I've got battered wife syndrome.

You and every A&M fan who ever cared.

I really feel sorry for young Ags that don't remember the Jackie days or even the early RC days. There was a time when we played with confidence and swagger and you knew we would crush teams and we just didn't lose at Kyle. Sumlin is the most "Jackie like" coach we have had since the original, hopefully this is a return to that era.

BTW, what made Jackie different was he came in expecting to win and understood how far we needed to go to get there. He never backed down and he pushed everyone. He came in day 1 and told everyone that if we wanted to win we needed to get serious about football and have the best facilities, folks don't realize just how far ahead Netum Steed was at the time it was built. He was also visibly animated and you could feel the intensity and confidence from him. The feeling spread to the team and to the fans. It didn't happen in 1 year or even 2 but once he got everyone to buy into the swagger and BELIEVE that we could not only win but we not only could beat anybody but we should EXPECT to beat anybody the worm turned. I truly believe if the sips hadn't gotten the NCAA on us that Jackie would have won multiple NC's at A&M, he truly understood what we could be and was a true Bear Bryant disciple.

I don't know if Sumlin will be our next Jackie but I will say that he has more to work with than Jackie did to start. He doesn't have to convince the Administration to invest in the program, that buy in is already there and the pockets are deeper than ever. The transformation of our facilities in the next 4 years is going to be mind boggling. This Arkansas game is a test but it is an easy one compared to what is to come. He needs to get these guys ready to put Arkie out of their misery. Then he needs to show he can keep their killer instinct in tact for the next 2 games with road tests that are must wins. Then comes the real test with LSU coming to Kyle. He will not be expected to win that game. That is one where he will be the underdog playing the big dog. Still, if he can somehow, someway pull it off it moves up the "rebuild" of the program up schedule at least a year. The money, support, and publicity that would come off of that type of win would completely change the game. College football can change quickly.

Who knows what will happen. I like a lot of what we have seen but the real tests are coming now. Sumlin has shown he has confidence and swagger but the rubber is starting to meet the road. He's got to instill the killer instinct in these guys and the pride of never accepting failure as an option. I'm ready for Jackie 2.0.