "Adlai Stevenson" come to mind, though it's likely that last dude ends up at some third choice altogether.

Satyanaash, do your thang, buddy-- especially on Diwali! :D:)

There will be heavyweight battles.  You will go toe to toe with giants.  

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Getafix

Getafix 28392

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5 hours ago, PHLaggie said:

There's a thread at 24/7 site titled "Where A&M stands with every top target in the 2021 class". 

I wonder where they stand, though there aren't that many overlaps between A&M and UT targets this year-- LJ Johnson, Bryce Foster, Shemar Turner, and to some extent Tunmise "Adlai Stevenson" come to mind, though it's likely that last dude ends up at some third choice altogether.

Satyanaash, do your thang, buddy-- especially on Diwali! :D:)

 

I don't even read this stuff anymore - too depressing - but have at it.

 

Spoiler


In the class of 2021, Texas A&M currently has 18 commitments. Two others, freshman running back Earnest Crownover and greyshirt linebacker Kenneth Phillips III, will also count toward the numbers, meaning the Aggies technically have five spots left.

A&M does not seem too worried about room, though, as the Aggies are still recruiting as if there are far more spots than that available. With official visits and in-home visits from coaches having not been allowed at this point for anybody in the class, the 2021 prospects technically have not fallen under the definition of having been ‘recruited’ by A&M.

That means that, should they and A&M agree to it, they could ‘blueshirt,’ which is the same thing Crownover did. They would not sign but would instead just show up in the summer and join the team. That way, they would be counted forward to the 2022 class numbers. There is a risk that another school with room could convince them to sign there instead but that is a risk A&M is likely to take.

As far as the major targets left, here is where things stand with all of them.

-Cy-Fair RB LJ Johnson

The national top-50 prospect is one of the few without a commitment timeline, even as the Early Signing Period approaches. Johnson says he plans to make a commitment whenever he knows for sure. He wanted to take official visits this fall but that obviously did not happen. Prior to the season, he was considered a heavy Texas lean. However, with the playoff of both schools so far this fall, A&M is in the best shape now. I like my Crystal Ball prediction for him, though it is not over just yet. But I think he will be an Aggie.

-Walker, La. WR Brian Thomas

Thomas, who is pretty much the Aggies’ top receiver target, has a final four of A&M, Alabama, Georgia and in-state LSU. While Alabama and LSU are probably slightly ahead of the other two, he has very real interest in the Aggies. Thomas does not have a decision timeline and may wait to sign until February. A&M really needs to get him on campus, even if it is just on his own and he can’t meet with the coaches. This one is a bit of an uphill battle at this point, but he’s still a possibility for sure.

-McKinney North WR JJ Henry

Henry has been pretty quiet in terms of his recruitment. The speedy wideout, who can play outside or in the slot, was high on Texas for a while and also likes A&M but, if I were to bet today, I think he heads out of state. He is a player that wants to do his own thing and find the place where he both fits in the best as well as sees himself playing the most. UCF is the sneaky one to watch here. Henry does not have a timetable for a decision at the moment.

-Katy Taylor OG Bryce Foster

Foster plans to announce on his birthday, Dec. 18, which is the final day of the Early Signing Period. He has several schools still in it but A&M and Oklahoma are the main two. He has long been an OU lean but the Aggie season so far, and especially the offensive line play, has his attention. The national top-100 prospect is also aware that four of the current five starters are all seniors. Foster’s mother and brother are Aggies and the distance is a big draw, too. I like where A&M stands but Oklahoma is not going to give up easily and it could go either way. Oregon is up there just behind the other two but him not getting up there this fall hurts the Ducks’ chances. Foster would almost assuredly be an immediate contributor for A&M if he ends up in Maroon and White.

-DeSoto DE Shemar Turner

Turner has a top five but A&M, Alabama and Texas are the main three with the first two being ahead even moreso. I have long liked where the Aggies stood and that is still the case. Turner likes how A&M user bigger defensive lineman on the edge and also inside with DeMarvin Leal a good example of how he would likely be used. Others see him as a pure DT. He has also gotten to know former DeSoto standout Von Miller a bit and that has helped the Aggies, as has his relationship with Terry Price. Turner had been set to announce at the Under Armour All-American Game but, with that being recently canceled, his exact plans are up in the air. An Early Signing Period announcement could end up happening.

-Katy Tompkins DE Tunmise Adeleye

A former Ohio State commit, Adeleye has a final three of A&M, Alabama and Florida. The Aggies and Gators are slightly ahead of the Tide as he sees himself as a better fit in those two defenses. A&M was Adeleye’s first offer as a freshman and that still means a lot to the national top-50 prospect. He likes the four-man front A&M runs and the fact he would not likely end up on the interior. The distance to home is a factor, too, as he spent a week or so in College Station earlier this fall. He will be back for the LSU game, too. Adeleye wants to visit Tuscaloosa and Gainesville again but those trips might not happen before his planned announcement on Dec. 16. The Gators had the momentum after his decommitment in August but A&M is probably out front a bit at the moment.

-Philadelphia Northeast DE Elijah Jeudy

Jeudy made a commitment to Georgia over the summer before backing off that pledge this fall. The four-star defender had planned to make an immediate switch to A&M but, on the day of, decided to hold off. He wanted to take some more time and plans to make a decision during the Early Signing Period. Jeudy has a teammate committed to the Aggies in cornerback Tyreek Chappell and has been to College Station. However, Georgia is pushing hard to get him back in the fold and Penn State is a contender as well. I like my Crystal Ball prediction of A&M but it’s by no means a done deal.

-Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic DT Tywone Malone

Malone was once the highest on both A&M and Ohio State but the Buckeyes were left out of his final six and the Aggies now look to be behind Florida State, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The 6-foot-3.5, 300-pounder is also a baseball standout and wants to play both in college and all of his top teams save for Rutgers have strong baseball programs. This has been a bit of an odd recruitment for sure but, at the moment, A&M is not trending.

-Philadelphia Imhotep DT Taleeq Robbins

Robbins is planning to make his announcement this coming Sunday. Though the Aggies are getting full in the class and have a number of defensive linemen committed and still as top targets, they really like Robbins and he is a take. I will have a better idea later this week of where things stand but, from talking to several people, A&M and Ole Miss seem to be 50/50 at the moment as to where he will end up. Neither school feels better than the other about its chances. Robbins is good friends with Chappell, so that could help the Aggies, but Ole Miss is selling a bit more friendly depth chart.

-Lucedale (Miss.) George County CB MJ Daniels

Ranked as an athlete, A&M likes the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder as a cornerback. Once an early Ole Miss pledge, Daniels made a commitment to in-state Mississippi State in September. The Aggies have not given up and he has a cousin and former teammate in McKinnley Jackson at A&M. Daniels seems to be content in his commitment to the Bulldogs but he is at least listening to A&M.

-Tallahassee (Fla.) John Paul II S Terrion Arnold

A&M would love to have a defensive back class that includes Arnold. He knows Jimbo Fisher well from hanging out with his family when the coach lived in Tallahassee and it is that relationship that has the Aggies still in. Arnold wants to get to A&M at some point for a game but, if he is not able to make it for the LSU contest, he becomes an even bigger longshot. Right now, Florida and Alabama are in the best shape for him and the Aggies are fighting an uphill battle.

 

 

 

 

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SwanderedTalent

SwanderedTalent 5761

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On 11/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, PHLaggie said:

It's funny because it's true. Nobody likes A&M

the credulity with which your program's permanent, delusional, "this is the year of the sleeping Aggie giant!" shit is treated by actual sportswriters like Stewart Mandel says otherwise

the only reason Kirk Herbstreit turned on you guys was because he was tired of getting bitten when he went to sniff your ass. Fool Kirk eight times, shame on him, but have him pick you for something outlandish a ninth time only to finish fourth in your division....  well he's not just an airhead ex-jock. He'll notice.

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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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This being the recruiting thread, wouldn't a more appropriate image be that of a table full of bread? :D

Meanwhile, Perroni just put a crystal ball for Tunmise Adeleye to A&M. I'll take that sort of bread every day, but doubt he actually ends up at A&M... probably bound for Bammer. But hopefully we can still land Shemar Turner.

 

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1139

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Spoiler


Liucci

2:40p 

Staff

AG

-For starters, a quick scheduling update:

Last night, Tennessee AD Phil Fulmer said the A&M game would be played on December 19, to close out the regular-season on championship weekend.

I'd heard the same (it's all tentative and subject to change, of course) and also heard that the Ags' most likely three-game close to the regular-season would be at Auburn next weekend, Ole Miss at Kyle Field on 12/12 and then the trip to Rocky Top. 

Again, not set in stone, but that's what it's sounding like and it's really the only way to go. If there's any change at all, it would be Auburn and Ole Miss flipping (which I'm not expecting) because that Tennessee game kind of has to be locked in on 12/19. The Ags can't play Ole Miss on the 19th because LSU has to have Bama and Florida on the first two Saturdays of December (before championship weekend) and then still has Ole Miss (which will be on 12/19). That also means that LSU plays Florida on 12/12 after facing Bama on 12/5. Florida hosting LSU that weekend leaves only next weekend for UF to take on their division rivals from Knoxville, hence 12/19 being the only Saturday that fits for both A&M and UT. 

