Year 4 at Houston was special to Kevin Sumlin, but can he bottle up that same kind of magic at Texas A&M in college football’s toughest division this fall?
He’s going to try, and he has John Chavis’ help.
RELATED: What’s a respectable season for Sumlin at A&M?
Facing one of the nation’s toughest schedules with a first-year defensive coordinator would be a nightmare for most, but the Aggies sit in the top half of the SEC in terms of overall talent and are one of few teams who believe they have a reliable quarterback heading into August.
Last year’s midseason stretch doomed a promising start, but a strong finish saved a respectable 8-5 campaign. Texas A&M wants more in 2015.
Best case scenario SEC series
- Best case: Alabama
- Best case: Auburn
- Best case: Florida
- Best case: LSU
- Best case: Mississippi State
- Best case: South Carolina
- Best case: Vanderbilt
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
2014 record: 8-5, 3-5
2015 best case: 10-2, 6-2
Closer look: Preseason opinion on the Aggies is split down the middle, but most agree this year’s team is more talented — and perhaps better as a whole — than last season’s squad that nearly reached the Top 5 at one point. The opener against nationally-ranked Arizona State, one of the Pac 12’s preseason frontrunners, is huge from a momentum standpoint. If the Aggies aren’t ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, they will certainly be in September with a neutral site victory over the Sun Devils. Two games against SEC competition — at Arkansas and vs. Mississippi State — come before A&M’s only bye week pre-Alabama. Nick Saban’s squad is the first opponent over a six-game league gauntlet over a seven-week stretch that will define the 2015 season.
Silver lining: Winning 10 games is a stretch considering Vegas oddsmakers have set Texas A&M’s over-under at 7.5 wins, but I think the Aggies have enough firepower to do so. In saying that, a 5-0 start is essential. Splitting games against Auburn and Alabama means the Aggies would need to win four out of their five remaining games — Ole Miss, South Carolina, LSU, Western Carolina and Vanderbilt. Sounds feasible to me. October is arguably Texas A&M’s most important month and losing back-to-back games against the Crimson Tide and Rebels would squander any hopes at winning the West.
