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Lobwedgephil

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  1. Spoiler
    T-Mobile is a proud sponsor of Billy' Liucci's Cover Story and TexAgs Radio Rewind. T-Mobile has fast 5G speeds in more places than anyone else and great deals for everyone, with phone offers on every plan and tons of awesome perks too. Why compromise? Visit T-Mobile.com/AcrossAmerica to learn more about how you get value AND coverage with T-Mobile. See 5G device, coverage, & access details at T-Mobile.com.

    Okay, so here's what I'm going to do today:

    Rather than spend a few hours writing the cover story, I'm going to spend the entirety of today adding more 'scattershooting' style thoughts to this thread. From now until lunch, from then until Nuno and I do the Luchador podcast at 3 followed by a couple of NILs and then again after that until maybe I mix in a workout and some dinner. And that after dinner all over again. I just feel like giving you guys a steady 'stream of consciousness' flow is the way to go today rather than writing a 'story.' And I'll also open up the 'Ask Liucci' thread later this evening so we can tackle that a day early, as well.

    So don't pay attention to the order of things, as they'll be completely random but I promise you, if it's on my mind following last night's inexplicable loss in Baton Rouge, I'll tackle it.

    -Again, I'll get to everything and I know the mood of the audience today. You guys also know me and I'm not caving in to the message board or twitter masses here and I'm not going to be swayed by former player rage despite the fact that I can assure you I was as livid and, quite frankly, beside myself while watching the Ags' spectacular fade in the closing moments last night in Death Valley. So while there will be plenty of critical analysis here, I'm going to start with the part I'm 1000% convinced of and then go from there because I think it's important to discuss today.

    Jimbo Fisher is the guy to lead Texas A&M to the promised land. There's no one better - or more fit - for the job that the Aggies could hire. He's a top-10 coach in college football and the folks that truly know understand that he's one of the handful of true 'program builders' in the sport. The Aggies have the man who can get it done, even if this year's results left plenty to be desired. Is Jimbo without flaw and above being questioned or having the performance critiqued and/or second-guessed? Of course not. There's one coach in the game that fits that criteria, and Fisher actually beat him this year, which led to, you guessed it, Nick Saban being second-guessed and critiqued by the Alabama fan base. However, there's a big picture at play here and I think we need to visit it briefly.

    First off, the Aggies are close. They suffered a devastating QB injury in game two this year (I think everyone will realize how significant losing Haynes King was next fall), started true freshmen after a rash of injuries/graduation losses along the OL and at corner and were frustratingly close to winning 11 games and playing in the CFP or a New Year's Six bowl. How close? How about two yards, a fourth-down stop, a blown call or 30 seconds away at LSU, first-and-10 from the 12 and 10 yard line away from taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter and a blown targeting call from having the ball at midfield down 7 in Jerryworld in the fourth. We'll talk more about those games in a moment but the point here is pretty simple.

    Fisher has things to work on and a couple of hard decisions to make in terms of the offense and even his staff moving forward but the Aggies were dealt a pretty tough hand this year (as did LSU, who was a gift away from 4-6) and, despite all of the stuff that's certainly fair game to second guess, this team was agonizingly close to accomplishing something pretty special and completing the type of two-year run we haven't seen in quite some time.

    But they didn't. And there is plenty to sort through when trying to figure out the hows and whys. We'll get to that throughout the day.  

    However, when I watched college football yesterday, I couldn't help but see what guys like Jim Harbaugh, Mike Gundy and Mark Stoops accomplished. I know Harbaugh has been on the hot seat and a punchline for most of his time in Ann Arbor but what I'm getting at is this: Michigan rode it out with a proven head coach and now, in year seven, the Wolverines - who still dropped a game even this year to an arch in-state rival while blowing a big second half lead - are likely to play Georgia for the national title. During his first four years on the job, Fisher has already beaten his Ohio State in Bama and has several big-time wins in Maroon & White, both knocks on Harbaugh during years 1-6. The stakes aren't nearly as high in Lexington as they are here in Aggieland but Stoops was giving time (he actually survived the hotseat) and the result has been the best stretch of football the UK program has seen. In Stillwater, Mike Gundy was nearly fired a time or two by and has seemed close to leaving for other jobs on two or three occasions. As of last night, he's one game away from a likely playoff berth and a Big 12 title. Dabo Swinney's path wasn't all that different and he got to do it in a far interior league.