If you'd like to try and dissect that season-ending scenario, I'd say it's the best you could hope for if you're the Aggies. Take on Auburn a week after the Iron Bowl and draw Tennessee at season's end, when the Vols will likely be playing out a bitterly disappointing season at 3-6 (assuming they don't lose to Vandy on 12/12). Ole Miss in the middle is probably the perfect spot for what should be a confident bunch led by Lane Kiffin. Fortunately, that one will be played in College Station and not Oxford.

-So LSU followed by Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee, you say? I know a couple of those big names are down, Auburn isn't elite this season and Ole Miss is still sporting a losing record but that's still a pretty daunting four-game stretch to close things out for the Aggies. It's not the Murderer's Row those opponents stacked in four straight weeks we thought it would be prior to the season and especially not what you'd get if you drew those four in certain recent seasons but I'd still go so far as to say the close-out for Jimbo Fisher's squad is tougher than anything any of the other contenders have to face the rest of the way. Tougher than what Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Cincy and Northwestern all have in front of them between now and championship weekend but where the Aggies catch a potential break is that every one of those aforementioned teams is going to have to play a conference championship game, with three of those pitting two teams from the group against one another. Again, it's a 'potential' break for the Aggies and we'll get into that in a moment.

LSU and Tennessee both still have a ton of talent, probably every bit as much as the Aggies do. Problem for the Bayou Bengals and Vols, however, is that they don't have the senior leadership, the quarterback play, the defense or 'team football' that Fisher's squad brings to the table. Auburn is a good and definitely dangerous team, one that was good enough to beat LSU every bit as bad as the Ags beat South Carolina a few weeks ago. Problem is, War Eagle also lost to that same Gamecock squad and the Tigers were on the right side of game-changing blown calls in Houdini-like escapes versus Arkansas and Ole Miss. Bo Nix is very good when he's on, the Tiger receiving corps is as good as any the Ags will face and Tank Bigsby is a powerful, productive runner but Gus Malzahn's bunch hasn't been nearly as consistent as the Ags have been so far this season and not nearly as good. As for Ole Miss? Kiffin's offense is scary good but, again, the Rebels weren't world-beaters in losing to Arkansas and Auburn and the last time we saw them they were in a four-quarter shootout with the same team A&M had beaten 48-3 a week prior, giving up around 230 rushing yards to the same guy the Ags held to 50.  

-Here's something to consider about this A&M team and what they're putting on the field every weekend.

The Aggies probably rank in the top-3 in the SEC in all of the following areas:

One of the three best quarterbacks.
One of the three best running backs.
One of the top three tight ends.
One of the three best 'all purpose' backs.
One of the three best offensive lines.
One of the top three defensive lines.
No. 1-ranked defense.
No. 2 in the SEC versus the run.

So while the remaining schedule is anything but easy, there's a reason why your Aggies will be favored each of the next four Saturdays and there's a reason that they're a legitimate top-5 football team as we enter the season's final month..  

-News came out this week that the CDC may soon shorten the length of time a person must self-quarantines following potential exposure to Co-Vid. I'm not sure anything happens between now and the end of the college football season but perhaps it's something that could factor in by the time bowl season rolls around. As any college football fan has become painfully aware, it's oftentimes the players missing due to contact tracing more than it is positive tests within the program. For example, the Aggies were essentially put on ice for two weeks - while playing their best football of the season (in years, actually) - because of two positive player tests. Heck, several days prior to what was supposed to be a home date with Ole Miss last weekend, the Ags didn't have a single player positive within the program, yet couldn't play because more than a dozen players and more than half of the coaching staff were wiped out due to contact tracing. Members of that group tested negative seven times during the 14-day stretch yet were sidelined due to CDC guidelines that somehow seem archaic. Soon enough, we'll see college football employ something close to what the NFL has or at least be able to have players 'test out' of quarantine in 5-7 days or so. Unfortunately, we're not there yet, which is why we're seeing games postponed across the country each and every Saturday and why there's still no telling how many of the Ags' final four contests are actually played. I'm hopeful, and getting LSU to College Station on Friday would be a huge step towards that goal. Credit teams like Mississippi State, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky for getting out there and playing when the numbers are working against them, but the contact tracing is strange in that it's typically the road teams that find out upon returning (Sunday's test) that they traveled positive players that take the hardest quarantine hit. See Florida and A&M for proof of that.

-Speaking of Florida- and LSU, for that matter - those are two teams that seemed to take advantage of the unexpected two game (and three weeks between contests) break. It's also the elephant in the room heading into this weekend. We know A&M has been the better team over the course of six games so far this season and we know the Ags were rolling and playing their best ball prior to hitting the unexpected pause. What we don't know is how long it will take for the Ags to shake any rust off after not playing for what will be three full weeks between games. The weather (rain and cold) is also going to be a factor. Two complete wildcards that certainly make this one nerve-racking but I keep coming back to the fact that each team has played six games this year and the Ags have looked like a legitimate top-5 team while LSU is struggling to figure things out, even during a win last Saturday in Fayetteville.

-As far as the game itself goes, I'll have plenty more in this week's 'Key Matchups' feature but how about some quick thoughts:

A&M is close to a two-touchdown favorite in this one, which is pretty remarkable in and of itself. LSU has had an exceedingly difficult time replacing so many All-SEC, All-American and award-winning, NFL players off of last year's championship squad. I said it throughout the off-season: Never before has a team lost so much in a single off-season - First-Rounders, the Heisman Trophy winner, both coordinators, the Thorpe and Biletnifkoff Award winners - you name it, and LSU lost it off of the 2019 squad. And then LSU lost starting QB Myles Brennan.  

Of course, the Tigers lost to Mississippi State in the season-opener with Brennan and still haven't figured things out on the back end of what is still a very talented defense. Bo Pelini has been a disaster in Baton Rouge thus far and the offense has been inconsistent at best with so much attrition.  

Bottom line, the team that barely escaped a Co-Vid ravaged Arkansas team last Saturday and was rolled by Auburn to the tune of 48-11 a few weeks ago is one that the Aggies should beat. However, history between the two programs, LSU's overall talent level and the unknown created by the long Aggie layoff makes this one a more dangerous hurdle than the records would indicate.

Two things stand out in the concern department for me. First, LSU has some big-time players, including future First-Round picks at receiver (Terrace Marshall) and cornerback (Derek Stingley and possibly true freshman Elias Ricks) and a tight end who will probably join Jalen Wydermyer as the league's two best in 2021. LSU is also particularly impressive up front. The Tiger defensive line is likely to give the Ags more problems than any unit since Alabama. They've been leaky in terms of setting the edge against the run but Pelini's front four can get after an opposing o-line and they do it by simply lining up and playing right through the blockers. In other words, they're fine playing heads-up football and have the talent to do so. This will be a legit test for A&M's improved offensive line and the powerful Aggie ground game.

On the flip side, the folks in Baton Rouge believe the Tigers may have found something in T.J. Finley, an improved defense and a ground game last weekend against Arkansas. I'm skeptical, for several reasons. First off, Arkansas was without six of the top seven defensive linemen on the team due to Co-Vid contact tracing. The Hogs were also without the services of Rakeem Boyd, a 1,000-yard rusher last year who topped the century mark against his old A&M teammates a few weeks ago. The lack of able-bodied d-linemen is a big part of the reason why LSU was able to run the ball with so much success, allow their true freshman quarterback to stay ahead of the chains and control more than 40 minutes of game clock. The Hogs also only rushed three most of the game, allowing Finley to sit back and not deal with much pressure, an odd approach when trying to make things tough on a guy who was starting just his third game. Things should be different on Saturday, considering the fact that the Ags lead the SEC in total defense, rank second against the run and have done a nice job of pressuring the quarterback of late. A&M with Isaiah Spiller, Devon Achane and Ainias Smith and running behind that offensive line is also a little different than what Arkansas brought to the table sans Boyd and with a below-average collection of blockers.

-For many reasons, this is the most important A&M-LSU game since the Aggies have joined the conference. Such a wild swing in either direction for the winner and loser. That's particularly true for the Aggies, as above all else a win would leave Jimbo's bunch three games away from a possible playoff berth.

Of course, there are other reasons an Aggie victory would resonate well beyond this season. First and foremost, LSU ran up the score on the Aggies last year en route to clinching an unbeaten regular-season on Senior Night at Tiger Stadium. Ed O, Joe Burrow and the rest of the Bayou Bengals spent the entire off-season crying about the 7OT game being 'stolen' from them and, to their credit, went out and exacted what they felt was revenge a year later (nevermind the fact that the brainchild leading the LSU charge still can't seem to understand that they were in no way robbed of a win). Now it's A&M's turn. Don't get me wrong, the Ags just want to get a win and it's clear that they're focused on a bigger prize than 'payback.' However, pride is a very real thing in athletic competition and I think you're kidding yourself if you think this is just another game for the men in Maroon & White.

A win would also hit a division rival and it's loudmouth head coach where it really hurts. In addition to keeping the Ags in the top-5 and in playoff contention, a loss would be pretty devastating for the Tigers. LSU would fall to 3-4, with games left against Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss. A year after a perfect 15-0 run to the title, LSU would stand a very real chance of finishing an embarassing 3-7. An Aggie win would also leave A&M 2-1 against LSU under Jimbo Fisher's watch. That two out of three for the head coach who most in Purple and Gold considered 'the one that got away' prior to last season. Win Saturday night at Kyle Field and Fisher will leave Tiger fans feeling that way again.

