Texas A&M Aggies 2006 Football Preview:

The Hottest Seat

By Big12-Fans Writer Brandon Reese

I’ll be perfectly honest with you up front, it’s difficult for me to say anything positive about the Aggies. I won’t ruin their preview by getting into my own opinions about them, but suffice it to say I have many issues with the maroon brigade and the brainwashed legions that follow them. I relish their recent slump, smiling delightfully as they slide further and further into the nether regions of the South. I laughed heartily as the Texas A&M “Wrecking Crew” got wrecked—giving up 43.5 points and just under 450 yards per game. I’d be happy to see Dennis Franchione go 0-12 this season and every season thereafter, my interest in the Big 12 be damned. With all that out of the way, I can tell you nothing in this preview is influenced by my personal disdain for Sarge.

Well Aggie fan, I am sorry to say that I don’t think the Aggies are much better than they were last year. They are better, even I can’t ignore the injuries of receiving corps, but they’re not remarkably improved. We all know that A&M should have been better than they were last year on offense. Turning the page to this year, they have a capable quarterback in Stephen McGee. The Aggies are comparing him to any and every (I hesitate to say) great quarterback in Aggie history (think Bucky Richardson). He’s played all of one game, against Texas, where he showed some skill. He’s not the type of guy who will make a lot of mistakes, but he’s not going to change the game too drastically either. At running back, they’re in the same situation they were last year with one bruiser, and he is a ferocious bruiser, in Jovorskie Lane, and one true running back in Courtney Lewis. Lewis has grade issues that need clearing up before anyone can get to excited about his contribution. The receiving corps that spent last year on crutches is comprised of L'Tydrick Riley, Earvin Taylor and Chad Schroeder. They’re billed as outstanding receivers, but they haven’t been healthy long enough to get a decent read. At tight end Martellus Bennett returns and promises to be a force over the middle. Bennett is a physical specimen and a legitimate All conference contender. The Aggies return four offensive linemen to an offensive unit that appears to be capable and little more.

The defense is where the real improvement needs to come, and the firing of former defensive coordinator Carl Torbush is a move in the right direction. Incoming DC Gary Darnell has plenty of work to do to remove the tarnish of what was once a storied unit in College Station. Six starters return from that horrific squad in 2005, including linebacker and leading tackler Justin Warren. He’ll be partnered with 25 year old JUCO transfer Mark Dodge. If you haven’t heard the story of Dodge, he’s a Iraq war veteran who was actually in the Pentagon on 9/11. Sounds like he’ll be used to the Aggie locker room. Marcus Carpenter, last year’s interception leader, returns to what is still, somehow, a green secondary. The defensive line is in the same boat, with sophomores and redshirt freshmen duking it out for starting positions.

When I look at this Aggie roster, I really have no idea what to predict. I can’t imagine that this defense is as improved as they need to be to compete in the South. Whoever heard of having an inexperienced secondary AND defensive line? With the number of South teams turning to wide open, let-it-rip offenses, it doesn’t bode well that a team can’t put pressure on the quarterback while passes are blowing by receivers. The offense will be better, but the options are pretty limited when the defense is allowing twenty points a half. Even with the epic experience drought occurring at Kyle, the Aggies have a chance to get the six wins needed for a bowl. What the team doesn’t have, the administration made up for in scheduling. With arguably the weakest non-conference schedule in the country, the Aggies host three of their first four games against the Citadel, Lousiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech. The only road game they play is two hour jaunt up the road to San Antonio to face Army. From there, the battle to more wins begins. Texas Tech opens the conference in College Station, then a trip to Kansas and a home date against Missouri. The Aggies return to the road in trips to Stillwater and Waco, then back to back home dates against Oklahoma and Nebraska. They finish with a trip to Austin against rival Texas, where Dennis Franchione’s fate will likely already be decided.

Aside from the first four games, I can only find two more the Aggies will likely be favored to win. To save my email, I’ll put it out there that the Aggies go to a bowl, but that Fran isn’t coaching them in 2007.