    The point? The Aggies have never recruited like they are under Jimbo, they've actually won some very big games during his four year tenure, have taken back Kyle Field and, even with a backup quarterback, came as close as you possibly can to breaking through (on whatever level you'd like to take it to, starting with a simple NY6 bowl berth or a top-10 finish). There is plenty I saw this fall that made me want to pull my hair out and, as is always the case when you're close, the reasons why seem endless. However, nothing I've seen is something the can't be fixed and, even after the Ags' last two SEC losses, I'm 100% convinced that Fisher's best teams and this program's best football are lining up to be the next few years starting in the fall of 2022.

    It's frustrating as hell today, I'm with you. But I'm also keeping an eye on the big picture, I'm watching college football. I'm watching the good and bad and taking stock of all of it and I'm seeing the roster that Fisher is assembling. Like I said, the head man isn't above reproach and he has off-season issues to honestly assess and address, but Jimbo Fisher is THE guy for Texas A&M football.  

    Look around college football. When you have your guy, you'd better hang on to him and be patient so long as things are trending the right way. The Ags went all in with Fisher and he's gone all in on this job, turning down the program that beat him last night, ironically enough. Take LSU, Florida, Texas and USC as the perfect examples. Who is in the talent pool? When you see guys like Billy Napier grabbing UF, Texas tabbing Steve Sarkisian and LSU and Scott Woodward still frantically scouring the landscape, it becomes clear that doing what programs like Michigan, A&M, Michigan State and even Penn State have done (and what OU SHOULD have done) - hanging onto the guy they believe is the best fit and the long-term answer - is the way to go.

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    -Speaking of LSU's search, I'm a little disappointed but not at all surprised at the attempts by the SEC and national media to turn Ed O's swansong into a Disney movie. The dude allegedly did some pretty cringeworthy at best and, at worst, disgusting things while on the job in Baton Rouge and his reputation as a coach that other despite working for is well-documented. Unfortunately, the Fisher and the Aggies had the chance to deprive Orgeron and LSU of last night's moment and were unable to complete the mission. The bad news is that Ed O get glorified as a hometown boy done good success story and the Ags failed at the chance to win three of four from their division and arch-recruiting rivals. The good news is that Woodward is unlikely to pry Fisher away from Aggieland (which is what he desperately wants to do) and that LSU is facing legitimate and likely significant NCAA sanctions, which are expected to come down in the not-too-distant future.

    -Did that comment about Jimbo and LSU catch your attention? Don't read that wrong, as I really do NOT see Fisher leaving for Baton Rouge and, yes, I absolutely took him at his word last week and a couple of weeks before that. What you're getting from the national media guys and why you're getting it is because Woodward has let those close to him and it's trickled back to some in the college football world, that Fisher is absolutely his primary target. They know like I know that Scott won't back off until he's run out of time. For the Tiger AD, that time is now. I'd expect he's spending time either today or in the next day or two attempting to see if there's any degree of frustration with how the season ended to prey on. If Woodward things there's even the slightest crack, he's going to go all in on trying to swipe Jimbo and send shockwaves throughout the conference. Again, and I mean this, I do not see it happening and believe Fisher is 100% committed to making it happen in Aggieland. As such, watch Woodward pivot in the next couple of days and see a new 'likely hire' emerge in Baton Rouge by mid-week. 

