Seven Wonders: Questions facing Texas A&M Football in 2018

Wonders aren’t as wondrous as they once were.

When the Astrodome opened in 1965, it was dubbed “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” That put the ‘Dome in good company with the Roman Colosseum, Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu and Great Wall of China, which are among the seven man-made wonders of the modern world.

But now there are roughly 85 domed stadiums worldwide. Some are so big that four Astrodomes could fit inside them. There’s even a domed stadium in Frisco. Domed stadiums are so common that some are demolished and replaced by others.

For example, The Georgia Dome, which opened in 1992, was razed and replaced in downtown Atlanta by Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened last year. Of course, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is now the site for the Southeastern Conference football championship game.

Texas A&M has never reached the SEC championship game, but coach Jimbo Fisher is intent on building a team that can an appear at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Skeptics and doubters might contend building a team that can wrest SEC West Division supremacy away from Alabama is a bigger construction job than the seven wonders.

With that in mind, here are my seven wonders for A&M’s 2018 football season:

1. Who will replace Dave South?

South, the radio play-by-play announcer, called A&M football games for 32 seasons. His iconic voice was as much a part of A&M game days as kissing dates and sawing horns. No replacement has been announced. Perhaps A&M should enlist the services of velvety-smooth enunciator Gabe Bock. The best way to follow an iconic voice is with another iconic voice, right?

2. Where will ESPN Game Day be during week 2?

Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard typically do their Saturday morning show from the site of the most intriguing college football game of the week. In week two, that could be College Station when Texas A&M plays host to Clemson.

Both teams figure to be 1-0, but the coaching matchup of A&M’s Jimbo Fisher and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is the selling point. They’re two of the four active coaches — other than Alabama’s Nick Saban and Ohio State's Urban Meyer — to have won a national championship. Also, they were 4-4 against each other when Fisher was at Florida State. However, ESPN might opt for other games that week like Penn State at Pittsburgh, USC at Stanford or Georgia at South Carolina.

3. Who will win the A&M quarterback competition?

Fisher has been adamant that neither Nick Starkel nor Kellen Mond emerged from spring drills as the starting quarterback. Both have plusses and minuses. Starkel appears to be a better passer. Mond is more athletic. Both had ups and downs when starting in ’17. Quarterbacks in Fisher’s system have more responsibility than in the previous offense. Fisher is still waiting to see who can best handle that responsibility.

Will it be Starkel or Mond? Or perhaps incoming freshman James Foster? Whatever the case, history shows that a the naming of a starting quarterback will then lead to the question of...

4. Which quarterback will transfer?

The reality of college football quarterback competitions is that typically one wins the starting job and the other transfers. A&M has seen this scenario play out up close and personally over the last few years. Starkel and Mond are both sophomores, though Starkel is in his third season. Neither figures to be content to spend a career waiting on the sidelines. History shows one will transfer. But which one?

Justin Oster, TexAgs

Offensive line coach Jim Turner's schemes are more suited for Jimbo Fisher's offense than they were under the previous regime.

5. Will the offensive line significantly improve?

A&M’s offensive line last season was average — at best. Yet, the are several theories as to why the Aggies can be much better up front this season. First of all, the techniques and styles that line coach Jim Turner teaches fit better with Coach Jimbo Fisher’s offensive system than they did with the previous regime. Second, toughness and physicality were emphasized during spring drills and offseason workouts. Finally, there is a glut of starting experience, including several players who started as freshmen last year. All those factors figure to result in a better offensive line.

6. Will the secondary be upgraded?

A&M’s secondary was among the most exploited last season. The Aggies allowed 46 pass plays that covered at least 20 yards. Only Missouri and Arkansas allowed more. At least some of that can be attributed to the fact that two freshmen typically started, and in some instances three freshmen defensive backs played at the same time.

But the departure of All-SEC safety Armani Watts is a reason for concern. Sophomore Derrick Tucker had a strong freshman year, and Donovan Wilson is back after missing almost all of last season with an injury. A year of starting experience should boost sophomore Debione Renfro and junior Charles Oliver. Also, sophomore Clifford Chattman, who was ineligible last year, has been rated by some as A&M’s best defensive back. We’ll see.

Perhaps most importantly, new defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s scheme allows for more zone and disguised coverages than the Aggies previously played.

7. Which true freshmen will make a significant impact?

Whether it was Kyle Allen, Christian Kirk, Trayveon Williams or Jhamon Ausbon, at least one true freshman seemed to be thrust into a major role under the previous coaching regime. That trend may continue under Fisher. But which freshman projects to make an immediate impact? Receiver Jalen Preston would be a good guess. But then, so would safety Leon O’Neal, receiver Caleb Chapman or defensive end Bobby Brown. Maybe it’s an offensive lineman.

After all, if Luke Matthews emerged as a starter, some would consider his family history and shrug, "No wonder."