FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I have Avenged Sevenfold live at Long Beach in the background...and checked the line on this weeks A&M - Ark tilt at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Saturday.  The lines are 1 to 1 1/2...Hogs as the favorite.  Really? Is that where we are?

Every magazine I read left us for dead...right below "chopped liver".  BU was the media darlings for the breakout season, Ok St was a darkhorse Big XII champ, and OU and t.u. were challenging for the national title.  Collegefootballpoll.com predicted us to win 1, that is singular, game.   Even the freakin' Fort Worth Star Telegram had write-ups of all of the Big XII South Teams in their College Football Special Insert before the season, well all of them but A&M.  We "got nothing". 

And we are 1 point dogs to the Pigs at a neutral site.  The Hogs, with Petrino working his college magic, running off a solid end to the 2008 season with high hopes to challenge the SEC West this season.  And our "chopped liver" Ags are 1 point dogs.  I thought we were supposed to be terrible.  Some magazines tabbed Sherman as being on the hot seat this year, because we are/were so horrible.

So, objectively, where are we?  We lead the nation in total offense.  Um, our schedule wasn't exactly stocked with juggernauts.  I had no questions that our offense was capable of hanging 30 on anybody.  Seriously...anybody.  I just knew our defense was capable of giving up more than 30 to anybody.  Last year's non-conference foes, (Ark St, Army, New Mexico, and Miami) were a close loss, close win, lucky win (they had more yards and we won the turnovers), and beat down respectively.  This year so far (New Mexico, Utah St, and UAB) have been big win, solid win (but not as close as the final score would dictate) and big win.  Our D has shown they can stop or slow down below average teams.  Von Miller lead the nation in sacks after Week 2.  He had 6 solo through 2 games, we had 16 as a team last year!  Ark, Ttech, t.u., OSU, and OU are not below average.   My guess, we will have to out gun them, 40 points at a minimum to win these games...But with Ark, that is likely.  They have been shredded the last two games against a quality opponent (UGA, Bama).  I should check the over/under on this one...should be in the 70s.

My prediction, heck I don't know.  We have 3 wins.  K State, Iowa St, Colorado (road, home, road) should be solid wins now.  And with Griffin out for the year, BU at Kyle should be a win.  That's 7-5 counting an Ark loss.  And Ark is in the air...If you would have told me that A&M had a legitimate shot at 8-4 at the beginning of the year...I would tell you that you need to put the crack pipe down...but 8-4 is in play.  Isn't it?

This is a call to all Ags and fans of the Big XII.  Honest debate, honest opinions are always welcome.  I do not drink the maroon Kool Aid of some of my fellow maroon patriots...I may not agree, but I will listen...