From Radio Row, Day 4: Sam Acho, Connor O’Gara, Randall Cobb & more

Thursday morning's edition of TexAgs Radio emanated live from the Omni Dallas Hotel, the site of 2024 SEC Media Days. Today's special guests included Nick Roush, Sam Acho, Connor O’Gara, Randall Cobb, John Nabors and Jacob Goins.

Key notes from Sam Acho interview

• There is no love in the Texas A&M-Texas rivalry. It is just hate. I was just asked earlier what was the most memorable college football experience, and I said it was at Kyle Field in 2009. Or maybe it was 2010? And the A&M fans were singing the fight song. It got to the part where they’re swaying back and forth — arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand — and they’re saying the “Saw Varsity’s Horns Off.” It wasn’t just what they were saying, but it was the fact that I could not hear the person next to me. We were about a foot apart from each other. That’s how loud that stadium was. I played for nearly a decade in the NFL, and I played in loud stadiums. Kyle Field and Texas playing at A&M was the loudest place I have ever played or ever experienced in my entire life.
   
• Kyle Field will be a lot louder this year. I think the reason why is that about 10-15 years ago, people said that this rivalry was over. A lot of us knew that it wasn’t over for good, but it was going to be over for a while. Now, the rivalry has been renewed once again. There’s 12-13 years of pent-up aggression, disgust and disdain for one another.
   
• It’s difficult to shift from a fan to an analyst, but it’s doable. There is a piece of fandom that is real, but there’s also this idea of taking the fan hat off, putting the analyst hat on and being an evaluator of talent, scheme, abilities and programs.
   
• It will be different in the SEC because Texas beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa last year, and that’s a thing that teams don’t do often. Also, the talent is there. Listen to Nick Saban talk about this Texas team. He says this is the deepest Texas team since Steve Sarkisian has been there. If I am trying to talk you off of a ledge, I would say that Texas does need to prove it. Excuses are easy to make. I think that Texas has a lot to prove.
   
• I think the biggest thing for A&M is Mike Elko. He can coach. He is a guy who has been at A&M before, a guy who knows the program, a guy who knows how to win and a guy that just did it at a place where it hasn’t been done a lot. I get excited about what he’s going to do and how he’s going to build that program back up to where I think it needs to be.

Key notes from Connor O’Gara interview

• I think the questions for this Texas A&M team are the middle and the back end of the defense. It’s thin, and replacing an Edgerrin Cooper is not an easy thing to be able to do. I thought he was the best linebacker in the NFL Draft. I could make a case he was the best linebacker in college football last year.
   
• A&M is going to be exceptionally better up front. The questions I still have are on the offensive line. I think the backfield could be nice with Rueben Owens, but not necessarily a “take over every type of game” type of backfield. I love me some Conner Weigman. I am a believer in his talent. It’s just what are the surrounding pieces going to be?
   
• Florida is going to be a difficult matchup for a lot of teams, but you still question how Florida is going to be able to close out games. Are they going to do things to cannibalize themselves? It’s going to be a fair question for as long as Billy Napier is there.
   
• A&M is close to the talent they had last year. I don’t think it’s fair to say they have the same talent level. I think they retained a lot more than people realized. For all the narratives about this “mass exodus,” there was actually a lot of talent that was brought in. I thought Mike Elko did a tremendous job in the transfer portal.
   
• I am pre-mad about Nic Scourton because if that guy is not first-team All-SEC going into the season, I will be irate. For those who don’t know the story, this is a 19-year-old who was named a captain and led a Power 5 conference in sacks. He is that dude. I don’t know how many people I need to tell this to, but Scourton is worth the price of admission. That is probably going to be the best player on A&M’s roster this year. I think he is going to be tremendous.
   
• A&M’s schedule is easier this season compared to last season. No Alabama. No Ole Miss. I feel like that opener against Notre Dame is going to tell us a lot. If they play that down to the wire and give shades of the 2018 Clemson game, and it feels like an early year one kind of statement, I think we’re going to be looking at that home schedule a little bit differently.
   
• I’m a little bit scared by the offensive line play over the last few years. It’s been one of the most disappointing units in the SEC. Post-2020 and the Maroon Goons, I was ready to say that this is exactly what Jimbo Fisher is building towards. Ever since then, you have looked at that unit and been disappointed, and you have also looked at the quarterback position and seen the injuries pile up. You can’t have that. You can have depth at quarterback, which A&M actually had last year, but you’re still limiting your upside when that’s not necessarily a staple of your game.
   
• I’m bullish on Texas because I look at them and what they did last year, and it wasn’t this one-off, fluky type of season. They went into Big 12 play and dominated. They won Big 12 games by an average of 17 points. They went into Tuscaloosa and handed Nick Saban his ugliest home loss ever. That changes how we talk about a program.
   
