One or two of these teams/fans will be sorely disappointed this season.

I'd say last year was the best year ever in Big 12 South play from top to bottom with 5 bowl teams including 2 BCS teams. With college football as it is, a duplicate season seems doubtful.

Fans from all (w/ the possible exception of OSU) schools mentioned are expecting good to great seasons. Lots of questions however... Here are a few:

OU: Inexperience at key positions, lots of talent to fill shoes. Great program. These guys aren't used to losing and there talent should be formidable. To say they are "down" is nuts. But, they do seem more beatable than the past couple of years. Teams with the kind of talent OU has sometimes are better than their predecessors. I call it a "hunger" factor. FSU in the 1990s seemed to be this way. Jury is out on OU.

UT: Inexperience at RB and WR. Awesome lines however should allow some development. The sips biggest worry should be VY's health. We give the guy hell on here, but he's one serious athlete and IMHO - one of the two best athletes in the Big 12 (Peterson) being the other. UT got a couple of scares last year because they failed to dictate the pace of some games. That changed when VY mentally took over the team.

A&M: Did the Ags learn from their tough schedule? We'll find out in week one. No doubt Clemson will try and exploit an inexperienced secondary. It will be up to the DL and LBs to help them out. The offense is as loaded as any in the past 20 years. A&M has yet to earn respect in Austin or Lubbock despite beating Tech last year and hanging around awhile in Austin. However, the opportunity for big-time respect, which Aggie fans so desperately seek, is there this year.

TECH: Another season, another QB. Can lightning strike for the third straight season concerning QB play? Their receivers should be able to make any QB who can get it there look good. The OL is suspect, and they don't play smashmouth. Techs biggest concern may be a very weak early schedule. Will it prepare them or give them a false sense of themselves which could lead to a confidence problem should NU or UT take them behind the woodshed.

OSU: Still has some real good talent at their skill positions and no one is talking about this program. I think they are dangerous and have little pressure from their fans to set the world on fire. They may play lose and nasty and could even contend. They also get UT and Tech at home.

One or two teams will surprise or meet expectations and one or two are going to disappoint the crap out of their fans. I'm really looking forward to the season and interested to see how it all shakes out.

Thoughts?

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Thoughts?

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...well, that excludes Worm and Queeny....




R.R. - "How excited are you about playing football in Texas?"
J.C. - "I'n weary weally exciteb..id's like a undle for the university of the uh, um, State ob Tessis..."

NU take Tech behind the woodshed?

BTW, it would be lightning for 4 straight seasons not 3, but what you don't undertand is that Leach is the lightning, not the QB.




GOATS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, YOU MUST FURNISH YOUR OWN GOAT.

sLeach is more like 'White Lightning'.



R.R. - "How excited are you about playing football in Texas?"
J.C. - "I'n weary weally exciteb..id's like a undle for the university of the uh, um, State ob Tessis..."

Buck - I don't count Kingsbury as he was a proven commodity.

Not that I dare talk football on forum_id=6, but I think the answer to the question is that all of the teams above will be disappointed in some respect.

Let's start with OSU: I don't think they figure into the mix. It's between them and Baylor for the cellar. Yeah, their fans will be disappointed.

That leaves four, and since my nutsack hasn't dropped again since the divorce, I'm not gonna bother picking an order of finish.

I will say, however, that I think the winner of the South (and the conference) will finish with 2 losses in conference, and that's going to leave a sour taste in the mouth of everyone. Shoot, I think it's possible that we'll see a three-way tie.

9-2 for the conference champ in the B12 south's strongest year ever sucks, but that's the way I see it going.

For A&M, 9-2 would be an improvement and would probably leave most ags feeling satisfied.

For Tech, 9-2 would also be an improvement, but unsatisfying because it's likely that we'd wind up with ANOTHER tie, rather than an outright conference win.

For Texas and their lofty expectations, two losses would probably be fairly stinky, but like Tech, I guess it would be a moral victory of sorts for Mac to get a conference title.

For OU - ah hell. Who cares about OU. Their fans are happy with a window air conditioner, a full tube of polydent and a crik for some noodlin after making out with their sister/cousin-in-law.

