Why USA Today called Texas A&M Football team a “real threat”
Over the course of the past decade, the SEC has had a clear hierarchy and the Texas A&M Football team hasn’t been near the top. In fact, until last season, the most the Aggies had done was produce a Heisman Trophy winner in Johnny Manziel. Outside of that, A&M has been a third or fourth-place team.
In 2020, that changed. In fact, that is on track to do a full 180-degree turnaround in 2021, a year that will see Texas A&M as one of Alabama’s biggest challengers. This isn’t just an internal opinion either, as all of college football is beginning to notice.
This started with the Texas A&M Football team being placed at the 6th spot in the Coaches’ Poll. Within the next week, the Aggies would be given the 6th spot in the AP Poll as well, cementing them in that position to begin the season. This week, however, USA Today gave the Aggies a bode of confidence that overrides their preseason rankings.
USA Today called the Texas A&M Football team a “real threat” in the SEC
The basis of USA Today’s prediction of the Texas A&M Football team stands behind the fact that the Aggies have talent at the quarterback spot. Rather than pile on concerns about a new starter, Paul Myerberg took another approach.
After describing in detail each quarterback’s strong suit, here’s what he said about the A&M QB competition.
"“While this youth stands in contrast to Mond’s four years of experience, Jimbo Fisher has two impressive contenders and the potential to locate another multiple-year starter for his offense.”"
Myerberg mentioned Haynes King‘s ability to run the ball effectively, as evident by his 43 yards of rushing with a very limited sample size to work from. Calzada, on the other hand, is more of a traditional passer with a cannon of an arm.
He didn’t explicitly say it, but Myerberg raised the thought that Jimbo Fisher’s quarterback competition will bring out the best in either quarterback. Rather than two similar guys fighting over the same spot, the Aggies can choose from King or Calzada, both of whom have opposite strengths.
Because of this, Myerberg referred to the Texas A&M Football team as a “real threat” in the SEC, ranking them as the third-best team in the conference behind Alabama and Georgia. Georgia was also listed as a threat in the conference.
Next. Implications of A&M's ranking in the AP Poll. dark
The 2021-22 season will be defined by how A&M plays against Alabama, though they’ll also look to prove themselves in comparison to Georgia. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs and Aggies do not have a scheduled match against each other this coming season. If all goes well, these two teams will face each other in the SEC Championship game.