• I’m bullish on Texas because of the offensive line they return, and it’s like four or five starters. Kelvin Banks Jr. is going to be a top-10 pick probably in the NFL Draft. Quinn Ewers will likely take that next step, and I think he still has room for improvement. I love their backfield. I think C.J. Baxter is going to lead the SEC in rushing. That’s what Steve Sarkisian does with running backs.
   
• I look at the Texas defense, and they return a lot of production on the backend of that group. They also have coordinator continuity. You add in all that, and the schedule is cake. The scheduling gods blessed Texas in a way that Longhorn fans couldn’t have dreamed of. That’s the interesting thing about this Texas team. I still think they have room to improve.
   
• I am at nine or ten wins with Oklahoma, and it’s tough to get there. It’s the second-most difficult schedule in college football. The questions about how they’re going to perform in the trenches are valid. They have an entirely new offensive line. They’ve got a redshirt freshman quarterback in Jackson Arnold who has high expectations, but it’s still a massive question mark.
   
• The good news for Oklahoma and why I got to nine wins is because I think this is going to be a true vintage Brett Venables defense. They have two preseason All-Americans returning with Billy Bowman Jr. and Danny Stutsman. They have a huge addition to that defensive line in Damonic Williams. If that defense can be one of the top 10 or 15 groups in the country, then that’s how you can get to nine wins for Oklahoma.
   
• I’m too high on Auburn because I do think that Hugh Freeze is taking control of this offense. I think he’s going to be beneficial. I’ve got to think Payton Thorne is going to be better.

Key notes from Randall Cobb interview

• This is my second day in the broadcasting world. They threw me right into the fire at SEC Media Days, but it has been a lot of fun. It’s definitely an adjustment from being on the field, so I'm just taking it all in and getting up to speed with all the different players and teams.
   
• What can we expect from Kentucky? I'm excited about the quarterback coming in. They got another receiver who is a downfield threat. They have a new offensive coordinator coming in that’s going to be a big piece. I really enjoy watching the two receivers they have in Dane Key and Ja’Mori Maclin.
   
• I don't have an answer for how Kentucky is going to do yet. I haven’t really dove into the college tape yet. Everything is different, from the hashes to the ball, but I'm looking forward to breaking down the film over the next month to prepare for the season.
   
• There have been small pieces that the NFL has copied from college football. The RPOs have definitely carried over into the NFL, but they are very different in the way that they are run because the rules are a little different. If you watch college ball, the offensive line is sometimes engaging with the linebackers. If you're past two yards in the NFL, you have to pull them back because it’s a penalty.
   
• I was able to talk ball with Nick Saban, and he is just an incredible mind. I was fortunate enough to play against him when I was at Kentucky. Playing against his defense was one of the reasons why it gave me a lot of confidence. I thought, “I’m playing against these guys, and I’m having success,” so I knew I could go to the next level.
   
• I just wanted to try out broadcasting to see if I'm good at it. I think I have a lot of knowledge when it comes to the game of football, but I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm looking forward to having that opportunity and really diving into the knowledge of the game.
   
• I'm a film junkie. I've always been a film junkie. I really enjoy the Xs and Os, chalk talk and really diving into plays and understanding the systems on offense and seeing what they're trying to attack.
   
• I love the play of Conner Weigman. Seeing him, his ability and accuracy are what really stood out on tape for me. I actually have him as a dark horse Heisman pick. When you look at his QB rating and the way he is so efficient with the football, I'm so excited to see him progress in this next season. You got a little taste of him last year in four games, but it’s time for him to make that jump.

Key notes from John Nabors interview

• I think Arkansas will be better than last year. First off, one of the biggest reasons Arkansas was not good last year was because the offensive line was terrible, which is so weird seeing Sam Pittman have a terrible offensive line as a head coach. It’s like seeing Nick Saban have a terrible defensive secondary. That has been improved dramatically. They made a change in the coaching situation. It starts there, and as long as you have a much-improved offensive line, I think you’ve got the skill position guys to go around it to make the offense go.
   
• To me, Oklahoma State is the key game. If you’re 3-0 going into that Auburn game, and I don’t expect Arkansas to even beat Auburn, but it gives confidence in the beginning part. It kind of wakes the fans up a little bit. If you lose that and you’re 1-2 going into Auburn, there’s a realistic chance you could be 2-4 going into that bye week, and if that happens, I think a coaching change is made.
   
• Taylen Green is exactly how you want your quarterback to be. He is likable. The team loves him. He’s a leader. He’s got a big smile, and he’s almost like a calming presence. I can’t wait to see him, especially once he gets his legs underneath him and do the dual-threat thing.
   
• I think Arkansas can be a seven-win team. To me, that is the minimum Sam Pittman has to do to keep his job. I think they can get to that, but it comes down to the tough schedule. I think the floor is 4-8 or 5-7.
   
• I know Texas is going to be good, but I also think that Texas is coming in a little bit too cocky into the SEC. I think that they’re going to get humbled a little bit. I think they’re going to lose two games before they face Arkansas.