"A loss is a loss"...
”Congradulations, you were able to find two independant posters who happened to contradict eachother to a certain degree on an internet message board. What an accomplishment for a Baylor Bear.”
Why thank you. Many of us that can’t possibly understand Aggieland b/c we are on the outside have spent lifetimes trying to find 2 Aggies that actually and truly disagree with each other. After finding 2 Aggies that actually disagree with each other I really don’t know what else could be a step up from this discovery. Frankly, after such a monumental discovery, I think I should begin work on the Holy Grail. Although, I must say, it is disappointing to be the person that finally put a hole in the Stepford vs Aggieland comparisons.
“A loss is a loss, and OU/Texas have bragging rights against us. That's why being really smug and saying I hope you overlook us in reference to last season (when you still lost) is weak on this message board.”
Actually, the past 2 years, A&M has overlooked Baylor and consequently the Aggies have been outplayed by Baylor. That’s why I hope that A&M continues to overlook us. I firmly believe that if Baylor outplays A&M, 8 out of 10 times we win the game. Sorry for hoping for more of the same. Sorry for hoping that we reproduce a game where we were the better team and lost due to stupid mistakes (2 missed field goals) and poor officiating (the fumble out of the end zone, that if properly called prevents A&M’s only TD in regulation). Yes, its terribly weak for me to want for my team to outplay yours again next year.
“That being said, we can still take some positives out of the way our team played in the OU/Texas games as you can in your A&M/OU games going into the 06' season (but it doesn't mean you can trash talk to the other side about these games, because you still lost).”
Please. Is this another one of those things that only applies to every other program in the country but not to A&M? When was the last time TexAgs truly stopped talking trash about TTU even though they have owned your series over the past 10 years? Losing prevents trash talking? Does this mean that Aggies are supposed to now refer to UT as “UT” and “Longhorns” rather than “sips”? Or is this form of trash talk still acceptable after a loss? I know I’m on the outside and can’t possibly understand, and you’re on the inside and can’t possibly explain it, but you gotta help me out here, man.
”Your assessment of the outcomes of the schedules is still pretty weak. You still clump together teams with assumptions of their quality next year.”
Hate to break it to you buddy, but its you that has the faulty assumption. My analysis was based on trends, strengths, weaknesses, and venue.
”"Pencil OSU/Mizzou as wins"
??? Oklahoma State still has solid talent, and could very well be in for a rebound year. Mizzou has a lot of X-factors. Anytime you play Big XII talent there are no garunteed wins. This should be the most evident to you with your upset in Waco against us in 2004.”
Yes, but neither MU or OSU present matchup problems for the A&M defense. OSU depends on the run to open up the passing game and A&M is excellent in the front four. I don’t see why A&M should struggle to beat OSU next year. And a Brad Smithless Mizzou starting a Soph QB at Kyle? You don’t see that as a win for A&M?
”"Might win Might lose Nebraska/Baylor/Kansas"
To clump yourself in with Nebraska I think shows exactly how much you think your program as come. Nebraska could likely compete for the Big XII title next year if the offense clicks as it looked like it did against Colorado at the end of the season.”
Sorry Fightin Farmer, but you got this one wrong. I did not clump BU with the Huskers b/c I think we are on par with them, even though we played ‘em tough at Floyd Casey this year. I clumped them together b/c they both present matchup problems for A&M that I think are going to give you fits, although for different reasons. Callahan has all but announced that he has given up on the running game and their O-Line is good enough to give the QB time to throw (which nullifies the only obvious strength of the Aggie D right now). Even if Darnell turns out to be the second coming (which is highly unlikely) that Husker WC passing offense is going to give you fits, IMHO. I don’t think you have the talent to play man against it and Zach Taylor will pick apart a cover 2 or any other zone you throw at them.
I put Baylor and KU in this category for different reasons. I believe that as far as game planning, Morriss is one of the best in conference. Given the meager talent he had on the field that he was able to be w/in a touchdown of the opposition heading into the 4th qtr of every game except Texas this year is a minor miracle. For whatever reason, I think GuyMo has Fran’s #. Bill Bradley has been able to design schemes that have thrown the Aggie O for a loop. I’m not saying that BU is as good as NU (I do believe we are getting very close to KU). All I’m saying is that the Bears have proven to be a very tough matchup for Aggie, and given that next year’s game is in Waco, I feel it’s a toss up.
Finally, traveling to KU the week after TTU is going to present its own problems in and of itself. Beat TTU, and I think a letdown is likely, lose to TTU and Aggieland is going to start calling for Fran’s head, which is always a recipe for on-field disaster.
“As far as might win might lose, that's true with KU/BU, but to say we WILL either go 2-1 or 1-2 is just ridiculous. College football is impossible to predict which I can't emphasize enough.”
This is the part of your post that I really want to focus on. You are right that football is difficult to predict. BUT, we do know that over the course of a season, non-MNC contenders are going to lose some games they should win and vice versa. Look at this year’s results in conference and out of conference, the landscap is littered with teams losing games they should have won.
I want to discuss this trio of games b/c you want to emphasize it so much and b/c you believe my prediction was ridiculous. This will require you to put on your thinking cap, and I know you are an Aggie, so you’re gonna have to go to your closet and break out a burnt orange or green and gold cap, but you’ll live.
When you play NU, BU, and KU, there are only 4 possible outcomes: 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, and 0-3. That’s it, there is no other possibility. Those are the only possible combinations of your record after playing those schools. I think we can both reasonably assume that 0-3 is out of the question, although Fran routinely gets outcoached, he isn’t that incompetent.
So that leaves us with 3 possible outcomes after playing those 3 schools: 3-0, 2-1, or 1-2. Personally, I just can’t see A&M winning all 3 of those games, so I predicted that you will go 2-1 or 1-2. Since you believe that is a “ridiculous” prediction, I’m left to conclude that you believe 3-0 is the one and only reasonable prediction (again, this is all based on the assumption that 0-3 is out of the realm of possibility). Is college football so difficult to predict that even a marginally informed fan can’t make a reasonable choice out of 3 possible outcomes? But, taking this one extra step, even if you believe that 3-0 (or even 0-3) is the reasonable prediction, that record would not be very far from 2-1 or 1-2. So I’m left wondering on what basis you find a prediction of 2-1 or 1-2 to be “ridiculous”.
”OU/Tech/Texas
This is the cream of the crop in the Big XII South right now. As long as this is where we want to be, this is who we will measure ourselves against.”
Yeah, and Baylor wants to be with TT, UT, and OU also. Should reasonable Baylor fans compare themselves to TT, UT, and OU also? And when our coach doesn’t have us there in 4 years, should we call for his ass to be fired too?
”You seem to have the overall assumption that we are declining as a program.”
No, I have the assumption that Fran is a bad coach.
”Your assumption of that Baylor is an improving team might not hold water next year. The fact is, you aren't bringing in the atheletes in comparrison to the rest of the Big XII South. Recruiting isn't everything obviously, but to be a legitimate top 25 team and not be a team that occassionally surprises other teams, you need talent.”
You’re right, we may regress next year, but I have faith in our coaches and system that we won’t. In addition, TT built a Top 25 program over the past decade by recruiting 5 star talents such as Klingsbury, Cumbie, Simmons, and Hodges. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that Tech actually made a jump in quality of recruiting. If another Big 12 South program has been able to build a winner with everybody else’s castoffs, that gives me faith that Baylor can do it too. You do realize that A&M has outrecruited Tech for the past decade with vastly inferior results, right?
