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re: Merlins or Sumlin, who get a real SEC West win first?
Posted on 7/26/12 at 3:37 pm to schlow mo
Posted on 7/26/12 at 3:37 pm to schlow mo
No doubt A&M will take some punches going into the SEC West and certainly no one expects them to contend next year. That said, it's not like the SEC West is some foreign concept to Aggies. We have played Arkie and LSU in the last few years and while we don't have W's we have steadily improved. A&M is also investing in a big way from marketing to facilities to stadium upgrades with the intention of competing and winning. We are the largest school in the SEC from the largest state with the largest endowment. To say that A&M can't compete is just foolish.
A&M also is far from Texas' byach. In the last 35 years the head to head is even between the schools. A&M completely dominated Texas and the State from '85-'95 when we were far less powerful than we are today. A&M is virtually identical in size to Texas now with a larger undergrad population and matches Texas stride for stride academically. The SEC move is truly a gamechanger because A&M will now get far more national exposure than Texas. Take a gander at the Texas schedule over the next few years and that of the Big 12, it's about as intriguing as a Bronze Medal Curling matchup.
A&M owns TCU. We actually hold the 2nd longest current winning streak over TCU of any school on any team at 24 consecutive wins. Last time they beat A&M Nixon was in the White House. A&M owns Baylor. We have won 22 of the last 24 including a curb stomp last season and the season before that. A&M owns Tech. At the end of last year Tech squeaked out a win in Tennis. It ended a 1,000 plus day streak of not having beaten A&M in any of the sports we compete with Tech in, much less football.
It is also foolish to dismiss the talent level available in Texas. It's a State of 26 million and growing that is rabid about football and produces an insane amount of talent year after year. To put that in perspective the combined population of the other states in the SEC West is 15 million. The only thing A&M has to do is keep their share at home.
The SEC is the best conference in the country and the West is the best division. A&M has to prove itself and it has a long way to go. Still, to act as though it isn't inevitable that A&M will succeed long term is foolish.
A&M also is far from Texas' byach. In the last 35 years the head to head is even between the schools. A&M completely dominated Texas and the State from '85-'95 when we were far less powerful than we are today. A&M is virtually identical in size to Texas now with a larger undergrad population and matches Texas stride for stride academically. The SEC move is truly a gamechanger because A&M will now get far more national exposure than Texas. Take a gander at the Texas schedule over the next few years and that of the Big 12, it's about as intriguing as a Bronze Medal Curling matchup.
A&M owns TCU. We actually hold the 2nd longest current winning streak over TCU of any school on any team at 24 consecutive wins. Last time they beat A&M Nixon was in the White House. A&M owns Baylor. We have won 22 of the last 24 including a curb stomp last season and the season before that. A&M owns Tech. At the end of last year Tech squeaked out a win in Tennis. It ended a 1,000 plus day streak of not having beaten A&M in any of the sports we compete with Tech in, much less football.
It is also foolish to dismiss the talent level available in Texas. It's a State of 26 million and growing that is rabid about football and produces an insane amount of talent year after year. To put that in perspective the combined population of the other states in the SEC West is 15 million. The only thing A&M has to do is keep their share at home.
The SEC is the best conference in the country and the West is the best division. A&M has to prove itself and it has a long way to go. Still, to act as though it isn't inevitable that A&M will succeed long term is foolish.
2
Posted on 7/26/12 at 3:58 pm to aggressor
This is actually a good, informative post... 
A&M absolutely has a ton of potential...alot like Florida before Spurrier or LSU before Saban. It's still got to be proven it on the field...
I've been impressed by Sumlin thusfar, but I've yet to see anything that implies he's on the same level as the other 2 coaches I've mentioned. Time will tell.
A&M absolutely has a ton of potential...alot like Florida before Spurrier or LSU before Saban. It's still got to be proven it on the field...
I've been impressed by Sumlin thusfar, but I've yet to see anything that implies he's on the same level as the other 2 coaches I've mentioned. Time will tell.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 4:01 pm to pivey14
quote:
you're idiot.
Read what you wrote and then tell me who the idiot is.
It is a fact that Mississippi State will never be dominant in SEC football. I am sorry that you can't comprehend that. Sure there are years where we will pop up and have a great year (See our SEC West title). Unless Mississippi experiences some great population explosion it just isn't in the cards for us.
That in no way diminishes my love for the university I attended. I will cheer for us every game and attend 5 or 6 games a year, but we will never be a powerhouse year in and year out.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 4:06 pm to aggressor
quote:
aggressor
Good post.
