It’s a time of transition for Texas A&M Aggies football. A proven winner has been brought on board to steer the program in a new direction, ideally to new heights. But before Jimbo Fisher takes his first step onto Kyle Field for a regular season game, let’s dream a little. Here are 5 dream and 5 disaster scenarios for the Aggies in 2018.

Dream scenarios

1. Fisher follows in the footsteps of Kirby Smart: It took Smart two years to bring Georgia an SEC title and a trip to the National Championship Game. As a fellow staffer under Nick Saban at LSU, Fisher certainly has the resume to do the same for Texas A&M, with national championships under his belt as an assistant at LSU and as head coach at Florida State.

2. The QB whisperer strikes again: Nobody is going to confuse the stable of quarterbacks at Texas A&M with Jameis Winston. But until Fisher worked his magic, Winston wasn’t a household name, either. (Remember, he was a redshirt freshman when he won the Heisman and led the Seminoles to the national title.) So why would it be so far-fetched to think he could do the same with either Nick Starkel or Kellen Mond, or both for that matter. Or perhaps incoming freshman James Foster is the new Winston?

3. The OL gets angry: For years, the Texas A&M offensive line has been viewed as soft. But there’s some experience in the trenches and Fisher will no doubt toughen them up along with the newcomers to build a formidable unit.

4. Clemson propels Aggies to new heights: A victory over Clemson at Kyle Field on Sept. 8 would do wonders for a new system looking to build toward what Clemson has become. A veritable changing of the guard, if you will, the Aggies could fast track to that level with a victory over the Tigers.

5. No more late-season collapse: Finishing the season on a high note, especially considering the final three regular-season games are at home, would go a long way in erasing the memories of the past several teams that have fallen apart at the latter end of the season,and give Aggieland a reason to remain optimistic about the program’s future.

Disaster scenarios

1. The new system takes time to take hold: This certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility. In fact, it could be somewhat expected. Anytime you have change, there’s going to be a transition period. Remember, Nick Saban’s first Alabama squad went 7-6 and lost to Louisiana-Monroe, a team that will face Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Sept. 15. A loss to a perceived cupcake could set the program backward. It could also be disastrous in the short term without having much long-term effects as in the case of Saban at Alabama.

2. QB play doesn’t improve: Neither Starkel nor Mond exactly tore it up last season. Learning a new system could put one or both back at square one in their respective development as leaders, and that would only lead to disarray.

3. Injuries mount: There are key players at key positions that the Aggies can ill-afford to lose. The offensive line would be devastated by injuries to any of returning veterans Keaton Sutherland, Erik McCoy and Connor Lanfear, especially since graduate transfer Koda Martin has gone to Syracuse. Losing RB Trayveon Williams could crater the run game as well, considering freshman Jacob Kibodi (11 carries, 121 yards) is the most experienced backup.

4. Stumbling out of the starting block: Sumlin’s teams typically started fast. That will be a challenge in 2018. The schedule is brutal with Clemson and Alabama among the first four opponents. A loss to either Northwestern State or ULM in between those two behemoths could put an end to Fisher’s first season before it even gets started. A 1-3 start would not bode well with the remainder of a strong SEC schedule still to be played.

5. Attrition: It happens with a new regime. If things go bad from the outset and players become disgruntled, either at the new system or their particular role in it, there could be a mass exodus. However, on the bright side, some coaches have come to expect a certain degree of it and in fact relish in ridding themselves of such malcontents.