The Ags are playing in what is absolutely a 'kick them while they're down' conference and the Ags have the chance to not only keep legitimate playoff hopes alive this weekend but also finally level the playing field (or better) with what is fast-becoming a legitimate rival whether the Tigers admit it or not. LSU has a lot going on right now, between on-field struggles, NCAA clouds hovering over both football and basketball and a possible cover-up scandal reported recently by USA Today. Bama and an SEC championship is the goal for the Aggies, but LSU is absolutely the one program that Fisher and A&M must catch before they emerge as the biggest year-in, year-out threat to Nick Saban and the Tide. They can take a huge step towards that end with a win on Saturday...and I didn't even mention the potential recruiting ramifications in Texas and over into the Bayou State.

-And in case you're curious, for a rivalry that has been fairly one-sided, there has been quite a bit of theater in this series since the Ags joined the SEC. Think about it: In year one, Johnny Manziel and the Ags came up just short and it turned out to be their last loss of the season. A win would have meant an SEC West title and possibly a natty. There was also the 'Les Miles farewell' game in Death Valley, when the Jimbo deal allegedly fell apart at halftime of the Tiger win. Ed O may have won his way out of 'interim' status with a win at Kyle Field in 2016. Last year's blowout win was a magical night for Joe Burrow and the Bengals at Tiger Stadium for Senior Night and the 2018 7 OT classic will always rate as the most thrilling Aggie victory in school history.

Still, as far as the Aggies go, this one looms larger than each of the previous eight SEC meetings.

 

Liucci

9:05p 

Staff

AG

-Okay, so we know the Aggies have to win out beginning Saturday in order to remain relevant in the playoff discussion. What we didn't know prior to Tuesday night's unveiling, however, was how much respect the Ags' 5-1 start would garner from the committee. Nothing but good news on that front, as the Aggies came in at No. 5, behind only Bama, ND, Clemson and Ohio State.

Here's the short version as it pertains to the Aggies: The way things started out, I don't see any way an A&M team that finishes 9-1 doesn't end up ranked worse than fourth or fifth in the final playoff rankings. That's all you can ask for, right? 

Of course, there's a world of difference between finishing fourth and fifth, so let's take a quick look at how things need to shake out.  

The simplest, most likely scenario involves Bama and Ohio State winning out and it all coming down to what happens when Notre Dame and Clemson square off for a second time in the ACC title game. An Irish win and a 9-1 A&M team would absolutely be in. The same with a blowout win by Clemson, and contrary to what some know-it-all troglodytes in the national media continue to trumpet, a convincing, 'game control' type of win from Dabo, Trevor and Co. could very well do the trick, as well (that might depend on how impressive the Ags are the rest of the way).

And don't spend too much time worrying about the what ifs in regards to an unbeaten, B1G champion Northwestern. They'd most likely force their way in but it would also come at the expense of Ohio State so they'd essentially flip flop. Where things would get interesting would be if the Buckeyes didn't get enough games in to qualify for the conference title game, allowing the Wildcats to run the table AND OSU to go unbeaten at 6-0. Even if that unlikely scenario played out, that conference isn't getting two in barring a rash of upsets. 

Obviously, Florida beating Bama would push the Gators past the Ags and Bama would be the second SEC team in. That's understandable if Mullen, Trask and Co. can pull it off. It's also why where UF and A&M initially ranked really didn't matter. The biggest thing was the simple fact that A&M coming in at 5 and UF at 6 showed how much respect the committee had for the Ags' head to head win and body of work to date.

Speaking of that body of work, I know LSU and Tennessee are down and Ole Miss isn't ranked, but if A&M were able to win four more games and push their win streak to eight entering the final rankings with wins over a big-name programs like those down the stretch (including two on the road), I think folks in the national media are underestimating how much positive momentum the Ags will have in the eyes of the committee at that point. It could weigh very heavily if you're comparing the Ags to a one-loss Notre Dame, an unbeaten Pac 12 champ or a two-loss Big 12 pretender.

Credit the playoff committee here because it's tough work and it's never been tougher to rank these teams than it is this season. The committee got the initial top four right, IMO. They also did a great job with the all-important 5-8 rankings, as well. There are some things to nitpick after that, but that will never change and it's an impossible, thankless task when you get down past that 8-10 range.

-So Cincinnati needs a whole heck of a lot of magic to get a look (it's possible but unlikely) and BYU is clearly going to be on the outside looking in, and rightfully so with that ghastly schedule. What I do think Cincy and BYU missing the cut but both likely to remain undefeated will do is create some very interesting NY6 bowl games. The Bearcats and Cougars will be playing in the post-season with everything to prove, which should make for real interest in some of the matchups against big name P5 programs. You can go ahead and throw Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Liberty and SMU and a couple of others in there, as well. This is going to be 'put up or shut up (forever)' SZN for the Group of Five.

-Here's a VERY interesting note about BYU: So much was made this week about the Cougars unwillingness to schedule Washington for this Saturday on short notice but the reality one such game - even a win - would have meant that Kalani Sitake's team still played only one P5 team all season (and one from the worst major conference in football at that). As the rankings showed, it wouldn't have been close to enough. What is wild, however, is how close the Cougars were in September to hammering out a schedule that included a couple of SEC powers. Before Greg Sankey and Co. decided to go with a conference-only, 10-game slate, BYU opened up with Alabama looked like it was happening. What didn't get as much run was how close the Aggies were to replacing Colorado with BYU a couple of weeks into the schedule. Yes, that was a real thing, which I mentioned once it fell through when the SEC went in-house only. So BYU could have played two of the three best teams in the Southeastern Conference. How much difference would that have made in the playoff discussion? Probably not much, considering the fact that the Cougars would have probably been a competitive 0-2 in said games, both on the road.

--If you want to know what a good job Jimbo Fisher and his staff have done with this football team in 2020, look no further than some of the big name programs around the country and especially at the B1G.  

LSU has struggled mightily this year (let's hope that trend continues for the defending champs), Oklahoma dropped two ugly games early on back-to-back weekends and is only hanging around because that league is disgracefully bad, Tennessee has dropped five straight and the Vols are staring L #6 in the face (Florida is up next), Georgia couldn't figure things out at QB and the Dawgs were lapped in losses to Bama and UF. What I'm having a hard time understanding is how terrible the big-name programs in the B1G (excluding Nebraska, who at this point is big-time in name only and it's been that way for longer than even the Longhorns have been irrelevant) have been this season. Penn State and Michigan and absolutely horrendous, Wisconsin looked pretty pedestrian the first time they were challenged in three games and Minnesota has been one of the more disappointing teams coming off of a rousing 2019 season capped off with a bowl win over Auburn. Look, I think P.J. Fleck, Paul Chryst and James Franklin are all very good coaches but coaching in 2020 has been the most unique challenge most college football bosses have ever faced and many a good leader has failed to adjust accordingly. That's what makes what folks like Fisher, Mullen and Brian Kelly have done so far even more impressive.

As for the Pac-12, that league may as well not be playing football this season. Oregon and USC have both looked very underwhelming and, three games in, are literally halfway done with their regular-season schedules. Because they were the last to join the party, the league's six-game plus one championship weekend set-up is a virtual lock to ensure no one from the conference has much of a shot at crashing the playoff chase and, due to the late start, there's very little chance we're see more than half of the teams even reach the six-game mark. About the only thing I'll credit the league for is its willingness to allow teams to add non-conference games and to adjust the schedule on very short notice in order to just squeeze as many games in as they can. Too little, too late, unfortunately, and the most irrelevant Power 5 conference is so far behind the others at this point that, outside of Oregon and USC, it'll be tough for everyone else in the conference to recover anytime soon.

-So two weekends with the Aggies sitting it out on the sidelines and I'm not sure more than one or two of the teams I preferred to see win actually walked off of the field with a W. Oh well, if nothing else the last two weekends pushed a pair of pretenders out of the mix, with Wisconsin and Oklahoma State being exposed as frauds. Indiana also exited stage left, though the Hoosiers certainly proved themselves as a very good team in rallying to take Ohio State to a final possession at The Horseshoe. 

Did I say rally? That's what the national media is doing again. Doing all they can to dig the Big 12 - and Oklahoma, in particular - out of a hole and drop them directly into the playoff discussion. It's not going to work this time, folks. The reason why? The league is out of the conversation no matter how hard the media tries to convince us that "Oklahoma is playing as well as anyone in the country." Ummm, no they're not. They fattened up on TCU, Tech, Kansas and a laughably overrated Oklahoma State squad that barely outlasted Tulsa and lost at home to Texas.

So when I hear certain drum-bangers start doing this around this same time every year - and this year, the biggest jackass of them all happens to be none other than Tom Herman himself - I actually believe it demonstrates a lack of football intellect or insane 'anti-SEC' bias for anyone to even consider Oklahoma worthy of being in the playoff discussion barring a rash of upsets during the final 3-4 weeks of the season. It's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in all of my years of covering this sport. It really is. And the thing is, there is ZERO chance that the committee would allow a team with those two losses to move up because, while these talking heads make points like "two close losses versus being blown out 52-24" the fact of the matter is one is a single loss AT No. 1 Alabama (by definition, the toughest SOS game you can play), while the other is TWO losses - one to a team that was dragged at home by the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns and has two losses and another that lost to Arkansas freaking State. It's comical at this point.

