Usually every preseason I make my record prediction a couple weeks before opening kick. I've been more so leaning towards 10-2 if Marcel is healthy and is just himself on the field. The losses in my book were @ Bama and @ OU. But I also see why folks think 9-3 and even 8-4 are real possibilities with this schedule.

It's a brutal one, but there's some uncertainty with some of these teams in the polls such as Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, etc. What's the most difficult game on the schedule for the Ags this year in your opinion?

It's OU for me. Going on the road in November and having to face what could potentially be the best defense in the SEC will be tough.

ALL of them

USC. Trap game for a team without proper leadership. Hopefully we have that.

Probably sip since we keep ****ting our pants against those ******s

The last 5 games are likely going to humble the folks predicting 10+ wins. Just a brutal stretch and during the time of year we always play the worst

At OU. By a significant margin.

I am gonna say, LSU.

1. It's in the Bayou.
2. most roster talent Kiffin has had to work with.
3 Kiffin's gimmicky offense is always difficult but will even be more so that early in the season
4. Not only the environment we're playing in and very possibly at night in that tough venue, it's always hard to get your offensive to speed when you have so many new pieces and in our case, we have new coaches at almost every position and we have an entirely new offensive line.

I will add this as a plus though, if we somehow pull off the wind at LSU, I feel very confident about us going at at least 93 if not even possibly better at 102, and that's another reason why LSU was such a huge game

OU (Reed might give their D the ball a few times), Texas (Elko D struggles against explosive offenses), and Arkansas (exposed our D last year and the game is always crazy)

The wife and I are going to Norman...

At OU:

1) It's an SEC game on the road.
2) They have roughly as talented a squad as we'll face from anyone.
3) It's the week before the tu game.
4) It is both teams' eighth conference game, so it's likely to be our third stringers against theirs.

Ans HARD to Win AT lsu 2 years in a row.

Why the Hell do we have 2 roads games against 2 teams we played ON THE ROAD last year.

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Now OU.... Possible we have better on field presence at the end of the year, because we may have the Best Ever Strength & Conditioning Coach/Staff. TKS Coach Moffett

Not sure what will be the most difficult(when we play OU and Texas the games could be affected by critical injuries to any of the teams) but the LSU game is the most important bc winning it will set up the OU and Texas games having meaning.

My opinion, in order of difficulty:

1. Texas. They could very easily roll in as a 3-loss team and still be the most talented roster we face.
2. @ LSU. Kiffin offense is always going to be something that concerns me. We're going to have to score to keep up.
3. @ OU. Only falls behind LSU because I think we'll be more suited to grinding out a defensive game.

We could be a better football team this year but have a worse record than last year. That said, I'm really hoping we aren't looking back at the season saying "hey we went 8-4 but it's OK because our schedule was tough." I have a lot of faith in Elko, but at some point we gotta reach the point where we no longer care what our schedule looks like. Here's to hoping that's this year.

Alabama.

We get lucky with a post-Miss LSU that either has a bruised ego or won a Pyrrhic victory. Mizzou's a slouch, SCAR's the same level of mediocre (though shouldn't be overlooked and are likely pissed), and Tennessee doesn't strike me as a serious late season SEC contender to show up with more to win than bragging rights. I expect some level of injury to impact OU and t.u., though whether that factors into our ability to win big games, I can't say.

It's easy to pretend like Tuscaloosa's changed since Saban left, but I'd argue it's still the toughest place to play. Unless they stb like they did against Florida State or we overwhelm on defense like OU last season, I don't see us making it out with a win. Probably where we are most likely to get SEC'd, going in undefeated, losing, and then dropping two or three more to end the season with the Alamo Bowl.

JWinTX said:

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That last 5 games of the season might be the hardest in the country--@Bama, @USCe, Tennessee, @OU, and tu. If you somehow make that work enough to finish in the Top 2 in the SEC, you probably get rewarded with Georgia in Atlanta.

Brutal

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The fact that Elko and the boys have to go to Norman and then in less than a week turn around and play sip does not bode well, even at home. sip gets Arky at home before coming to BCS. I know they hate each other, but sip should roll that game, while what happens in Norman that weekend will likely be a knife fight.

To several posters' points, this schedule looks like it's setting up for your typical Aggie scenario- rolling along, everyone on board the victory train until late October when the track ends off a cliff.

1a. donghorn
1b. LSU

leftlane4passing said:

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@Oklahoma
@Alabama
@LSU
@South Carolina
@Missouri

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This. Just brutal. I'm sure I'll be labeled a "troll" or whatever, but these are all losable. Not saying we will lose them all, but it's more likely we lose 3/5 than win 3/5.

At Bama
At OU
At LSU

LSU as its the first team who has a chance to be very good. Sets the stage imho.

