I spoke with some friends after the game, and we discussed what is going on with the Aggies and why you guys can't seem to get it together.

It is somewhat alluded to on here, but figured I would give an outsiders perspective on the situation since I have become a regular poster.

When I think of A&M I think of the following:
- Old School Mentality
- Tradition Filled School
- Stringent Military Practices
- Crew Cuts
- Overalls (some some folks in them at the game)
- Texas Country Music
- Large Maroon Trucks
- Yell Leaders

You guys may refute some of those things, and I am sure a list of what you think of LSU is somewhat inaccurate, but bottom line is I think of an old school tradition filled football program.

It seems like the past few years since joining the SEC, A&M has tried to almost re-brand with the following:
- Flashy alternate uniforms
- Swagcopter
- Drake connections
- New futuristic looking locker rooms
- Up tempo flashy offense

It seems to me that there is an identity crisis at the school currently, and it can't decide if it wants to continue with the old school tradition filled mentality or become the new flashy toy.

Just an outsider's perspective. Take it for what it's worth.

I thought this post was going to be about actual football.

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- Up tempo flashy offense

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I wish that happened. Most of the year we audibled and slowed it down. Heck Bama's offense is faster than ours this year.

top 4 scoring offenses in the SEC this year:

Ole Miss
Arkansas - who by the way has more passing yards than us! and of course rushing yards.
Bama
Tennessee

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- Flashy alternate uniforms
- Swagcopter
- Drake connections
- New futuristic looking locker rooms
- Up tempo flashy offense

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We refer to this initiative as "Vision 2020"

Also, go sit on a corndog

OP is right. If it's 1973.

The only area where we have an identity crisis is the offense.

"Overalls"


Vocal minority

I like maroon trucks.

I care more about preparation, playcalling, and execution than whether someone drives a large maroon truck to a flashy locker room.

Pretty spot on, what some might call the difference between "old army" & "new army."

I have not worn overalls since I was 3 but a big group always did & still does. My current truck is black but the last few were maroon. I have long said bonfire stack collapse caused a steady cultural shift away from the A&M you describe towards what we are now.

When I think of LSU I think of the following:
Corndogs

The OP's first list is about student culture and the second is about football culture. Not sure why these have to be mutually exclusive. Our only issue is on the field. We arent having problems getting recruits to play here or getting students to attend the games, so I dont see a conflict with the OP's lists.

we are basically every other school out there, with a large alumni base that pretends we are still what we used to be. myself included.

agree that bonfire collapse began the cultural shift. a shift which many of those in power were all too happy to facilitate.

Don't forget pre-game pyrotechnics. HYFR!

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we are basically every other school out there, with a large alumni base that pretends we are still what we used to be. myself included.

agree that bonfire collapse began the cultural shift. a shift which many of those in power were all too happy to facilitate.

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This is pretty much right.

It took a little longer than some anticipated, but now, 16 years later (only 2 years away from when the incoming freshmen may have not even been born when bonfire fell), the cultural shift is in full power swing the other way.

Things change I guess. Not saying its good or bad...just is.

Accept all that "identity issue" list had nothing to do with the team when A&M blew up the SEC in '12.
Why is it an issue now?

Answer: It's not "identity" of tradition. It's the OC.

So many olds complaining about the cultural shift and move away from tradition but what are you DOING about it???

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So many olds complaining about the cultural shift and move away from tradition but what are you DOING about it???

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I'm not doing jack ****, because what CAN you do? It mirrors a cultural shift in America. Not much anyone can do but hang on for the ride and hope that someday the pendulum swings back.

OP, you are spot on. This coach(if you can call him that) ,thought that he could bring his "inner-city" attitude to A&M, and it has been a disaster. He gets his hiney handed to him by big ,strong, SEC country boys on a regular basis. If he would concentrate on football rather than uniforms and cool, maybe he would be more successful . Student body has changed here over the last 10 years to a bunch of top 10% city-boy sissies(with a few exception)...there is only one application in the state for both A&M and Texas so they are default schools for each other...the student bodies are almost identical,as are the football programs. As it is, if you read the list of the top 20 highest paid coaches.....he is next to last in performance(especially with all the extras given him)...only to chuckie over in Austin.

Inner city attitude.

Seems expected that we would go through some sort of change just by leaving the Big XII mentality and going to the SEC. Very different cultures.