Every single year. Big 12 is humiliated during non-conference play, a couple of teams start out 3-0 or 4-1 in conference play to they sneak back up into the top-15, a 'quality' win or two happen in league play as a result and the next thing you know, OU is in the playoff and getting humiliated by an SEC foe in the semis. Not this year, thank goodness.

-Of course, the SEC team the Sooners could very well draw in the 2020 postseason is none other than your Fightin' Texas Aggies. A 9-1 A&M team that misses the playoffs or an 8-2 Aggie squad would end up in a New Year's Six bowl game. The Orange gets the first at-large crack this year and would probably love to gobble up (it is Thanksgiving after all) an A&M squad ranked No. 5, pitting the Ags against either Clemson, Notre Dame or Miami. However, I've also heard that the bowls will do as much as they can to limit travel (for the teams but especially for fans) as much as possible this time around, which is why I believe we'll see as many 'regional' bowls matchups as possible. That doesn't mean the Orange would pass on matching up, say the No. 5 Ags against No. 6 Notre Dame or Clemson (in this instance, Florida would beat Bama and the loser of the ACC title game would be the odd team out, along with TAMU) but it could mean that an A&M-Miami matchup wouldn't be quite as convenient for all parties as going with The U v Gators in Miami, which would leave the Cotton to set up A&M against a former Big 12 rival like OU or, gasp, even the Texas Longhorns (or Iowa State...whoever wins the Big 12 title). Yep, I know what you're thinking. Just win out and hopefully play your way out of a fifth Big 12 bowl meeting in nine years in the SEC.

-Another week, another article trying to explain the, wait...what's worse than a dumpster fire? Well, let's just call whatever is going on in Tallahassee something so bad it would make a dumpster fire look so inviting you'd want to roast marshmallows over it. Andrea Adelson's story for ESPN was perhaps the first article from a member of the national football media that wasn't a hit piece on Jimbo Fisher and actually finally really dug into everything that was wrong at Florida State and the things that ultimately played a big role in the national championship-winning head coach leaving for Texas A&M. While that was a nice change of pace, do you know what's been incredibly consistent every time the tired subject comes up following another humiliating FSU defeat? Jimbo Fisher doesn't say a word. In fact, the former Seminole head coach and assistant only speaks favorably of his longtime home. He doesn't have time to worry about his old job because he's so focused on the current task at hand to worry about what anyone has to say. He also knows the truth because he lived it and just isn't wired that way. Fisher has taken the high road at every opportunity since leaving Tallahassee, and I think it's long overdue that someone in the national media pulls their head out of their own ass long enough to recognize that fact the next time they're talking about FSU losing to Pitt, Louisville or NC State while Fisher is in Maroon & White while still taking down the Florida Gators.

Jimbo Fisher, Dan Mullen and Mario Christobal have probably been the three best hires in college football over the past three seasons, and Jimbo being part of the group is something some of these national types have been embarrassingly slow to catch on to. And if we're really wanting to talk about coaches around the country who actually are doing an absolutely terrible job either this season or at their current stop in general, then Jim Harbaugh, James Franklin, Jeremy Pruitt, Scott Frost and Tom Herman should be absolutely eviscerated for how miserably they've underperformed at their respective spots. Franklin this season (along with Mr. Row Your Boat over at Minnesota) and the rest of that group of 'home run hires' who have been underachieving long enough now that each of their seats is getting warmer with each passing Saturday.

-If the season ended today, the Ags could add Kyle Trask's name to the list of Heisman Trophy winners that couldn't get past Texas A&M. Granted, Trask threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs at the stadium he was named after (didn't know if you'd heard) but he and the Gators were outgunned by Kellen Mond and the Aggies on that glorious October afternoon. Anyway, if the Manvel product wins it, he'll continue a pretty amazing trend of 'out of nowhere' winners at quarterback.

Cam, RGIII, Johnny, Jameis, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow. That's 8 of the last nine QB winners (Marcus Mariota was considered a front-runner entering his junior season) and soon to be nine of ten (if Trask pulls it off) who essentially came out of nowhere to win the award. I'm taking slight liberties with Mayfield but he gets special mention for having been a walk-on who certainly was an afterthought when he showed up at Tech and even before wrestling the job away from our own Trevor Knight in Norman. Anyway, just something wild to think about next summer when you want to wager $100 or so on the 2021 Heisman winner.

-How about some recruiting quick-hitters? Consider this your pumpkin pie after that Scattershooting football feast.

When trying to figure out the close out to this year's class, much of the fan debate has centered around how things will shake out along the defensive line, where the Ags still have several nationally-ranked options. I've stated many times now that I believe the Ags' best bets are with DeSoto's Shemar Turner and Philly standout Elijah Jeudy but let me really simplify things and say this: I feel very good about A&M ultimately inking two members of a four-man group that also includes five star Tunmise Adeleye and borderline five Tywone Malone, the No. 1-ranked player in New Jersey. And there's an outside but legitimate shot that the Ags could sign three members of that star-studded quartet.

-I said this a couple of weeks ago about Florida playmaker Yulkeith Brown about a week or so before he became an Aggie but don't discount Baton Rouge defensive back Jardin Gilbert as a legitimate possibility for the Aggies in the 2020 class. A&M is still all-in on the talented cover man and the Ags have been for a while now. A&M and Bama looked like the two favorites but a recent LSU offer could shake things up. The Ags have real staying power here, however. Beating LSU on Saturday and sending the Tigers' season into a freefall couldn't hurt and if I'm Fisher or Mike Elko, I'm also asking the homegrown Louisiana talent if he's at all familiar with how the Bayou Bengals did another Red Stick safety dirty a year ago at this time. I'm talking about Major Burns, who LSU waited on, flipped from A&M and then cut loose just a week or so before NSD, sending him scrambling to grab one of the final spots in Georgia's class. One thing's for sure, the Ags clearly covet Gilbert as someone who could help push this year's DB haul over the top.

-Offensive linemen Bryce Foster or Katy Taylor and Fort Bend Christian's Remington Strickland are two coveted Houston-area offensive linemen who are near certainties to choose between A&M and Oklahoma. Because of the Ags' needs up front (not to mention how much time the Ags have invested in the Foster recruitment and the fact he's a lay down difference-maker in the trenches), both recruitments are of particular importance for Jimbo Fisher and Josh Henson. What makes these two even more important (and interesting) is the fact that, if the Ags can pull it off and keep two Texans in their home state, Henson and the Ags would have won five, count 'em, FIVE high-profile recruiting battles against the Sooners over the last two cycles. Foster and Strickland would join Reuben Fatheree, Chris Morris and Akinola Ogunbiyi in College Station, not to mention Trey Zuhn, who also held a committable Sooner offer when he chose A&M. Would send quite the message north of the Red River to Dryfit Lincoln.

-Winning on Saturday would go a long way towards making this statement ring even more true than it feels today, but don't be surprised to see this year's most high-profile and competitive A&M-Alabama head-to-head end up being the race for New Orleans WR Brian Thomas' signature. The Ags are quietly in probably a greater need to add an impact, pure wide receiver in this class and there are few better in the country than Thomas. As was the case with McKinnley Jackson last year (and Donell Harris out of Florida), the Aggies have done a great job in an out-of-state recruitment, hanging in early and emerging as a much bigger factor late than most on the national landscape seem to realize. Stay tuned.

-I love this week's offers from the Ags in the Class of '22. Moving on Fort Bend Marshall WR Chris Marshall is really getting ahead of the curve on a very fast and supremely athletic wideout who has terrific size and a basketball background that makes him a very difficult coverage assignment. A&M should be in the thick of things here thanks to Davon Achane no matter how much Marshall's stock soars (which it will). The other offer that I'd love to see end up in Maroon & White down the road is Allen OL Neto Umeozulu. The 6-4, 300-plus pound guard has recently picked up offers from the likes of A&M, Bama and OU. He's actually quite familiar with and fond of the Ags and has been for a while now. He's going to be recruited by everyone but, again, this is a race in which the Ags should have some real staying power. How good to I think Neto is? In another loaded year in the offensive trenches, I think he's in the discussion (and my personal early choice) for No. 1 interior OL in Texas in 2022.

 

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Longhornfrenzy

Longhornfrenzy 5589

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10 hours ago, Lobwedgephil said:
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Liucci

2:40p 

Staff

AG

-For starters, a quick scheduling update:

Last night, Tennessee AD Phil Fulmer said the A&M game would be played on December 19, to close out the regular-season on championship weekend.

I'd heard the same (it's all tentative and subject to change, of course) and also heard that the Ags' most likely three-game close to the regular-season would be at Auburn next weekend, Ole Miss at Kyle Field on 12/12 and then the trip to Rocky Top. 

