Looking back at preseason predictions
How did our preseason predictions hold up?By: The Hammer
Howdy folks. As the dust has officially settled on the 2020 college football season, it is time to look back on our preseason thoughts and see how we fared. Below are the two pre-season statements/predictions that I made. The first snippet comes from a piece I wrote for our friends over a Biscuits & SEC, where I predicted every SEC teams’ records (it’s incredibly accurate, kind of). Anyway, I am going to toot my own horn here because I called the Aggies going 9-1 this year. I was one of the few (if not the only) journalists who had the courage to pick A&M to go 9-1. You are all welcome for my bravery and expert analysis. Obviously the Ole Miss game was canceled so the 9-1 final record includes the bowl game but I’m still taking credit here.
Not only was I on the money with A&M’s record, but the quick blurb is surprisingly accurate as well. I said the defense would be stingy - the Ags were the best defense in the SEC. Offensively I thought Kellen would have a good year - he did. And I said as long as he had time to throw and we could run to watch out. Well, thank goodness the offensive line played out of their minds all year and not only gave Kellen time to throw, but also opened up massive holes in the run game.
Photo: Bailey Orr, Texas A&M Athletics
The second excerpt is from this site, where I detailed the best and worst case scenarios for the Ags in 2020. As you can see, The Junction Blog is the one and only place to get accurate Aggie football analysis. Not to disparage any other outlets, but no one else had the courage to predict our upstart Aggies going 9-1. Here’s a few examples:
Fansided - (8-2)
SDS - (8-3) *includes bowl game victory prediction*
Preseason SEC Media prediction - 4th in the West
Athlon Sports - 3rd in SEC West
College Football News - (9-3) *prior to covid scheduling changes*
Sporting News - 4th in SEC West
247Sports - 4th in the SEC West
Original Biscuits & SEC article here.
“Runner Up: Texas A&M
Am I drinking the maroon kool aid? Guilty. It might just come back to bite me like it has many before who bought into the A&M hype train over the last few years. Yes somehow, I am still convinced this year is different and will be a breakthrough for the Aggies. We all know the schedule was set up easier this year, but with the SEC only schedule, the Ags added Tennessee and Florida, making it extremely difficult yet again. But this year, A&M is up to the test. With limited practice and offseason training, experience and leadership will be huge for any team this season, and A&M has both. Returning eight starters on defense, including the hard hitting linebacker duo of Buddy Johnson and Anthony Hines, both of whom are on the preseason Butkus Award watch list. They will need a defensive lineman to step up and replace the production of Justin Madubuike, but Jimbo has recruited very well and there are plenty of talented players ready to make their mark. Look for Mike Elko’s defense to be pretty stingy this fall. On offense, it all starts with senior quarterback Kellen Mond. He has shown flashes of brilliance over the last three years but lacked consistency. With the weapons around him and an older, experienced offensive line, I expect Kellen to have a great year. If Kellen has some time in the pocket and the Aggies can establish a legitimate run game with Isaiah Spiller and Anias Smith, watch out.
Final Prediction: 9-1
Wins: Vandy, Florida, Miss St, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole miss, LSU, Auburn
Losses: Alabama”
On the money!
Photo: via @AggieFootball
Original Junction Blog article here.
“Now back to what I think is the best case scenario for the Ags: 9-1. Of course the true best case scenario would be 10-0 but let’s try to be a little realistic. It would be an unbelievable, fairy tale season (similar to LSU from last year) if the Aggies went 10-0. With an all SEC schedule, it’s going to be extremely difficult for any team to run the table and I wouldn't expect anyone to do so, except maybe Bama. So, 9-1 it is. Basically, that means we beat everyone but Bama, or somehow surprise the Tide week 2, then slip later in the season. In my mind, that is a HUGE step forward for Jimbo and the Aggies. If A&M can beat Florida, LSU, and Auburn in the same year, while not slipping to an inferior opponent, we are in business and probably have a chance at the playoff. The updated coaches poll (finally removed the conferences who shall not be named) has LSU #5, Florida #6 and Auburn #9, all ahead of A&M at #10.
In order for a 9-1 season to happen, there needs to be a lot of improvement and some things need to go the Ags way. I don’t want to write a novel here so I’ll keep this brief. The defense should be very good. Elko is back and we have talent and experience all over the field and should be good enough to get to 9-1. Offensively what needs to happen is pretty obvious. First, the offensive line needs drastic improvement. We return 4 starters from that unit, so experience is there but how good will it be, considering how bad they were last year, remains a mystery.
We need to be able to run the ball effectively against everyone. In the 5 losses last season, the Ags averaged a whopping 61 net rushing yards and 2.38 yards per attempt. Even in tough games, against nasty defenses like Alabama or LSU, it is critical to establish some sort of rushing game just so the defense doesn’t key on the air attack, which is what Kellen faced a lot last year. If the Aggies have any chance of going 9-1, Kellen needs to get more consistent. You could argue the offensive line let him down, and having an extremely weak run game behind him limited his production last year. And while both are true, you don’t need to watch a ton of Aggie football to know that Kellen also leaves a lot of missed opportunities out there.
He just hasn’t been accurate enough throughout his career. Flashes of excellence, yes. Solid statistics, no doubt. But we need consistent and sustained high level play to go 9-1. I know it’s in there, let’s hope he can finally put it together for 2020.”
In conclusion, I am an Aggie football genius.
#BTHOOffseason
