Texas A&M is Better Than You Think

Playing in the Southeastern Conference is tough. Playing in the SEC is even tougher when your quarterback is a redshirt freshman. No bye week? Well that is just a recipe for disaster.

However, it’s been one that Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies have been able to avoid.

At SEC Media Days, I walked around the Wynfrey Hotel talking to various media members from multiple different outlets and the consensus was always the same: the Missouri Tigers would adjust quicker, but Texas A&M would be a better fit long term. Sometimes you swing and miss.

At the time the only thing anyone knew about Johnny Manziel is that the 19-year old was arrested just a few weeks prior for producing a fake ID after being involved in a fight in College Station. His arrest was supposed to put him in the backseat of the Aggies quarterback competition, but since then Manziel has not taken a backseat to anyone in college football.

Nearly 3900 yards of total offense (2780 yards passing, 1014 yards rushing) and 33 touchdowns later, that Manziel kid has turned out pretty well. His performance has been even more impressive when you remember that Texas A&M has played 10 weeks straight.

Hurricane Isaac delayed the Aggies first game of the season to week two, as the Louisiana Tech matchup was then moved to week seven. Given the way Texas A&M has played this season could their season be even better had they not had to open their season against Florida or had an extra week to prepare for LSU?  I think it could have, especially when those games were decided by a combined 8 points.

Texas A&M is good, but they are a lot better than you think.