Again, not set in stone, but that's what it's sounding like and it's really the only way to go. If there's any change at all, it would be Auburn and Ole Miss flipping (which I'm not expecting) because that Tennessee game kind of has to be locked in on 12/19. The Ags can't play Ole Miss on the 19th because LSU has to have Bama and Florida on the first two Saturdays of December (before championship weekend) and then still has Ole Miss (which will be on 12/19). That also means that LSU plays Florida on 12/12 after facing Bama on 12/5. Florida hosting LSU that weekend leaves only next weekend for UF to take on their division rivals from Knoxville, hence 12/19 being the only Saturday that fits for both A&M and UT. 

If you'd like to try and dissect that season-ending scenario, I'd say it's the best you could hope for if you're the Aggies. Take on Auburn a week after the Iron Bowl and draw Tennessee at season's end, when the Vols will likely be playing out a bitterly disappointing season at 3-6 (assuming they don't lose to Vandy on 12/12). Ole Miss in the middle is probably the perfect spot for what should be a confident bunch led by Lane Kiffin. Fortunately, that one will be played in College Station and not Oxford.

-So LSU followed by Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee, you say? I know a couple of those big names are down, Auburn isn't elite this season and Ole Miss is still sporting a losing record but that's still a pretty daunting four-game stretch to close things out for the Aggies. It's not the Murderer's Row those opponents stacked in four straight weeks we thought it would be prior to the season and especially not what you'd get if you drew those four in certain recent seasons but I'd still go so far as to say the close-out for Jimbo Fisher's squad is tougher than anything any of the other contenders have to face the rest of the way. Tougher than what Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Cincy and Northwestern all have in front of them between now and championship weekend but where the Aggies catch a potential break is that every one of those aforementioned teams is going to have to play a conference championship game, with three of those pitting two teams from the group against one another. Again, it's a 'potential' break for the Aggies and we'll get into that in a moment.

LSU and Tennessee both still have a ton of talent, probably every bit as much as the Aggies do. Problem for the Bayou Bengals and Vols, however, is that they don't have the senior leadership, the quarterback play, the defense or 'team football' that Fisher's squad brings to the table. Auburn is a good and definitely dangerous team, one that was good enough to beat LSU every bit as bad as the Ags beat South Carolina a few weeks ago. Problem is, War Eagle also lost to that same Gamecock squad and the Tigers were on the right side of game-changing blown calls in Houdini-like escapes versus Arkansas and Ole Miss. Bo Nix is very good when he's on, the Tiger receiving corps is as good as any the Ags will face and Tank Bigsby is a powerful, productive runner but Gus Malzahn's bunch hasn't been nearly as consistent as the Ags have been so far this season and not nearly as good. As for Ole Miss? Kiffin's offense is scary good but, again, the Rebels weren't world-beaters in losing to Arkansas and Auburn and the last time we saw them they were in a four-quarter shootout with the same team A&M had beaten 48-3 a week prior, giving up around 230 rushing yards to the same guy the Ags held to 50.  

-Here's something to consider about this A&M team and what they're putting on the field every weekend.

The Aggies probably rank in the top-3 in the SEC in all of the following areas:

One of the three best quarterbacks.
One of the three best running backs.
One of the top three tight ends.
One of the three best 'all purpose' backs.
One of the three best offensive lines.
One of the top three defensive lines.
No. 1-ranked defense.
No. 2 in the SEC versus the run.

So while the remaining schedule is anything but easy, there's a reason why your Aggies will be favored each of the next four Saturdays and there's a reason that they're a legitimate top-5 football team as we enter the season's final month..  

-News came out this week that the CDC may soon shorten the length of time a person must self-quarantines following potential exposure to Co-Vid. I'm not sure anything happens between now and the end of the college football season but perhaps it's something that could factor in by the time bowl season rolls around. As any college football fan has become painfully aware, it's oftentimes the players missing due to contact tracing more than it is positive tests within the program. For example, the Aggies were essentially put on ice for two weeks - while playing their best football of the season (in years, actually) - because of two positive player tests. Heck, several days prior to what was supposed to be a home date with Ole Miss last weekend, the Ags didn't have a single player positive within the program, yet couldn't play because more than a dozen players and more than half of the coaching staff were wiped out due to contact tracing. Members of that group tested negative seven times during the 14-day stretch yet were sidelined due to CDC guidelines that somehow seem archaic. Soon enough, we'll see college football employ something close to what the NFL has or at least be able to have players 'test out' of quarantine in 5-7 days or so. Unfortunately, we're not there yet, which is why we're seeing games postponed across the country each and every Saturday and why there's still no telling how many of the Ags' final four contests are actually played. I'm hopeful, and getting LSU to College Station on Friday would be a huge step towards that goal. Credit teams like Mississippi State, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky for getting out there and playing when the numbers are working against them, but the contact tracing is strange in that it's typically the road teams that find out upon returning (Sunday's test) that they traveled positive players that take the hardest quarantine hit. See Florida and A&M for proof of that.

-Speaking of Florida- and LSU, for that matter - those are two teams that seemed to take advantage of the unexpected two game (and three weeks between contests) break. It's also the elephant in the room heading into this weekend. We know A&M has been the better team over the course of six games so far this season and we know the Ags were rolling and playing their best ball prior to hitting the unexpected pause. What we don't know is how long it will take for the Ags to shake any rust off after not playing for what will be three full weeks between games. The weather (rain and cold) is also going to be a factor. Two complete wildcards that certainly make this one nerve-racking but I keep coming back to the fact that each team has played six games this year and the Ags have looked like a legitimate top-5 team while LSU is struggling to figure things out, even during a win last Saturday in Fayetteville.

-As far as the game itself goes, I'll have plenty more in this week's 'Key Matchups' feature but how about some quick thoughts:

A&M is close to a two-touchdown favorite in this one, which is pretty remarkable in and of itself. LSU has had an exceedingly difficult time replacing so many All-SEC, All-American and award-winning, NFL players off of last year's championship squad. I said it throughout the off-season: Never before has a team lost so much in a single off-season - First-Rounders, the Heisman Trophy winner, both coordinators, the Thorpe and Biletnifkoff Award winners - you name it, and LSU lost it off of the 2019 squad. And then LSU lost starting QB Myles Brennan.  

Of course, the Tigers lost to Mississippi State in the season-opener with Brennan and still haven't figured things out on the back end of what is still a very talented defense. Bo Pelini has been a disaster in Baton Rouge thus far and the offense has been inconsistent at best with so much attrition.  

Bottom line, the team that barely escaped a Co-Vid ravaged Arkansas team last Saturday and was rolled by Auburn to the tune of 48-11 a few weeks ago is one that the Aggies should beat. However, history between the two programs, LSU's overall talent level and the unknown created by the long Aggie layoff makes this one a more dangerous hurdle than the records would indicate.

Two things stand out in the concern department for me. First, LSU has some big-time players, including future First-Round picks at receiver (Terrace Marshall) and cornerback (Derek Stingley and possibly true freshman Elias Ricks) and a tight end who will probably join Jalen Wydermyer as the league's two best in 2021. LSU is also particularly impressive up front. The Tiger defensive line is likely to give the Ags more problems than any unit since Alabama. They've been leaky in terms of setting the edge against the run but Pelini's front four can get after an opposing o-line and they do it by simply lining up and playing right through the blockers. In other words, they're fine playing heads-up football and have the talent to do so. This will be a legit test for A&M's improved offensive line and the powerful Aggie ground game.

On the flip side, the folks in Baton Rouge believe the Tigers may have found something in T.J. Finley, an improved defense and a ground game last weekend against Arkansas. I'm skeptical, for several reasons. First off, Arkansas was without six of the top seven defensive linemen on the team due to Co-Vid contact tracing. The Hogs were also without the services of Rakeem Boyd, a 1,000-yard rusher last year who topped the century mark against his old A&M teammates a few weeks ago. The lack of able-bodied d-linemen is a big part of the reason why LSU was able to run the ball with so much success, allow their true freshman quarterback to stay ahead of the chains and control more than 40 minutes of game clock. The Hogs also only rushed three most of the game, allowing Finley to sit back and not deal with much pressure, an odd approach when trying to make things tough on a guy who was starting just his third game. Things should be different on Saturday, considering the fact that the Ags lead the SEC in total defense, rank second against the run and have done a nice job of pressuring the quarterback of late. A&M with Isaiah Spiller, Devon Achane and Ainias Smith and running behind that offensive line is also a little different than what Arkansas brought to the table sans Boyd and with a below-average collection of blockers.

-For many reasons, this is the most important A&M-LSU game since the Aggies have joined the conference. Such a wild swing in either direction for the winner and loser. That's particularly true for the Aggies, as above all else a win would leave Jimbo's bunch three games away from a possible playoff berth.

Of course, there are other reasons an Aggie victory would resonate well beyond this season. First and foremost, LSU ran up the score on the Aggies last year en route to clinching an unbeaten regular-season on Senior Night at Tiger Stadium. Ed O, Joe Burrow and the rest of the Bayou Bengals spent the entire off-season crying about the 7OT game being 'stolen' from them and, to their credit, went out and exacted what they felt was revenge a year later (nevermind the fact that the brainchild leading the LSU charge still can't seem to understand that they were in no way robbed of a win). Now it's A&M's turn. Don't get me wrong, the Ags just want to get a win and it's clear that they're focused on a bigger prize than 'payback.' However, pride is a very real thing in athletic competition and I think you're kidding yourself if you think this is just another game for the men in Maroon & White.

