SEC Football: Will Aggies or Tigers Bounce Back in 2016?
If we’ve learned anything about SEC football, it’s that nothing lasts forever. Auburn and Texas A&M both had massively disappointing seasons last year, so one has to be more likely to bounce back.
Auburn was predicted by many to reach great heights in 2015. Some thought that they would contend for an SEC football championship and most thought they’d at least be a factor in the SEC West. Jeremy Johnson was supposed to be better than Nick Marshall and Will Muschamp was supposed to fix their defense. Instead the Tigers went 7-6, including 2-6 in SEC football games. The story was similar in College Station.
While expectations weren’t nearly as high as they were for Auburn, many felt the Aggies were a dark horse contender for an SEC football championship. The story was the same: great quarterback play and a new (elite) defensive coordinator were going to combine to lead the team to great heights. The Aggies didn’t quite fall as hard. Texas A&M managed to go 8-5, 4-4 in SEC football.
Expectation are again similar for the two programs. They’re expected to contend for 8 wins or so and not be a major factor in who wins the SEC Football Championship. I can’t say I disagree, as I think the SEC West comes down to Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. But one of these teams will bounce back in a major way. It’s just the way things happen in SEC football. But who has the better shot?
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You could compare schedules, but that’s fruitless. Both teams play in the SEC West and play a favorite in the SEC East. They also both scheduled fairly strong opponents outside the conference, though the nod certainly goes to Auburn in scheduling stiffer competition. Texas A&M does have a slightly easier schedule, but nothing that should make a huge difference.
You could look at recruiting rankings. Again, though, you wouldn’t get far. Everyone recruits well in SEC football, particularly the SEC West. Malzahn and Sumlin rank 3rd and 4th in SEC football coaches for recruiting classes during their respective tenures. Malzahn is in third, though, so you could find a small advantage for the Tigers.
But it’s easy to decipher which team has a better chance to bounce back in 2016. And it has nothing to do with schedules or recruiting.
Texas A&M has a better chance at bouncing back because of one key reason: they held on to their defensive coordinator. Will Muschamp was a hot name when Florida let him go and no one blames Auburn for pursuing him. Heck, it was rumored the Aggies got in a bidding war with the Tigers over Muschamp. But that loss was a blessing in disguise.
While Muschamp bolted at the first opportunity to become a head coach again, John Chavis is a lifer. He seems content to coach defense, collect a sizable check and live without the stress of an SEC football head coach.
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No one can blame him. He’s built a legacy on par with any coordinator as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, LSU and now Texas A&M. While Auburn hopes Kevin Steele can continue to improve their defense, everyone knows the Texas A&M defense will continue to improve in year 2 under John Chavis. And that, friends, is a scary thought for all those who love SEC football.