Texas A&M Coach: Kevin Sumlin, sixth season (79-38 overall, 44-21 at Texas A&M).
Last year: 8-5 overall, 4-4 in the SEC (4th in the West). Lost to Kansas State 33-28 in the Texas Bowl.
Best case scenario: While a young quarterback, possibly gifted true freshman Kellen Mond, works his way into form, the Aggies ride dynamic tailback Trayveon Williams to a strong start, beginning with a win at UCLA that sets the tone for the season. Unlike the past few seasons, the Aggies improve on offense and defense over the course of the season and finish big to break the 8-5 rut A&M has been stuck in under Sumlin.
Worst case scenario: Inexperience at quarterback becomes an issue and opposing defenses are free to load the box against Williams. It leaves a relatively young defense on the field too long. As a result, the script turns out to be the same. The Aggies falter down the stretch (road games against Florida, Ole Miss and LSU) and end up with another four or five-loss season.
Quotable: “The pressure I’m feeling is the same pressure I feel all of the time. And so nobody puts more pressure on me than me. And my job is, every year I look at what we do and what we do well. We want to stay ahead of the curve. When we’re not doing well, it’s my job to analyze it and try to fix it.” — Sumlin