A win would also hit a division rival and it's loudmouth head coach where it really hurts. In addition to keeping the Ags in the top-5 and in playoff contention, a loss would be pretty devastating for the Tigers. LSU would fall to 3-4, with games left against Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss. A year after a perfect 15-0 run to the title, LSU would stand a very real chance of finishing an embarassing 3-7. An Aggie win would also leave A&M 2-1 against LSU under Jimbo Fisher's watch. That two out of three for the head coach who most in Purple and Gold considered 'the one that got away' prior to last season. Win Saturday night at Kyle Field and Fisher will leave Tiger fans feeling that way again.

The Ags are playing in what is absolutely a 'kick them while they're down' conference and the Ags have the chance to not only keep legitimate playoff hopes alive this weekend but also finally level the playing field (or better) with what is fast-becoming a legitimate rival whether the Tigers admit it or not. LSU has a lot going on right now, between on-field struggles, NCAA clouds hovering over both football and basketball and a possible cover-up scandal reported recently by USA Today. Bama and an SEC championship is the goal for the Aggies, but LSU is absolutely the one program that Fisher and A&M must catch before they emerge as the biggest year-in, year-out threat to Nick Saban and the Tide. They can take a huge step towards that end with a win on Saturday...and I didn't even mention the potential recruiting ramifications in Texas and over into the Bayou State.

-And in case you're curious, for a rivalry that has been fairly one-sided, there has been quite a bit of theater in this series since the Ags joined the SEC. Think about it: In year one, Johnny Manziel and the Ags came up just short and it turned out to be their last loss of the season. A win would have meant an SEC West title and possibly a natty. There was also the 'Les Miles farewell' game in Death Valley, when the Jimbo deal allegedly fell apart at halftime of the Tiger win. Ed O may have won his way out of 'interim' status with a win at Kyle Field in 2016. Last year's blowout win was a magical night for Joe Burrow and the Bengals at Tiger Stadium for Senior Night and the 2018 7 OT classic will always rate as the most thrilling Aggie victory in school history.

Still, as far as the Aggies go, this one looms larger than each of the previous eight SEC meetings.

 

Liucci

9:05p 

Staff

AG

-Okay, so we know the Aggies have to win out beginning Saturday in order to remain relevant in the playoff discussion. What we didn't know prior to Tuesday night's unveiling, however, was how much respect the Ags' 5-1 start would garner from the committee. Nothing but good news on that front, as the Aggies came in at No. 5, behind only Bama, ND, Clemson and Ohio State.

Here's the short version as it pertains to the Aggies: The way things started out, I don't see any way an A&M team that finishes 9-1 doesn't end up ranked worse than fourth or fifth in the final playoff rankings. That's all you can ask for, right? 

Of course, there's a world of difference between finishing fourth and fifth, so let's take a quick look at how things need to shake out.  

The simplest, most likely scenario involves Bama and Ohio State winning out and it all coming down to what happens when Notre Dame and Clemson square off for a second time in the ACC title game. An Irish win and a 9-1 A&M team would absolutely be in. The same with a blowout win by Clemson, and contrary to what some know-it-all troglodytes in the national media continue to trumpet, a convincing, 'game control' type of win from Dabo, Trevor and Co. could very well do the trick, as well (that might depend on how impressive the Ags are the rest of the way).

And don't spend too much time worrying about the what ifs in regards to an unbeaten, B1G champion Northwestern. They'd most likely force their way in but it would also come at the expense of Ohio State so they'd essentially flip flop. Where things would get interesting would be if the Buckeyes didn't get enough games in to qualify for the conference title game, allowing the Wildcats to run the table AND OSU to go unbeaten at 6-0. Even if that unlikely scenario played out, that conference isn't getting two in barring a rash of upsets. 

Obviously, Florida beating Bama would push the Gators past the Ags and Bama would be the second SEC team in. That's understandable if Mullen, Trask and Co. can pull it off. It's also why where UF and A&M initially ranked really didn't matter. The biggest thing was the simple fact that A&M coming in at 5 and UF at 6 showed how much respect the committee had for the Ags' head to head win and body of work to date.

Speaking of that body of work, I know LSU and Tennessee are down and Ole Miss isn't ranked, but if A&M were able to win four more games and push their win streak to eight entering the final rankings with wins over a big-name programs like those down the stretch (including two on the road), I think folks in the national media are underestimating how much positive momentum the Ags will have in the eyes of the committee at that point. It could weigh very heavily if you're comparing the Ags to a one-loss Notre Dame, an unbeaten Pac 12 champ or a two-loss Big 12 pretender.

Credit the playoff committee here because it's tough work and it's never been tougher to rank these teams than it is this season. The committee got the initial top four right, IMO. They also did a great job with the all-important 5-8 rankings, as well. There are some things to nitpick after that, but that will never change and it's an impossible, thankless task when you get down past that 8-10 range.

-So Cincinnati needs a whole heck of a lot of magic to get a look (it's possible but unlikely) and BYU is clearly going to be on the outside looking in, and rightfully so with that ghastly schedule. What I do think Cincy and BYU missing the cut but both likely to remain undefeated will do is create some very interesting NY6 bowl games. The Bearcats and Cougars will be playing in the post-season with everything to prove, which should make for real interest in some of the matchups against big name P5 programs. You can go ahead and throw Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Liberty and SMU and a couple of others in there, as well. This is going to be 'put up or shut up (forever)' SZN for the Group of Five.

-Here's a VERY interesting note about BYU: So much was made this week about the Cougars unwillingness to schedule Washington for this Saturday on short notice but the reality one such game - even a win - would have meant that Kalani Sitake's team still played only one P5 team all season (and one from the worst major conference in football at that). As the rankings showed, it wouldn't have been close to enough. What is wild, however, is how close the Cougars were in September to hammering out a schedule that included a couple of SEC powers. Before Greg Sankey and Co. decided to go with a conference-only, 10-game slate, BYU opened up with Alabama looked like it was happening. What didn't get as much run was how close the Aggies were to replacing Colorado with BYU a couple of weeks into the schedule. Yes, that was a real thing, which I mentioned once it fell through when the SEC went in-house only. So BYU could have played two of the three best teams in the Southeastern Conference. How much difference would that have made in the playoff discussion? Probably not much, considering the fact that the Cougars would have probably been a competitive 0-2 in said games, both on the road.

--If you want to know what a good job Jimbo Fisher and his staff have done with this football team in 2020, look no further than some of the big name programs around the country and especially at the B1G.  

LSU has struggled mightily this year (let's hope that trend continues for the defending champs), Oklahoma dropped two ugly games early on back-to-back weekends and is only hanging around because that league is disgracefully bad, Tennessee has dropped five straight and the Vols are staring L #6 in the face (Florida is up next), Georgia couldn't figure things out at QB and the Dawgs were lapped in losses to Bama and UF. What I'm having a hard time understanding is how terrible the big-name programs in the B1G (excluding Nebraska, who at this point is big-time in name only and it's been that way for longer than even the Longhorns have been irrelevant) have been this season. Penn State and Michigan and absolutely horrendous, Wisconsin looked pretty pedestrian the first time they were challenged in three games and Minnesota has been one of the more disappointing teams coming off of a rousing 2019 season capped off with a bowl win over Auburn. Look, I think P.J. Fleck, Paul Chryst and James Franklin are all very good coaches but coaching in 2020 has been the most unique challenge most college football bosses have ever faced and many a good leader has failed to adjust accordingly. That's what makes what folks like Fisher, Mullen and Brian Kelly have done so far even more impressive.

As for the Pac-12, that league may as well not be playing football this season. Oregon and USC have both looked very underwhelming and, three games in, are literally halfway done with their regular-season schedules. Because they were the last to join the party, the league's six-game plus one championship weekend set-up is a virtual lock to ensure no one from the conference has much of a shot at crashing the playoff chase and, due to the late start, there's very little chance we're see more than half of the teams even reach the six-game mark. About the only thing I'll credit the league for is its willingness to allow teams to add non-conference games and to adjust the schedule on very short notice in order to just squeeze as many games in as they can. Too little, too late, unfortunately, and the most irrelevant Power 5 conference is so far behind the others at this point that, outside of Oregon and USC, it'll be tough for everyone else in the conference to recover anytime soon.

-So two weekends with the Aggies sitting it out on the sidelines and I'm not sure more than one or two of the teams I preferred to see win actually walked off of the field with a W. Oh well, if nothing else the last two weekends pushed a pair of pretenders out of the mix, with Wisconsin and Oklahoma State being exposed as frauds. Indiana also exited stage left, though the Hoosiers certainly proved themselves as a very good team in rallying to take Ohio State to a final possession at The Horseshoe. 

Did I say rally? That's what the national media is doing again. Doing all they can to dig the Big 12 - and Oklahoma, in particular - out of a hole and drop them directly into the playoff discussion. It's not going to work this time, folks. The reason why? The league is out of the conversation no matter how hard the media tries to convince us that "Oklahoma is playing as well as anyone in the country." Ummm, no they're not. They fattened up on TCU, Tech, Kansas and a laughably overrated Oklahoma State squad that barely outlasted Tulsa and lost at home to Texas.