Sure, we as a university had much in common with the SEC before we got there, and we worked very fast to up-grade our facilities to compete, but we still have work to do.

Since I'm married to a Razorback and have been following the SEC for nearly 20 years, I have seen how hard it is to get to that next level and stay competitive. There are years when Arkansas has made a run and gotten to the SEC CCG.

But when has Ole Miss or Miss State been able to do that?? Even with their best teams and highly paid coaches in the last few seasons??

LSU has a ceiling now, too.

Until Saban cashes in his chips (and he might after his 5th nattie) the SEC is Bama and 13 "Not-Bamas."

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So many olds complaining about the cultural shift and move away from tradition but what are you DOING about it???

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I'm not doing jack ****, because what CAN you do? It mirrors a cultural shift in America. Not much anyone can do but hang on for the ride and hope that someday the pendulum swings back.

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So basically you have given up. That's fine but don't complain and whine and cry when you have a chance to change it and choose not to. You can blame all you want but if you put forth no effort to make a change then you are just being a crybaby.

I noticed LSU was rebranding too, some of the students actually had teeth

When I think of LSU I think of:

- Camel toes in white and gold

Swag can go smoke a turd.....wish we could get back to fundamentals...pounding the rock and playing D....seems to be working for Bama

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So many olds complaining about the cultural shift and move away from tradition but what are you DOING about it???

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I'm not doing jack ****, because what CAN you do? It mirrors a cultural shift in America. Not much anyone can do but hang on for the ride and hope that someday the pendulum swings back.

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So basically you have given up. That's fine but don't complain and whine and cry when you have a chance to change it and choose not to. You can blame all you want but if you put forth no effort to make a change then you are just being a crybaby.

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I don't want to change anything, I want it to stay the way it was. Trying to change things to stop change is like trying to prove a negative.

What are you doing?

MSFC....you are sooo right. We have come to rely too much on a QB that never is as advertised.(Hill, Allen, Kyler).....rather be like Bama...plug in anybody at QB, pound the rock nice and slow, play D....Oh wait...we have Swag!!

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So many olds complaining about the cultural shift and move away from tradition but what are you DOING about it???

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I'm not doing jack ****, because what CAN you do? It mirrors a cultural shift in America. Not much anyone can do but hang on for the ride and hope that someday the pendulum swings back.

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So basically you have given up. That's fine but don't complain and whine and cry when you have a chance to change it and choose not to. You can blame all you want but if you put forth no effort to make a change then you are just being a crybaby.

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I don't want to change anything, I want it to stay the way it was. Trying to change things to stop change is like trying to prove a negative.

What are you doing?

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Well as it so happens I, as a current student, am preparing to give a speech to a class today about the importance of preserving and reviving our traditions. You on the other hand suppose that by inaction you will bring about the result you want and I promise you that approach will fail 100% of the time.

OK, champ.

What's up?

Why does the Aggie football team not wear Maroon anymore?

When Bonfire fell it was only the beginning of the end. We haven't had much success at all since that day. This university needs to get back to it's roots and winning ways.

Personally, I think this is more than simply saying, "since we no longer have bonfire."

As a collective group, we, Texas A&M, have tried in many ways to separate from our cultural past.

There are numerous examples, but a few that come to mind are:

We've changed the make-up of the students that attend school here. I'm not saying for better or worse, but it's not the same.

Vision 20/20

Priority points

Conference realignment

General (non-A&M) cultural changes

Multimedia influence

The list goes on and on, but generally speaking, life goes on, things change.

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Personally, I think this is more than simply saying, "since we no longer have bonfire."

As a collective group, we, Texas A&M, have tried in many ways to separate from our cultural past.

There are numerous examples, but a few that come to mind are:

We've changed the make-up of the students that attend school here. I'm not saying for better or worse, but it's not the same.

Vision 20/20

Priority points

Conference realignment

General (non-A&M) cultural changes

Multimedia influence

The list goes on and on, but generally speaking, life goes on, things change.

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I agree with this. We pay a lot of lip service to the importance of our traditions, but there really is no motivation or desire by the current students because frankly the didn't come to A&M because of them.

Still waiting for cheerleaders.

Sure we got the black-unis we balked about back in the day, but if we're going to suck I'd rather have hot cheerleaders to watch than players looking cool but playing worth sheit.