    And, no, I do not expect it be Lincoln Riley and was always skeptical that Riley would be the hire. Look, LSU is a better job but it's close enough that I'd still call it a 'lateral' move, so unless Riley is legitimately unhappy in Norman for whatever reason (and things like that have a way of being 'out there,' see Jimbo at FSU for example) or LSU gives him a several million/yr raise (I don't see how OU would let that happen), he's not leaving even if he is the guy Woodward targeted, which I don't think he is. Again, it's VERY difficult to find THE guy, even for some of these power programs. Is it Matt Campbell? Mark Stoops (I think that one would be rock solid for the Bayou Bengals)? Someone else? We'll know soon enough.

    -For the second consecutive game, the Aggies lost a winnable SEC West game without Devon Achane touching the ball with the outcome hanging in the balance. Two weeks ago in Oxford, Achane got hot in the second half and lit a spark for what had been a dormant offense. When the Ags took over around their own 10-yard line down just 15-13 midway through the fourth, the guy who had run for 110 yards on just 12 carries was on the sideline. He didn't touch the ball again. Last night, the A&M ground game was nonexistent (6 net yards) in the first half before Achane again sparked the ground game. By the time the Ags got the ball back - again inside their own 10-yard line but this time holding a 24-20 lead with under five minutes remaining and LSU with just a single timeout - Devon had totaled 49 yards on 12 carries and had added 72 yards on 5 catches. That's 151 total yards against a tough defense. In the third quarter alone, Devon had 46 yards on just 5 carries. Once again, Achane didn't touch the ball after the first play of the fourth quarter, while Isaiah Spiller got five carries down the stretch.  

    This one is tough to spell out because Spiller has meant the world to this A&M offense since he stepped foot on campus three years ago and will leave Aggieland as one of the top 10 backs in program history. However, the Aggies have two future pros in the backfield and there are going to be weeks when one guy has it going better than the other (against Auburn, that was probably Spiller down the fourth quarter stretch). On this night and in Oxford, that back was #6 (Isaiah had managed just 27 yards on 11 runs) and, inexplicably, he didn't touch the ball in either game with the outcome hanging in the balance.

    -Jalen Preston should have been one of the Aggie heroes last night but the last-minute meltdown kept his story from being one of the feel-good moments of the season. When most would have transferred after arriving as a highly-regarded recruit and never really seeing significant action or cracking the lineup, Preston played special teams and hung in, waiting his turn. He's had a solid season to date but was sensational on the road, in a big game, against a good defense in the second half. Two pretty brilliant catch-and-runs for scores, including the go-ahead TD midway through the fourth. Preston caught three passes for 57 yards, with the two TDs where he essentially willed his way into the end zone and a great catch to extend one of those scoring drives.

    Moose Muhammad also played like a dude hell-bent on winning, as well. Two grabs for 52 yards, including the Ags' first half touchdown. Still baffling that we haven't seen more of #7 this fall because the dude can play.

    -With that said, the Aggie receiving corps once again dropped way too many catchable passes. Preston had a couple of bad ones and Muhammad could have come up with a big play near midfield that would have given the Ags a shot at one 15-20 yard throw to set up a last-second field goal attempt. All season long, the Ags have dropped catchable balls and nothing really changed from game #1 (with Haynes King at QB, mind you) to game #12. Now, to be fair, Zach Calzada still oftentimes puts way too much on passes when he doesn't have to. The tip of that ball moves a LOT and it's a difficult catch for any receiver. There are times when he has to and the throws are actually NFL-caliber strikes but #10 improved but never quite got away from rifling howitzer strikes when he didn't have to. That said, I think it you go back to last night, only Ainias' drop was what I would put in the 'that's understandable and a really tough catch' bucket. Drops were a much bigger problem than Calzada's velocity in Death Valley. 

    -MIchael Clemons played like a man possessed. That was Von Miller type stuff right there. Sam Adams. Blitz Brothers. Myles Garrett. Jacob Green or Ray Childress. Cyclops was an absolute monster in the second half and just destroyed LSU blockers all night long. If every player in Maroon & White progressed the way #2 has during his career at A&M...he's just been an incredible success story and damn near killed LSU's chances at winning by himself. If every NFL-bound veteran on this team played with the tenacity, fire and heart that Clemons did down the stretch this fall, the Aggies would be a playoff team or at the very least playing in a New Year's Six bowl.