So when I hear certain drum-bangers start doing this around this same time every year - and this year, the biggest jackass of them all happens to be none other than Tom Herman himself - I actually believe it demonstrates a lack of football intellect or insane 'anti-SEC' bias for anyone to even consider Oklahoma worthy of being in the playoff discussion barring a rash of upsets during the final 3-4 weeks of the season. It's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in all of my years of covering this sport. It really is. And the thing is, there is ZERO chance that the committee would allow a team with those two losses to move up because, while these talking heads make points like "two close losses versus being blown out 52-24" the fact of the matter is one is a single loss AT No. 1 Alabama (by definition, the toughest SOS game you can play), while the other is TWO losses - one to a team that was dragged at home by the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns and has two losses and another that lost to Arkansas freaking State. It's comical at this point.

Every single year. Big 12 is humiliated during non-conference play, a couple of teams start out 3-0 or 4-1 in conference play to they sneak back up into the top-15, a 'quality' win or two happen in league play as a result and the next thing you know, OU is in the playoff and getting humiliated by an SEC foe in the semis. Not this year, thank goodness.

-Of course, the SEC team the Sooners could very well draw in the 2020 postseason is none other than your Fightin' Texas Aggies. A 9-1 A&M team that misses the playoffs or an 8-2 Aggie squad would end up in a New Year's Six bowl game. The Orange gets the first at-large crack this year and would probably love to gobble up (it is Thanksgiving after all) an A&M squad ranked No. 5, pitting the Ags against either Clemson, Notre Dame or Miami. However, I've also heard that the bowls will do as much as they can to limit travel (for the teams but especially for fans) as much as possible this time around, which is why I believe we'll see as many 'regional' bowls matchups as possible. That doesn't mean the Orange would pass on matching up, say the No. 5 Ags against No. 6 Notre Dame or Clemson (in this instance, Florida would beat Bama and the loser of the ACC title game would be the odd team out, along with TAMU) but it could mean that an A&M-Miami matchup wouldn't be quite as convenient for all parties as going with The U v Gators in Miami, which would leave the Cotton to set up A&M against a former Big 12 rival like OU or, gasp, even the Texas Longhorns (or Iowa State...whoever wins the Big 12 title). Yep, I know what you're thinking. Just win out and hopefully play your way out of a fifth Big 12 bowl meeting in nine years in the SEC.

-Another week, another article trying to explain the, wait...what's worse than a dumpster fire? Well, let's just call whatever is going on in Tallahassee something so bad it would make a dumpster fire look so inviting you'd want to roast marshmallows over it. Andrea Adelson's story for ESPN was perhaps the first article from a member of the national football media that wasn't a hit piece on Jimbo Fisher and actually finally really dug into everything that was wrong at Florida State and the things that ultimately played a big role in the national championship-winning head coach leaving for Texas A&M. While that was a nice change of pace, do you know what's been incredibly consistent every time the tired subject comes up following another humiliating FSU defeat? Jimbo Fisher doesn't say a word. In fact, the former Seminole head coach and assistant only speaks favorably of his longtime home. He doesn't have time to worry about his old job because he's so focused on the current task at hand to worry about what anyone has to say. He also knows the truth because he lived it and just isn't wired that way. Fisher has taken the high road at every opportunity since leaving Tallahassee, and I think it's long overdue that someone in the national media pulls their head out of their own ass long enough to recognize that fact the next time they're talking about FSU losing to Pitt, Louisville or NC State while Fisher is in Maroon & White while still taking down the Florida Gators.

Jimbo Fisher, Dan Mullen and Mario Christobal have probably been the three best hires in college football over the past three seasons, and Jimbo being part of the group is something some of these national types have been embarrassingly slow to catch on to. And if we're really wanting to talk about coaches around the country who actually are doing an absolutely terrible job either this season or at their current stop in general, then Jim Harbaugh, James Franklin, Jeremy Pruitt, Scott Frost and Tom Herman should be absolutely eviscerated for how miserably they've underperformed at their respective spots. Franklin this season (along with Mr. Row Your Boat over at Minnesota) and the rest of that group of 'home run hires' who have been underachieving long enough now that each of their seats is getting warmer with each passing Saturday.

-If the season ended today, the Ags could add Kyle Trask's name to the list of Heisman Trophy winners that couldn't get past Texas A&M. Granted, Trask threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs at the stadium he was named after (didn't know if you'd heard) but he and the Gators were outgunned by Kellen Mond and the Aggies on that glorious October afternoon. Anyway, if the Manvel product wins it, he'll continue a pretty amazing trend of 'out of nowhere' winners at quarterback.

Cam, RGIII, Johnny, Jameis, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow. That's 8 of the last nine QB winners (Marcus Mariota was considered a front-runner entering his junior season) and soon to be nine of ten (if Trask pulls it off) who essentially came out of nowhere to win the award. I'm taking slight liberties with Mayfield but he gets special mention for having been a walk-on who certainly was an afterthought when he showed up at Tech and even before wrestling the job away from our own Trevor Knight in Norman. Anyway, just something wild to think about next summer when you want to wager $100 or so on the 2021 Heisman winner.

-How about some recruiting quick-hitters? Consider this your pumpkin pie after that Scattershooting football feast.

When trying to figure out the close out to this year's class, much of the fan debate has centered around how things will shake out along the defensive line, where the Ags still have several nationally-ranked options. I've stated many times now that I believe the Ags' best bets are with DeSoto's Shemar Turner and Philly standout Elijah Jeudy but let me really simplify things and say this: I feel very good about A&M ultimately inking two members of a four-man group that also includes five star Tunmise Adeleye and borderline five Tywone Malone, the No. 1-ranked player in New Jersey. And there's an outside but legitimate shot that the Ags could sign three members of that star-studded quartet.

-I said this a couple of weeks ago about Florida playmaker Yulkeith Brown about a week or so before he became an Aggie but don't discount Baton Rouge defensive back Jardin Gilbert as a legitimate possibility for the Aggies in the 2020 class. A&M is still all-in on the talented cover man and the Ags have been for a while now. A&M and Bama looked like the two favorites but a recent LSU offer could shake things up. The Ags have real staying power here, however. Beating LSU on Saturday and sending the Tigers' season into a freefall couldn't hurt and if I'm Fisher or Mike Elko, I'm also asking the homegrown Louisiana talent if he's at all familiar with how the Bayou Bengals did another Red Stick safety dirty a year ago at this time. I'm talking about Major Burns, who LSU waited on, flipped from A&M and then cut loose just a week or so before NSD, sending him scrambling to grab one of the final spots in Georgia's class. One thing's for sure, the Ags clearly covet Gilbert as someone who could help push this year's DB haul over the top.

-Offensive linemen Bryce Foster or Katy Taylor and Fort Bend Christian's Remington Strickland are two coveted Houston-area offensive linemen who are near certainties to choose between A&M and Oklahoma. Because of the Ags' needs up front (not to mention how much time the Ags have invested in the Foster recruitment and the fact he's a lay down difference-maker in the trenches), both recruitments are of particular importance for Jimbo Fisher and Josh Henson. What makes these two even more important (and interesting) is the fact that, if the Ags can pull it off and keep two Texans in their home state, Henson and the Ags would have won five, count 'em, FIVE high-profile recruiting battles against the Sooners over the last two cycles. Foster and Strickland would join Reuben Fatheree, Chris Morris and Akinola Ogunbiyi in College Station, not to mention Trey Zuhn, who also held a committable Sooner offer when he chose A&M. Would send quite the message north of the Red River to Dryfit Lincoln.

-Winning on Saturday would go a long way towards making this statement ring even more true than it feels today, but don't be surprised to see this year's most high-profile and competitive A&M-Alabama head-to-head end up being the race for New Orleans WR Brian Thomas' signature. The Ags are quietly in probably a greater need to add an impact, pure wide receiver in this class and there are few better in the country than Thomas. As was the case with McKinnley Jackson last year (and Donell Harris out of Florida), the Aggies have done a great job in an out-of-state recruitment, hanging in early and emerging as a much bigger factor late than most on the national landscape seem to realize. Stay tuned.

-I love this week's offers from the Ags in the Class of '22. Moving on Fort Bend Marshall WR Chris Marshall is really getting ahead of the curve on a very fast and supremely athletic wideout who has terrific size and a basketball background that makes him a very difficult coverage assignment. A&M should be in the thick of things here thanks to Davon Achane no matter how much Marshall's stock soars (which it will). The other offer that I'd love to see end up in Maroon & White down the road is Allen OL Neto Umeozulu. The 6-4, 300-plus pound guard has recently picked up offers from the likes of A&M, Bama and OU. He's actually quite familiar with and fond of the Ags and has been for a while now. He's going to be recruited by everyone but, again, this is a race in which the Ags should have some real staying power. How good to I think Neto is? In another loaded year in the offensive trenches, I think he's in the discussion (and my personal early choice) for No. 1 interior OL in Texas in 2022.

 

 

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bizzle

bizzle 1138

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Posted

i think i liked vaka more than most. got a little heavy but he still could play. seems like a great kid.

as long as elijah robinson and terry price are there we'll be ok at dl, just curious if jimbo wants to maybe throw a few decent scholarships towards the wr room.

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golfclap

golfclap 6903

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, bizzle said:

i think i liked vaka more than most. got a little heavy but he still could play. seems like a great kid.

as long as elijah robinson and terry price are there we'll be ok at dl, just curious if jimbo wants to maybe throw a few decent scholarships towards the wr room.