NoahAg said:

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leftlane4passing said:

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@Oklahoma
@Alabama
@LSU
@South Carolina
@Missouri

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This. Just brutal. I'm sure I'll be labeled a "troll" or whatever, but these are all losable. Not saying we will lose them all, but it's more likely we lose 3/5 than win 3/5.

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You're absolutely correct.

MLC88 said:

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I am gonna say, LSU.

1. It's in the Bayou.
2. most roster talent Kiffin has had to work with.
3 Kiffin's gimmicky offense is always difficult but will even be more so that early in the season
4. Not only the environment we're playing in and very possibly at night in that tough venue, it's always hard to get your offensive to speed when you have so many new pieces and in our case, we have new coaches at almost every position and we have an entirely new offensive line.

I will add this as a plus though, if we somehow pull off the wind at LSU, I feel very confident about us going at at least 93 if not even possibly better at 102, and that's another reason why LSU was such a huge game

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We have LSU early in the season. I think that's good. They have a ton of transfers. I think it will take some time for that team to come together under a new offensive system and a QB coming off of Lisfranc surgery. OU will be a tough out.

ETX Ag 97 said:

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I'd say tu because Sark seems to have Elko's number....

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Not Sark, tu has A&M's number, they always will.

Pichael Thompson said:

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Probably sip since we keep ****ting our pants against those ******s

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That's just the way it is.

austinag1997 said:

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MLC88 said:

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I am gonna say, LSU.

1. It's in the Bayou.
2. most roster talent Kiffin has had to work with.
3 Kiffin's gimmicky offense is always difficult but will even be more so that early in the season
4. Not only the environment we're playing in and very possibly at night in that tough venue, it's always hard to get your offensive to speed when you have so many new pieces and in our case, we have new coaches at almost every position and we have an entirely new offensive line.

I will add this as a plus though, if we somehow pull off the wind at LSU, I feel very confident about us going at at least 93 if not even possibly better at 102, and that's another reason why LSU was such a huge game

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We have LSU early in the season. I think that's good. They have a ton of transfers. I think it will take some time for that team to come together under a new offensive system and a QB coming off of Lisfranc surgery. OU will be a tough out.

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Possibly an underrated aspect of the LSU game is we get them the week after the Lane bowl in Mississippi. Could benefit us. End of the season will be tough. Not only is schedule tough but so is the reminder of our late season struggles. Will have to stay positive and focused.

leftlane4passing said:

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Texas
@Oklahoma
@Alabama
@LSU
@South Carolina
@Missouri
Tennessee
Arizona State
Kentucky
Arkansas
Missouri State
The Citadel

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This looks like 8-4 or 9-3 to me. 10-2 would be a pleasant surprise.

aeon-ag said:

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Pichael Thompson said:

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Probably sip since we keep ****ting our pants against those ******s

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That's just the way it is.

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Nobody in our athletic department seems to make beating the sips much of a priority.

NorthgateMayor said:

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Alabama.

We get lucky with a post-Miss LSU that either has a bruised ego or won a Pyrrhic victory. Mizzou's a slouch, SCAR's the same level of mediocre (though shouldn't be overlooked and are likely pissed), and Tennessee doesn't strike me as a serious late season SEC contender to show up with more to win than bragging rights. I expect some level of injury to impact OU and t.u., though whether that factors into our ability to win big games, I can't say.

It's easy to pretend like Tuscaloosa's changed since Saban left, but I'd argue it's still the toughest place to play. Unless they stb like they did against Florida State or we overwhelm on defense like OU last season, I don't see us making it out with a win. Probably where we are most likely to get SEC'd, going in undefeated, losing, and then dropping two or three more to end the season with the Alamo Bowl.

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I think it's going to be impossible to make the Alamo Bowl this year

MLC88 said:

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I am gonna say, LSU.

1. It's in the Bayou.
2. most roster talent Kiffin has had to work with.
3 Kiffin's gimmicky offense is always difficult but will even be more so that early in the season
4. Not only the environment we're playing in and very possibly at night in that tough venue, it's always hard to get your offensive to speed when you have so many new pieces and in our case, we have new coaches at almost every position and we have an entirely new offensive line.

I will add this as a plus though, if we somehow pull off the wind at LSU, I feel very confident about us going at at least 93 if not even possibly better at 102, and that's another reason why LSU was such a huge game

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From an X's and O's standpoint his offense is…. Not at all gimmicky lol. The only thing you could argue is that his WR splits are wider than what an NFL team does. He has quite the hybrid playbook.

aeon-ag said:

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ETX Ag 97 said:

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I'd say tu because Sark seems to have Elko's number....

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Not Sark, tu has A&M's number, they always will.

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GAY