    -Yes, unfortunately, I do believe that as the season went on, there were a few outgoing guys in Maroon & White who didn't play with the same sense of urgency that got them there. Not all of them, and most of those guys were good to very good this fall, but there was just something lacking. At the end of the day, I'm confident in saying that Arkansas, Ole Miss and LSU all came out early in the game and played like they just wanted it more. That's inexcusable and a team's veterans and leaders are the group in control of that element of the game. It's also one of the things that Jimbo Fisher is going to have to take a hard look at in the off-season because as the head coach, you're the man tasked with making sure your team shows up ready for a fist fight every time you take the field in an SEC West game. In falling behind 17-0 to Arkansas, 15-0 to Ole Miss and 10-0 and 17-7 to a talented but very mediocre LSU team, there's no way you can just chalk that up to a lack of leadership and move on to the next season.

    -It's also no coincidence that all three of those poor starts happened away from Kyle Field. Look, we know Calzada played much better at home and that the Aggie defense really fed off of the 12th Man's energy this fall but this team was not nearly as good away from College Station, beating only lowly Missouri in a dead environment at 11 am and losing in Arlington, Oxford and Baton Rouge. Last year's squad won at Auburn, Tennessee, Jerryworld and Starkville (with a poised senior QB leading the way, mind you) and things were looking up in that department. Not so much this fall and it's not the losses I'd be concerned about as much if I were Jimbo as the fact that the Ags started the games so poorly and seemed so flustered from the start. Just like the Aggies have 'taken back Kyle Field,' we're talking about a culture thing that can absolutely set in and take hold so figuring out what went wrong on the mentality/preparation side of things away from the friendly confines is an absolute must.

    -The Ags have no one to blame but themselves for this loss but two non-calls certainly would have - and should have - changed the outcome of the game. Demani Richardson stripped the ball away on the punt return along the LSU sidelines on a brilliant special teams play. No whistle, forward progress was in no way, shape or form stopped and there wasn't an official on the field save one who even had a clue that Richardson had even taken the ball away. The clueless SEC officiating crew then gathered, without a clue mind you, and leaned on the 'forward progress was stopped' crutch to avoid replay. For as bad as the Ags were at the start and with the game on the line, A&M wins if the cowards in stripes make the correct call. It was an outcome-altering mistake every bit as bad as Mississippi State-Memphis earlier this season and Auburn-Arkansas last year. The entire crew should love the right to officiate in the Southeastern Conference but they'll be covered for by the league's head of officiating as always.

    That's also blatant offensive PI against Jaylon Jones on the game-winning TD. I know you're not getting that call but here's the thing: When it's a DB and WR battling for positioning, I understand some contact isn't going to be flagged. But when a receiver puts both hands on a corner's back and pushes off to get separation on a long TD catch, it's blatant offensive PI and should be called, whether it's in the first two minutes of the game or the closing seconds. Greg Sankey should offer an explanation this week on this one but television didn't address it enough, the finish to the game was so crazy and such a 'feel good for Ed O' moment that it's going to get lost in the shuffle and the commissioner will feel no pressure to so much as address it outside of Fisher and A&M's internal complaint. The entire process is garbage and Jimbo isn't the only league head coach who is fed up with the disgracefully poor officiating in a conference that prides itself on being the standard by which all conferences are measured. Forget about the bitterness over Texas being let in, Sankey is an outstanding commissioner - the best by a longshot - but piss poor officiating is a real problem that I'm not sure is being taken as seriously as it should.

