Published October 10, 2012 - 12:20pm
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The SEC newbies were arguably the preseason story of the year. Everyone across the country wanted to see how both would fare. With Missouri and Texas A&M coming into this great conference, we knew it would be an uphill battle for both. But Missouri looked like it had the best chance for quicker success with an explosive offense, especially heading into the SEC East.
How all of that has changed through six weeks! Missouri is sitting at the bottom of the East with Kentucky, certainly after the loss to Vanderbilt at home, and Texas A&M is having much more success and in the thick of the SEC West race. I wrote before the season that Texas A&M had the tougher road to success, not Missouri. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
#22 Texas A&M (4-1, 2-1)
Stats: Scoring Offense (44.6 ppg, 1st), Scoring Defense (14.8 ppg, 6th), Total Offense (516.8 ypg, 1st), Total Defense (363.6 ypg, 8th)
Reason for success: Usually, we know in this league you win with defense. And while Texas A&M does have a solid defense, quarterback Johnny Manziel has to be main reason for their success. He’s running through this league like a junior, but he’s only a redshirt freshman. He was obviously the biggest question mark heading into the season, but he has answered the bell. He’s fifth in the SEC in rushing (495 yards) and fourth in passing yardage (1,285 yards), and he’s one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the entire country. He leads the SEC in total offense, gaining 1,780 yards and averaging 356 yards per game. Up until last weekend, Manziel had not even thrown an interception. However, he made up for it with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with a come-from-behind win against the Rebels.
Team Buzz: The Aggies really are the biggest unknown in the SEC. Florida, sitting at #4 in the country, is the only team to beat them, and they did so on the heels of great second-half adjustments against the Aggies’ offense. Before the season, we were talking about Texas A&M maybe making a bowl game, but that will be accomplished likely within the next three games. This team could potentially finish 9-3 in a best-case-scenario situation. Conservatively, TAMU finishes 8-4 during the regular season. However, this team has surprised this season and is only getting better. It’s not out of the question the Aggies reel off 10 wins in their first-ever SEC season. I would pay to see the face of Longhorns’ fans if that happens.
Missouri (3-3, 0-3)
Stats: Scoring Offense (25.3 ppg, 10th), Scoring Defense (22.8 ppg, 8th), Total Offense (356.2 ypg, 12th), Total Defense (326.7 ypg, 6th)
Reason for lack of success: The one glaring reason for the lack of success this season has been injuries. Quarterback James Franklin has been hampered with a throwing shoulder injury and now an MCL sprain that will keep him out a few weeks. The Tigers also lost their leader along the offensive line for several games in Elvis Fisher, too, along with two other starting offensive linemen. Missouri was 30th in the country in total offense last season, averaging 32.8 points per game, compared to just 25.3 now. It’s been a rough welcoming to the SEC, but all Mizzou fans know respect is earned.
Team Buzz: If you look ahead on the schedule, Missouri probably won’t make a bowl game. They are sitting with three wins on the season through six weeks, and games with Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M all lie ahead. Kentucky and Syracuse provide the Tigers with the best chance to pick up two wins and get to five total. Mizzou will have to pull an SEC upset to get to their sixth win.
Missouri is just clearly not ready for the league yet. Their depth and physicality, starting in the trenches, must improve moving forward. However, the defense hasn’t played all that bad at times.
Jon, what are the odds of a Texas Aggie vs. horns Cotton Bowl? I would think the Cotton Bowl would LOVE that match-up.
Very possible and would be a sexy matchup. I think A&M has to beat LSU in order for that to happen. We can project LSU to be in the Cotton Bowl right now, but TAMU could very well beat them. No doubt. It would be an awesome matchup.
Yes, injuries have certainly plagued Mizzou this year, however I believe poor coaching has also led to the Tigers’ misery. Backup QB Corbin Berkstresser played horribly against Vanderbilt this past Saturday night and I have to believe it is because he was not prepared to enter the game. He played well enough against Arizona State in week 3 and I think that’s largely due to the fact that he was prepared to be the starter once it was clear late in the week that James Franklin was not going to be physically able to answer the call. I’ve long been critical of Pinkel and company’s failure to make significant in-game adjustments and to get away from the spread when circumstances warrant. These shortcomings are magnified against a steady diet of SEC opponents. There is also very poor execution on dreadfully slow to develop sweeps and options. That’s a product of bad coaching. Granted, coaching isn’t the difference between the Tigers being 6-0 rather than 3-3 right now, but it might be the difference between qualifying for -some- bowl for an eighth straight year and staying home this holiday season — and that’s assuming we can beat a Syracuse team that pushed USC earlier this year and a Kentucky team whose five losses this year have come at the hands of schools that are collectively 25-1 right now.
While I’m certainly not on the ledge right now, I do have a considerable amount of concern for the program remaining in the hands of a coaching staff whose best work may now be behind it in respect to both time and conference.
Great comments here. Pinkel has really struggled this season, too. Good stuff.
I completely agree with your comments regarding Corbin’s preparation for the game. Yes, Pinkel is dropping the ball so-to-speak, but I feel he has proven himself as a coach, especially in 2010. It’s discouraging to see that our offense and special teams play so bad when both were phenomenal two years ago. Many are calling for him to be fired and that move is very premature. However, I have been questioning Yost for several years and still wonder what he is thinking.
My view all along is that Texas A&M can succeed in the SEC. They have great recruiting grounds, a great program in Texas A&M and a great new coach. I think Sumlin will do well moving forward. On the other hand, I think Mizzou has some serious problems. I’m not sold on their coach, and they’re going to have to recruit a different type of athlete. Mizzou is several years away at a minimum.
I actually thought both would have similar records and boy was I wrong! Mizzou’s recruiting presence has been down south for quite some time though.
I think Missouri and A&M both have a long road ahead of them. A&M beat Ole Miss guys. Just wait.
Coming into this year I figured A&M would be better off than Mizzou because of what I saw last year. Missouri just didn’t have the defense that one normally associates with the SEC and I knew that would be a problem. The Aggie’s just looked more physical and they have proven to be just that on the Western side.
Mizzou won against A&M in 2011 38-31. At College Station.