With the Texas A&M program headed in what many believe is the wrong direction, it becomes imperative that things must change, and they must change now before it’s too late. The same old same old is starting to get old, and Aggies fans are becoming restless.

The time is now for Texas A&M to turn things around. With a new season on the horizon, new hope springs forward with a brighter future on the minds of Aggie Nation. Here’s how it can happen as we look at five ways to make Texas A&M great again.

1. Reduce taxing of the offense with better run defense – The Texas A&M offense has been under pressure the last couple of seasons to produce big numbers because its defense wasn’t stopping anybody. John Chavis is in his second season as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, and “Chief” has plans to make the Aggies’ defense great again. It won’t happen overnight, but with his scheme in place and the return of Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, two of the best defensive ends in the nation, the Aggies will likely continue to improve on that side of the football under Chavis.

2. More talent in the Aggies’ offensive line – The Aggies enter the 2016 season with an inexperienced offensive line. Gone is NFL-type talent like first-round draft pick Germain Ifedi, leaving big shoes to fill at the most critical, yet glamor-less, roles on the football field. Only left tackle Avery Gennesy started every game last season on the offensive line for Texas A&M. But the Aggies are hoping that they have plucked potential stars from the pool of blockers on the roster. Koda Martin is another tackle with a promising future. Guards Jermaine Eluemunor, Keaton Sutherland and Connor Lanfear, along with center Erik McCoy, hope to be the next crop of talented linemen to come out of College Station.

3. Peace within the program – The Aggies have been in turmoil since Johnny Manziel took his talent and his troubles to the NFL. Disharmony within the program has followed. Quarterback Kenny Hill came and went, as did five-star signal-callers Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray. Coaches were suspended for actions off the field. Regaining control of the program and bringing some “normalcy” back, of course, begins at the top. Head coach Kevin Sumlin must take a firmer hold of the reins and guide the program into much calmer waters. That will also go a long way in quieting the critics who are calling for Sumlin’s job if the Aggies don’t make big improvements this season.

4. Come through on campaign promises – It has been paramount on Sumlin’s agenda to improve the Aggies’ offense and have it look more like the one that led the SEC back in 2012 and 2013. He’s already made the big move on defense to bring DC John Chavis to College Station. Has he done the same with the offense in hiring offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone? Known for his up-tempo style offense, Mazzone brings the brand of football the Aggies displayed a few years back. Whether he has the talent and personnel to execute such a scheme remains to be seen. The unit’s success or failure could decide whether or not the Sumlin era continues on at Texas A&M.

5. Winning … so much winning – That’s really the bottom line, isn’t it? When all is said and done, winning cures all. That’s what Sumlin and the Aggies haven’t done enough of recently. Back-to-back 8-5 seasons doesn’t cut it anymore. Not when hundreds of millions of dollars are sunk into renovation of the facilities. It’s college football at its highest level. And as legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Winning cures all ills, and if the Aggies are to become the program they want to be, coming out on top in the 2016 opener with UCLA (ranked No. 24 in the preseason Coaches Poll) is imperative.