I agree that Vaka seems like a good kid but I think even with his excitement a guy that would start buried on the depth chart (because he ate his way down it) is going to be hard to keep in the program with the portal, etc.

I wonder about the WR room as well, but I don't know who you guys are truly targeting there. I assume that both Brown and Daniels could see some time at WR a la Smith to go along with Banks. There are 53 offers out from the Ags but I don't know how serious any of them are. 

@bizzle are you thinking someone like JJ Henry or KJ Liggins? 

Any flip candidates, like Hal Presley (no offer), Sturdivant, or Ketron Jackson? 

Roll the dice in the Quay Davis recruitment? 

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jordanaggie

jordanaggie 86

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Posted
2 hours ago, golfclap said:

I agree that Vaka seems like a good kid but I think even with his excitement a guy that would start buried on the depth chart (because he ate his way down it) is going to be hard to keep in the program with the portal, etc.

I wonder about the WR room as well, but I don't know who you guys are truly targeting there. I assume that both Brown and Daniels could see some time at WR a la Smith to go along with Banks. There are 53 offers out from the Ags but I don't know how serious any of them are. 

@bizzle are you thinking someone like JJ Henry or KJ Liggins? 

Any flip candidates, like Hal Presley (no offer), Sturdivant, or Ketron Jackson? 

Roll the dice in the Quay Davis recruitment? 

I liked Vaka, too.  He seems like a really good kid that was excited to be a part of the program (for some reason, it's harder to let go of those types), but I'm not sure how much he'd play.  

I think JJ Henry is the only realistic WR option of those mentioned.  Staff would love Brian Thomas, Jr.-- not sure how good our chances are there unless Bama steals the Cali kid.  Then he may be ours to lose.  I rarely hear about the rest of those guys; of course, I hadn't heard much about Regis, either.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 48928

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 11/27/2020 at 8:25 AM, Longhornfrenzy said:

 

190fa8f681c37c8515698aa70d8ae8d9.gif

Right now, on Finebaum

Liucci says this past weekend could be a defining moment for aggy... 

  • Jimbo now 2-1 against LSU 
  • Herman loss to Iowa State
  • Opens door for more aggy recruiting success

He and Finebaum are really enjoying making fun of TEXAS -- laughing that TEXAS ever thought they were getting Saban.  Long discussion on the problems at TEXAS.

giphy.gif

 

Edited by LTtxfan
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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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Posted (edited)

Don't know that this is a WR for DT kind of scholarships maneuver. Victory Vaka was an early take and maybe there is still some chance for getting a higher caliber DT who is also more along the lines of most others already in the DT group; they've been getting taller dudes, not just squat cubes. 6'1 and 350 is too much.  Most Ags were quite happy to also see Desmond Watson, at 6'5 but 380 frickin pounds, go from almost picking A&M to picking Florida.

Would be awesome if Ags suggested Vaka to look around because they have good indications from a guy like Tywone Malone out of New Jersey. 6'3" and 300 pounds of muscle. Elijah Robinson ties coming in handy once again? Get Malone and Jeudy and Shemar Turner-- that's a stout DL haul.

As for WR, seems JJ Henry would like how Ainias Smith and Devone Achane are used.  Jo Jo Earle, if he wants to flip from LSU, probably would be welcome with open arms for the same spot. The taller, possession WR would be Brian Thomas if he wants to jump aboard.  Too many strike outs on the WR recruiting trail this year, could use a nice surprise but not holding my breath.  Jimbo brought in 7 WRs in the last cycle...in an offense that doesn't go 4 wide. Plenty of logjam and not surprised if higher rated guys don't want to come this year. Develop the talent already on campus and they'll be alright next year.

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Scholz

Scholz 11923

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Posted
15 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Right now, on Finebaum

Liucci says this past weekend could be a defining moment for aggy... 

  • Jimbo now 2-1 against LSU 
  • Herman loss to Iowa State
  • Opens door for more aggy recruiting success

He and Finebaum are really enjoying making fun of TEXAS -- laughing that TEXAS ever thought they were getting Saban.  Long discussion on the problems at TEXAS.

He's gotta have something in his life besides giga buckets of wings.  Whatever gets you through the night, Billy.  It certainly won't ever be an aggy championship in your lifetime.

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bizzle

bizzle 1138

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23 hours ago, golfclap said:

I agree that Vaka seems like a good kid but I think even with his excitement a guy that would start buried on the depth chart (because he ate his way down it) is going to be hard to keep in the program with the portal, etc.

I wonder about the WR room as well, but I don't know who you guys are truly targeting there. I assume that both Brown and Daniels could see some time at WR a la Smith to go along with Banks. There are 53 offers out from the Ags but I don't know how serious any of them are. 

@bizzle are you thinking someone like JJ Henry or KJ Liggins? 

Any flip candidates, like Hal Presley (no offer), Sturdivant, or Ketron Jackson? 

Roll the dice in the Quay Davis recruitment? 

this year from hell has kept me away from paying attention to this like i usually do, but the guys above probably have it right. i think we're gunning for:

- dl: 2 from tunmise, shemar turner, jeudy, and some dude i haven't heard of from florida / jersey / etc. that we're paying enough money to stay in on

- db: still going after mj daniels, yet another safety that elko thinks can play corner

- ol: 1 of bryce foster (yes please) or remington strickland (no please)

- rb/wr: still looking at lj, trying to keep up in the brian thomas sweepstakes, no idea about all the slot guys

- bonus: some other high rated guy that we'll sneak in on because jimbo likes to do that

i actually like this class a lot, i think the questions are does this get us any closer to beating bama (probably not), and was eli stowers the right take (debatable). 

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golfclap

golfclap 6903

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5 minutes ago, bizzle said:

i actually like this class a lot, i think the questions are does this get us any closer to beating bama (probably not), and was eli stowers the right take (debatable). 

You know I'm not big on Fatheree but rolling the dice on him is fine because I think Wykoff and Zuhn are the two best OTs you guys have taken under Jimbo. Deuce Harmon is the best CB you've taken under Fisher. So to that end, I think there's more than a few reasons to be amped about this class. 

Stowers is just the next in the confusing line of mobile QBs that Jimbo has taken going back to FSU. He doesn't want them to run on designed runs often and he hates improvisation/off-book plays. I can't figure out why he doesn't just take pro guys but it's beyond me to know for sure. It makes the Klubnik recruitment all the stranger. He's really fucking good (and I am by nature meh on Westlake/Lake Travis kids) he could run Jimbo's offense to perfection, and he's a multi-aggy legacy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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bizzle

bizzle 1138

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1 hour ago, golfclap said:

You know I'm not big on Fatheree but rolling the dice on him is fine because I think Wykoff and Zuhn are the two best OTs you guys have taken under Jimbo. Deuce Harmon is the best CB you've taken under Fisher. So to that end, I think there's more than a few reasons to be amped about this class. 

Stowers is just the next in the confusing line of mobile QBs that Jimbo has taken going back to FSU. He doesn't want them to run on designed runs often and he hates improvisation/off-book plays. I can't figure out why he doesn't just take pro guys but it's beyond me to know for sure. It makes the Klubnik recruitment all the stranger. He's really fucking good (and I am by nature meh on Westlake/Lake Travis kids) he could run Jimbo's offense to perfection, and he's a multi-aggy legacy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i think if you turn ej manuel and christian ponder into first round picks, followed by the national championship with jameis, you convince yourself you can make anything work. he's fallen in love with these guys with physical tools that don't appear to be very natural throwers of the ball, and all i can guess is that he's overthinking it.

here's to haynes king breaking his current streak.

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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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He and Darrell Dickey have extended offers to the top few DT and PRO QBs in each of the cycles, so it's not that they don't even bother with the PRO-style QBs out there, but there has to be a level of mutual interest; out of 3 classes so far, has has landed two DT types and his very first one was a PRO... and he might not play any meaningful snaps if he can't prove himself in spring/fall 2021... i'm talking about Zach Calzada.

The amount of good QB talent Texas produces, there should be one good pick for each of the FBS schools in state. But the best ones seem to leave the state lately.

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ChemicalHorn

ChemicalHorn 347

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On 12/4/2020 at 1:02 PM, PHLaggie said:

That's 3 TE's with injuries--  a coveted 5-star and a high 4-star who are already enrolled but haven't played a meaningful down yet, and a 3-star recruit. 

That's brutal.

 

Eh, might cause him to bulk up and embrace his future as a blocking TE or OL, which is his best path for you guys

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PHLaggie

PHLaggie 110

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6 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Remington Strickland, 3* OL from Ft. Bend Christian committted.  Has a good, not great offer list, seems to play pretty mean and will move to the interior in college.  Not a cube.  I wonder what this means on Foster.

 

https://247sports.com/player/remington-strickland-46055899/

 

 

he is listed as a Center; if he can make all the pre-snap adjustments and set the protections, that's great. Not everybody can do that. Foster is listed as a OG. In this class unlike in the past, so far only 3 OLs and all are non-cube, tackles. So there is still room for 6'5", 330# mauler guard like Foster.  I think you guys would rather he end up at A&M than go to OU, if it's between those two schools as is the rumored.

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