We Are the Aggies, the Aggies Are ______?
Texas A&M Football is undergoing a complete shift entering the 2016 football season, but what does that really mean for the Aggies?
Texas A&M’s season ended with a quarterback depth chart consisting of two fewer names than how it started, an offensive coordinator with his foot out the door and a familiar taste of disappointment for Aggie fans. The 2015 season could not have started better for Kevin Sumlin’s Aggies, but it also couldn’t have ended worse. Things have picked up a bit in the offseason, though.
Now after filling both the quarterback and offensive coordinator vacancies, one question arises among all others: what is the offensive identity of this team? What can be expected of the Aggies? Noel Mazzone’s hiring was rejoiced by fans in Aggieland, but what is his forte? The Aggies need to know he runs an up-tempo offense that relies on the quarterback to make quick and accurate reads on the defense pre-snap, while perfecting three-step drop passes.
But this offense requires a quarterback and offensive line who are not only a well oiled machine, but are overly talented. Trevor Knight is not overly talented, and this Aggie line only returns two starters.
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Another factor to consider is that Mazzone’s offense runs most smoothly when he has an experienced quarterback that is familiar with the reads. While Trevor Knight is an experienced quarterback, he is new both to Mazzone and the Aggies.
Mazzone has not coached in the SEC in fifteen years and a lot has changed in that time. John Chavis has made huge differences in the Aggie defense in just one season and the defense will continue to improve. Yet, there are still question marks at the most important position on defense in the SEC: linebacker.
Depth, health and talent are all variables in the search for a consistent linebacker corps for Chavis’ defense this season. While it’s expected that Chavis will continue to implement his defensive philosophy and continue to improve the defense, the SEC has changed.
Sure, you still need a solid defense to compete in the league. But you are in desperate need of an offense who can score — especially in the west division. The defense may be able to keep the Aggies in games, but it will have to be the offense that wins them games against teams like Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
A great defense just isn’t enough to win the SEC west anymore (ask Les Miles), which makes Mazzone’s offense critical. Do teams need an offensive identity to be conference contenders anymore? I can’t say that I’m sure, but it definitely helps.
Whether Aggies want to believe it or not, the national perspective on Texas A&M football is not all fine and dandy. Losing Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen at the tail end of the season definitely hurts, but factoring in the inability to beat good teams makes the second highest paid coach in the SEC’s seat a bit hot.
must read: MSU Basketball: The Transfer or Newman is a Blessing
This season is make or break for Kevin Sumlin. He enters the season with a quarterback who hasn’t really shown a lot of promise, an offensive coordinator who is an unknown commodity in the modern SEC, a defense that was rejoiced for being slightly above average and an offensive identity that doesn’t exist. Buckle up.