I do think A & M has the chance to be a power. I just think that many of the things that the university does is very offputting to recruits and fans in general.
I just meant UT not the whole of Texas. There is no doubt that A & M is a cut above every other university in Texas, except for UT and they are basically on par academically.
I am interested to see how yall do the first few years. I might be surprised, but I sincerely believe that your fanbase and school has no idea what kind of grind they are in for week in and week out.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 4:11 pm to engie
quote:
I've been impressed by Sumlin thusfar, but I've yet to see anything that implies he's on the same level as the other 2 coaches I've mentioned. Time will tell.
If he does well over a decent number of seasons and gets our program up,I hope we can keep him.
Bama will try to steal him once their HC retires.... just like they always did in the past.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 4:49 pm to schlow mo
We will have to see on how A&M does obviously. I would be concerned if Aggies were acting as though we were just going to roll into the SEC and everyone would be in fear of us. For one, that doesn't happen in the SEC until you fill up the trophy case but more importantly A&M just isn't there yet. On the inside A&M has been furiously preparing and investing to upgrade everywhere. The "100 year decision" quote isn't just a catchy phrase, it has real teeth behind it. We have seen the budgets and facilities and we know what we need to do and have the commitment to get it there.
Part of my perspective is that I am a 2nd Generation Ag that graduated in '93. We lost 1 home game in my 4 years at A&M. You couldn't find anyone outside the Austin campus that wore Longhorn gear. Texas has support a mile wide but an inch deep, most of their fans are very fickle and they really screwed up by underestimating how serious A&M was about leaving. The entire power structure of the State has also shifted significantly in the last decade. Rick Perry has stacked the Higher Ed Board (which essentially approves all major expenditures at Texas colleges) with Aggies and A&M has more friends in State government than ever before. There is simply no way for Texas to push A&M around as they once did. The most humorous thing to me is all the requests I have gotten from horn friends for SEC games.
Is A&M ready for the SEC grind? Maybe or maybe not but objectively A&M actually has an easier schedule this year than last. Last season A&M had 9 Conference games in the Big 12 and almost every team was ranked at different points in the season except Kansas. We also got to play Arkie on a neutral field in OOC. This year A&M has a fairly easy OOC schedule and 8 SEC games. That's no cakewalk but it's not like A&M is coming from the WAC.
Part of my perspective is that I am a 2nd Generation Ag that graduated in '93. We lost 1 home game in my 4 years at A&M. You couldn't find anyone outside the Austin campus that wore Longhorn gear. Texas has support a mile wide but an inch deep, most of their fans are very fickle and they really screwed up by underestimating how serious A&M was about leaving. The entire power structure of the State has also shifted significantly in the last decade. Rick Perry has stacked the Higher Ed Board (which essentially approves all major expenditures at Texas colleges) with Aggies and A&M has more friends in State government than ever before. There is simply no way for Texas to push A&M around as they once did. The most humorous thing to me is all the requests I have gotten from horn friends for SEC games.
Is A&M ready for the SEC grind? Maybe or maybe not but objectively A&M actually has an easier schedule this year than last. Last season A&M had 9 Conference games in the Big 12 and almost every team was ranked at different points in the season except Kansas. We also got to play Arkie on a neutral field in OOC. This year A&M has a fairly easy OOC schedule and 8 SEC games. That's no cakewalk but it's not like A&M is coming from the WAC.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 7:23 pm to aggressor
quote:
objectively A&M actually has an easier schedule this year than last.
Yeah playing the last 6 NC is going to be a cakewalk over playing the likes of Texas Tech and Iowa St.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 8:13 pm to CaptainBrannigan
I find the most erotic part of a woman is the boobies...
Posted on 7/26/12 at 8:50 pm to CaptainBrannigan
A&M played #3, #5, #12, #15, & #16. (final coaches poll) ...Yeah last year was a cakewalk. 
By comparison A&M is playing #2, #3, & #9 this year. (CFL way too early poll)
By comparison A&M is playing #2, #3, & #9 this year. (CFL way too early poll)
Posted on 7/26/12 at 9:07 pm to Farmer1906
quote:
A&M played #3, #5, #12, #15, & #16.
the difference is you replace iowa st, baylor, tech, and kansas with miss st, auburn, florida, and, well, youll prob beat ole miss.
Posted on 7/26/12 at 9:15 pm to cigsmcgee
Agreed the depth is obviously there in the SEC, but acting like A&M hasn't played tough schedules in the past (and as recent as last year) is ignorant.
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