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Texas A&M Football

Blind loyalty or blonde loyalty?

May 16, 2013
23,071


I’m married.

So, it goes without saying that I’ve been cursed at by women.

Indeed, over 51 years I have sufficiently angered, aggravated or frustrated women often enough to induce more than a few profanity-laced tirades.

Yet, only once have I been cursed at because of my thoughts on offensive line play. Such is the risk of working with TexAgs’ own Kayce Smith, who is typically a rational, well-mannered, angelic, young lady.

TexAgs TexAgs' Kayce Smith literally swears she sees great potential in A&M's offensive line. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"TexAgs\u0027 Kayce Smith literally swears she sees great potential in A&M\u0027s offensive line.","MediaItemID":27613}
That is, until you argue her assertion that the Aggies’ 2013 offensive line may be as good – if not even better -- than it was in 2012.

Say that’s just the latest blonde joke and her halo disappears.  Suddenly, she becomes an ill-mannered, demonic, young Psychopath.

I swear she swore.

She became Joan Crawford and I was a wire coat hanger. She raved that POTENTIALLY the Aggies could be better. I retorted that POTENTIALLY I could win the lottery.

Let’s be reasonable. An offensive line doesn’t replace Luke Joeckel and Patrick Lewis with guys that have limited-to-no collegiate playing experience and get better.

Joeckel was an All-American tackle. He won the Outland Trophy. He was the second player selected in the NFL draft.

Lewis was a three-year starter at center.

Their departures sent Offensive Line Coach B.J. Anderson into a juggling act. Jake Matthews shifted from right tackle to left. Cedric Ogbuehi moves from guard to tackle. Jarvis Harrison remains at left guard, but huge redshirt freshman Germain Ifedi moves in at the other guard spot and sophomore Mike Matthews, who has never started, takes over at center.

Essentially, Ifedi and Mike Matthews are replacing Joeckel and Lewis. Mike Matthews ultimately may be better than Lewis, but next year? Sorry, I’m not buying.

Texas A&M’s offensive line rivaled Alabama’s as the best in the nation last season. To suggest that it will better without Joeckel and Lewis just doesn’t add up.

However, A&M’s offensive line still projects among the nation’s best. Jake Matthews likely will be a first round draft choice in 2014. Ogbuehi could be in 2015. Harrison will play in the NFL. Ifedi and Mike Matthews have that kind of potential, too.

In a few years we may look back and see that every member of A&M’s 2013 offensive line is playing in the NFL. But that still doesn’t mean it will be better than the 2012 line.

It won’t have to be better, either.

For one thing, the 2012 line was blocking for freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, who had to learn his craft and got better as the season progressed.

The 2013 line will block for an experienced Manziel that will recognize coverages faster and make decisions quicker. He may not have the luxury of 8 or 9 seconds to find an open receiver. He may have to accept 6 or 7 seconds. He may need just 2 or 3.

Also, the A&M offensive line may not face as many powerful defensive fronts.

Alabama’s defensive line will be as strong as ever, but will LSU’s front four be as good without ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery and tackle Bennie Logan. All were selected in the top three rounds of the NFL draft.

Brandon Jones, TexAgs Cedric Ogbuehi's shift from guard insures A&M again has one of the country's top tackle tandems. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"Cedric Ogbuehi\u0027s shift from guard insures A&M again has one of the country\u0027s top tackle tandems.","MediaItemID":23817}
A&M doesn’t play Florida in 2013. Instead, the Aggies play Vanderbilt. They face a Missouri defensive line without tackle Sheldon Richardson, a first round draft choice. They play an Auburn line without end Corey Lemonier, a third-round pick. They even face SMU without end Margus Hunt, a second-round selection.

Last season Texas A&M averaged more than 558 yards to rank third in the nation in total offense. The Aggies also averaged 44.5 points to rank fourth in the nation in scoring.

Mike Evans is one of the best receivers in the nation. A&M’s talent and depth at running back is as good as any team in the country. With a year’s experience, Manziel figures to be even more dazzling than he was as a freshman.

A&M’s offensive line won’t be as good as it was last season, but it still will be among the country’s elite. And it doesn’t figure to face as many strong defensive lines as it did last season.

With all of those elements, A&M’s offense will remain as powerful and explosive as an A-bomb.

And as nasty as an F-bomb.
Discussion from...

Blind loyalty or blonde loyalty?

17,570 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 10 yr ago by suburban cowboy
Olin Buchanan
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Staff
S
Blind loyalty or blonde loyalty?
jdls13
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AG
Kayce
CC-ag
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Cotton79
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AG
Two thumbs-up for Kayce! (And a thumbs-up to Olin as well for a very logical, lucid counter argument.)
easy94
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AG
Funny that Olin knows about rule #1
SBR87
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Lateralus Ag
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AG
quote:
Funny that Olin knows about rule #1


Why is that funny? We don't joke Bout rule # 1
Paradise Ag
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AG
Kayce's right.
ham98
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I think I'm more loyal to the blonde
Ogre09
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AG
Pretty sure Lewis played guard for 2 yrs and center for 2, not 3 as stated in the article. Matthews 3.0 could be better than Lewis, who was awesome. Moving Ogbuehi to tackle is putting him in his natural spot, not some desperate juggling act.

Blonde's view is not invalid.
mAgnoliAg
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AG
Blonde loyalty
Agyarkalus
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AG
good read
suburban cowboy
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