Texas A&M might have been the biggest underachievers in the SEC last fall. The Aggies finished fifth in the West, posting an 8-4 record after entering the season ranked No. 6 in the nation. The recruiting has been nothing short of epic and it is time for Jimbo Fisher to put everything together in College Station.
Here are the three keys to success in the Aggies’ 2022 campaign:
So much production has gone
The Aggies rank at No. 84 in the country in returning offensive production as of writing. Quarterback Zach Calzada is at Auburn while leading rusher Isaiah Spiller and receiver Jalen Wydermyer are in the NFL. The team scored 29.3 points per game in 2021. That is not enough to win consistently in the SEC and the Aggies must improve that while bedding in a whole new set of starters on offense. Look for LSU transfer quarterback Max Johnson to claim the job and lead a balanced attack.
Defense steps up at key times
The Aggies are an exceptional third-down defensive team. They have been first or second in the SEC in three of four years and this is a huge reason why they gave up less than 16 points per game last season. There is no reason to expect a drop-off here. The Aggies’ style is to force a whole bunch of third-and-longs and get off the field. The personnel will change, but the attitude and skill will remain.
It’s not just about Alabama
I don’t think that Fisher is naïve enough to be caught focusing on nothing other than the Aggies’ trip to Tuscaloosa on October 8, but his verbal sparring with Nick Saban is certainly something to keep an eye on. The former colleagues are not seeing eye-to-eye at this point over the rules and enforcement around NIL deals. To be fair, there doesn’t seem to be any rules that anyone is following and these two deep-pocket schools will vie for top prospects and transfers for as long as that is the case. Saban, however, has a rich winning history at ‘Bama. Fisher, on the other hand, does not. He can’t get caught looking ahead.
Be the first to comment