Texas A&M preview: How will the new era debut in ‘08?

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, August 25, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Texas A&M Aggies
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Now that the slimy onion skin of the Dennis Franchione era has been peeled away from College Station, the Texas A&M football program can now move forward with new honcho Mike Sherman.

Last season, the Aggies did OK at best en route to a 7-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Big XII. Over his five years with the Aggies, Franchione went a so-so 32-28. As fans of the team know, the reason he's no longer at A&M is because he was selling player info on his Web site, which might ethically be worse than recruiting violations.

Of course, it didn't help that Franchione's recruiting classes regressed with each passing year of his tenure.

Enter Sherman, a guy with NFL seasoning who successfully coached the Green Bay Packers in the past and was most recently an assistant with the Houston Texans. The ’08 recruiting class jumped four spots in the Big XII standings (from eighth in 2007 to fourth this year, according to Rivals), and Sherman brought in veteran coordinator Joe Kines to make the defense more aggressive. Who says coaching changes always have dire consequences in recruiting? Obviously, then, a certain positive momentum has long been started at Texas A&M. Now it’s a matter of continuing it on the field this year.

Both sides of the ball need a lot of repair. The defense was in the lower half of the majority of Big XII statistical categories last year, and the offense was nothing to brag about. Causing fumbles and recovering them were the only good things the defense did last year, while mammoth running back Jorvorskie Lane was the sole offensive bright spot: His 169 carries for 780 yards and 16 scores led the Aggies to the No. 2 rushing 'O' in the conference.

There’s a ton of work cut out for Sherman, Kines and offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell.

Luckily, the first third of the season will definitely be enough time to work out a lot of the kinks. In those first four games, the Aggies play Arkansas State, at New Mexico, Miami and Army. ASU ought to be a win for A&M; New Mexico is reeling from being slapped with probation involving academic fraud; Miami became a victim of college football’s kryptonite when it joined the ACC and almost instantly transformed into a shell of its former self; and Army, in terms of football, isn't too daunting. Even in light of the coaching overhauls, it’s conceivable the Aggies could enter their conference slate at 4-0 at Oklahoma State in early October.

In terms of the Big XII, Texas A&M gets Oklahoma and Texas Tech at home, and it battles Iowa State and Baylor on the road. The only big away game for the Aggies is the season finale against Texas. Not a bad setup for a first-year coach looking to make changes, but can the Aggies end on a winning note?

It's difficult to predict what will happen in College Station, but rest assured that the road to change is normally bumpy at best.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report