I don't think the Big 12 figures in the national title picture this year, and that's a damn shame.

$.02, no solid analysis of any kind, and certainly no firm predictions that might expose what's left of my testicles,

-td

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For Tech, 9-2 would also be an improvement, but unsatisfying because it's likely that we'd wind up with ANOTHER tie, rather than an outright conference win.

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Since you've NEVER won an outright major conference title, or even a DIVISION title, you probably should put the crack pipe down.

Whats the illusion with that just because a team has never wom an outright conference title, that somehow means that they will never win a conference title? Thats complete BS. a&m was won some conference titles in the past but that didnt help them win a conference title last year, or the year before, or the year before, or the year before, or the year before. A teams past does not define their present or future success, so saying that Tech cant win a conferencde title just cause they never have is total BS.

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For Tech, 9-2 would also be an improvement, but unsatisfying because it's likely that we'd wind up with ANOTHER tie, rather than an outright conference win.

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If there is a three way tie for the south and one team wins the conference championship game, would that be an outright championship? Just want to know the official aggie opinion on this.

I don't think anyone is directly saying Tech can't or won't win a conference championship. You have to admit though, it does sound a bit silly to say Tech will be disappointed if they don't win it all this year. (Not that TD was conveying that message, I'm speaking in general terms here).

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A teams past does not define their present or future success

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Same can be said for A&M this year in Lubbock. Tech fans say no way because you haven't won since '93.

Can't have it both ways.

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You have to admit though, it does sound a bit silly to say Tech will be disappointed if they don't win it all this year. (Not that TD was conveying that message, I'm speaking in general terms here).

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Jock, you're correct in your statement that I'm not going to be disappointed if Tech doesn't win the Big 12 this year... this will be the toughest division in football this season in my opinion, and will certainly be the strongest field the south has seen since the inception of the Big 12.

That's a tall order for Tech fans.

However, I do think that if we're to win a Big 12 south title, this is the best shot we've had since the Big 12 was formed. We'll probably have a better team overall next year than we do this year (I think, at least), but we've got schedule on our side this season... Schedule-wise, I think Tech's in the best shape of the four contenders in the south, since we get A&M and OU at home.

In other words, despite the brutal competition, I think we've got a shot. Not a guarantee, but a shot. I think many of the media pundits agree.

My point was that it would be so Tech-like to finally win a conference title, during the toughest season of competition, and wind up with a 9-2 regular season record, out of a national title picture, and with a South division tie to show for it... even if it's our best team in years. We've been sooooo close so many times.

Such is the life of a Tech fan. There are no t-shirt Red Raiders. There are many bald ones, but no t-shirt ones...

BUT - should we be so fortunate, I'll certainly be attending whatever bowl we get regardless.

For me, 7-4 would be a big disappointment this season. 8-3 would be a let down, but it could well happen. 9-2 sounds about right. Anything better than 9-2 and I'll be positively giddy. But I don't see that happening for any team in the South this year.

-td

Nice TD. My hopes aren't too high for A&M because high hopes get crushed. I prefer to think of it as guarded optimism ... same as last year.

I was pleased last year as I was hoping for a winning season. I expect the same this year, but would not be surprised to see a great year. So many factors ... and more than that, so many monkeys which must be removed from the back.

OU and UT probably have the most to lose. UT loses two or three and there will be a total meltdown on the 40 acres.

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9-2 sounds about right

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About right for Tech???

I hate to go back to that thing called recent history, but remind of the last time Tech won 9 games in the regular season.

h1frogman,

Tech's recent history is stronger than A&M's. Shall I assume that you think recent history has that strong a bearing on A&M's results in 2005?

I think if you were to sit down right now, today, and draw up odds on Tech's schedule for the regular season, you'd find that we'd be favored in at least 8 of our games, and probably 9 of them.

OU and UT are the only two games on our schedule that if you were laying odds right now, Tech would be a decided underdog. All the other games would likely strongly in Tech's favor, with the exception of A&M, and Tech gets A&M in Lubbock... wanna talk about recent history again?

9-2 would be a good step for Tech... an improvement for sure over 8-4 from last season... one win better. Does one win better seem like a reach to you, especially given Tech's schedule this season? I don't think it's unreasonable at all.

