Torres: I want to see A&M execute a few explosive plays in the passing game

Key notes from Aaron Torres interview

• Knowing everything that we've got through as a country and a society - I know some people are still going through stuff- but to get to this point, it's so exciting. We've played football already, but I know how much it means to the communities when Texas A&M, Bama, Florida, LSU, and all of those teams kickoff. Hopefully, the Aggies can find some reasons to feel confident moving into Alabama week.
   
• One of my takeaways from the last few weeks is that we need the SEC. Sometimes the SEC narratives are overblown. I don't know if all seven teams in the polls are legit, but you definitely need them to talk national college football. It's felt different, and you can absolutely feel the weight of the SEC not being there. Even a buddy of mine who is an ACC fan told me how excited he was to watch the SEC. You cannot argue the impact on this sport that the conference has.
   
• To me, I need to see A&M's vertical passing game. I remember those big chunk plays didn't exist. It felt like it was 1948 with the three yards and a cloud of dust. Over the past few years, even the guys like Nick Saban have changed the way they play. Kellen Mond has progressed, but we haven't seen that downfield passing game. To win in this league and on the national scale, you need that. Look at Georgia in the last couple of seasons. They haven't broken through because they've taken this "ball control" idea. I need to see A&M pick up some chunk plays.
   
• All of the SEC games are interesting this week, but Mississippi State-LSU intrigues me the most. I still don't know if people realize how much LSU lost from last year's team. Fourteen draft picks, five first-rounders, both coordinators and Ja'Marr Chase opts out. Oh, by the way, they stop practices because of COVID. From what I've been told, Mike Leach's system isn't relatively challenging to install. It's a simplistic approach to offense from my understanding. Can Mississippi State get some chunk plays to keep it interesting? I'm not saying they'll win, but I think they can exploit so many new guys.
   
• I said it when Mike Leach was hired: Mississippi State is a historically 7-5 football team, but if you're 7-5, you might as well be intriguing as hell.
   
• Tennessee is just a field goal favorite against South Carolina in Columbia, which seems low to me. Does Vegas know something that we don't? Kentucky-Auburn is going to be exciting to watch, especially in the trenches with Kentuvy's offensive line against Auburn's rebuilt defensive line. I want to see Alabama come in angry against Mizzou. Just about every game, I am fired up to watch.
   
• Kendall Briles has moved the ball everywhere he has gone, even at Florida State last year. The one thing about Sam Pittman, I give him so much credit. He's investing in his staff. I love both of his coordinator hires. I think Arkansas will be more competitive this year, and that starts on Saturday when they play Georgia.
   
• It is surreal that the state of Mississippi has college football coaches Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, and Deion Sanders. We really haven't celebrated how many great coaches there are in the SEC this year, and oh, by the way, they're all playing each other! Let's go!
   
• Oklahoma-Kansas State is intriguing. KSU is a run-based offense. They didn't look great against Arkansas State, but can they keep it low scoring? Texas is almost a three-score favorite on the road at Texas Tech. What's the deal at Tech? Tom Herman has replaced his almost staff, so he's running out of people to blame when they lose. I'm not saying they lose, but a three-score favorite seems like Vegas thinks Texas will be pretty good this year.