Like I said, I think 7-4 is possible, but would be a disappointment to me personally. 8-3 in my opinion would be status quo. 9-2 would be an improvement, and with our schedule and returning talent, I expect us to have an improvement.

-td

EMC2 - I think we're in agreement. A&M and Tech have the most to gain from this season. Texas has the most to lose. OU is in position to play a spoiler... a really, really talented spoiler with the best coach in college football IMO.

I was really shocked by the improvement I saw in A&M last season compared to Fran's first season there. I would expect this year's team to be better, and next year's Aggie team to be formidable.

This season will be an important one for Tech, because if A&M makes a strong showing, Texas performs as they are expected, and OU recovers from the loss of their starters, it will be much harder for Tech to be competitive for the next couple of years. We really, really need a strong season this year to remain in the mix of the upper half (I'd say upper third) of the Big 12. A disappointing season for Tech this year could mean that we'll have a very tough hill to climb against A&M, Texas and OU for several years to come.

-td

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9-2 sounds about right
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About right for Tech???

I hate to go back to that thing called recent history, but remind of the last time Tech won 9 games in the regular season.

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Im all for tech bashing as much as the next guy, but saying tech wont win 9 games because they never have before is like saying we wont win in lubbock because we havent in ten years. if you have actual points as to why tech wont go 9-2, then go ahead, but to say that they wont do it just because they havent before doesnt make much sense.

My votes are A&M and OSU.

New coach at OSU will not do well his first season out in this conference. A&M has brutal odd year schedules. Given Tech's creampuff schedule the order of South finish will be OU/Texas (I have no idea who will finish first), Tech, A&M,OSU,BU

The order of finish in the South:

1. A&M 11-0
2. tu 10-1
3. OU 9-2
4. tt 8-3
5. BU 6-5
6. osu 6-5

Aggies win the Big XII championship....and the BCS Bowl, finish #2 in the final BCS.

^
l
l
l
l
A&M and BU fans would be on top of the world!

nm

[This message has been edited by powerbiscuit (edited 7/31/2005 9:52p).]

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1. A&M 11-0
....
Aggies win the Big XII championship....and the BCS Bowl, finish #2 in the final BCS.

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If all that goes down, they won't be ranked #2 in the final BCS.

-td

(good luck on all that, btw)

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A&M has brutal odd year schedules.

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I honestly don't think our schedule is brutal. It is tough, but most of the games are winnable (if we play well, take care of the ball, reverse trends, etc.).

That's precisely why I think the Clemson game is so important. Win there in front of 82k, and it will help in other hostile environments. Lose there, and the monkey grows. Hopefully, we can remember how we took the field last season at OSU when no one gave us a chance and approach this game with the same mentality.

my point above was not saying tech will not win 9 games because they have not done so in a long time. i'm just saying it sounds strange for teck fans to expect 9 wins all of the sudden, saying that it is "about right."

I don't care what any of you say...I'm starting to like Tard Diver. I sense more intelligence with him than our other tard posters combined (which I understand ain't much but still....)

I agree Agent. No agenda, good posts, etc...

Oh yeah? A&M sux! Tech roolez! Let's fight!!! Come to Lubbock and I'll shove a goal post up your azzez!!! I can kill a whole army of R-Dubs with the power of my MIND!!!!

Mwuhahahahahahahahah!!!!!

Tech Diver has just passed MJ as my favorite tard poster (sorry, Hong Kong).

Well, Tech will likely be favored in all but two games. If we win every game in which we are favored, that's 9-2.

You wouldn't claim to be 13-0's Daddy if you'd ever seen his mommy

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i'm just saying it sounds strange for teck fans to expect 9 wins all of the sudden, saying that it is "about right."

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Most folks think this should be Leach's best team. If we had a returner at QB (I wanted Harrell or Hodges to start last year), then it would undoubtedly be the best team in the Leach era. The defense should be steady for the first time and the receivers/rbs are all dangerous. We pi$$ed away chances to win 9 games last year with a very average QB.

Pair that with the most favorable schedule I can remember, and it's easy to see why Tech fans might expect 9 wins. Conference title? Doubt it....I don't think UT or OU will lose more than 2 games between them.