    -Are you guys even interested in talking bowl games today? Tough conversation to have because in the span of two final five minutes of so the fourth quarter in Oxford and Baton Rouge, the Ags went from the playoff conversation to the New Year's Six to a Citrus Bowl/New Year's Day berth to right back into the SEC 'other bowls' bucket. I don't expect A&M to return to the Texas Bowl just two years removed and I think they may have played their way right out of the Outback (Arkansas seems like the best draw there and even Kentucky could be selected over A&M). Tampa is still possible if the Hogs land in Orlando as the SEC's 'fourth place' team but my early guess is we're talking Nashville, Charlotte, Memphis or Jacksonville.

    -The reason the Ags aren't a New Year's Six lock (or better) is as simple as this: A&M lost four games to teams that they were probably better than in 2021. I'll actually leave Arkansas out of this one for one reason. The Hogs happened to be one of the most experienced teams in all of college football and, that early in the season, A&M wasn't quite ready along the OL or at quarterback (Zach's second start, first away from home and first SEC start) to beat a veteran and very tough, physical SEC West opponent. As for Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU, well the Ags weren't light years better, but when you consider how poorly the Ags played in the first half against both the Tigers and Rebels, how many missed opportunities they had to win it down the stretch in all three and how close A&M came to winning despite all of that...

    The bottom line is that the Ags should have won all three of those contests (or at least gone 2-1) and have no one to blame but themselves.  

    And it's tough to talk injuries with both Ole Miss and LSU. The Rebels were very banged up on offense for several weeks and managed with only one loss while beating A&M, LSU and Tennessee and let's not lose sight of the fact that Ed O was working without several future NFL Draft picks on defense, the SEC's best receiver and was also playing with a guy who wasn't going to win the starting job in fall camp (they lost Myles Brennan to a broken arm in August). Sure, losing your starting QB (and all of the offensive creativity that went with having a dual threat like King) played a role but we watched the games and saw how they played out. Better executive decisions and/or execution (both factored in and it's not fair or accurate to mention one and not the other) in the pivotal moments of losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU and the Aggies are sitting in an enviable spot today. 

    -And nevermind all of my Lincoln Riley talk...it sounds like he's USC-bound. Wow. Shocking hire and Oklahoma just took a devastating hit if the rumors getting out right now are true that Drifit is taking his brisket to the West Coast. LSU is now on the clock.

    10 pm update:
    -How about a little more? Let's pick up where we left off: LSU and Oklahoma.  

    Oklahoma is in a very interesting spot right now, aren't they? With the absolutely stunning news of Lincolin Riley's departure (this one ranks up there with Lane Kiffin sneaking off from Knoxville to Tennessee), the OU program suddenly finds itself in what I believe if a very precarious spot. A top ten program over the last 25 years and the singularly dominant figure in the Big 12 since the Mack Brown fade began, Oklahoma just took a massive momentum hit at the worst possible time.  

    Riley leaving to USC leaves the Sooners as vulnerable as they've been since before current interim head coach Bob Stoops took over in 1999. Why? Because OU just lost a wildly popular and successful head coach in shocking fashion just as the program is set to wade into the shark-infested SEC waters We know that in order to win in the SEC, a head coach and program pretty much has to recruit the hell out of the conference footprint. Jimbo Fisher has done a remarkable job of doing just that and it's why OU's hire will be so vitally important to the ability of the Sooners to tread water (yes, I said it) and then eventually thrive in the Southeastern Conference. I realize OU has had some success in the region when they've been on top, but now, they'll be trying to convince players from Louisiana, Texas, the Sunshine State and Georgia to choose Norman instead of playing in the same league and going to places like Alabama, Georgia, A&M, LSU and Florida. If OU doesn't knock this one out of the park, it's going to be more difficult a sell as it's been since BB (Before Bob).

    -Okay, so what about LSU? After a few Sunday conversations, I want to reiterate that Jimbo Fisher isn't leaving Aggieland for Baton Rouge. I'm also convinced that, despite reports, it was never Lincoln Riley for Scott Woodward and that Woodie and the Tigers have their guy. It's now a matter of when the news leaks and a hire is announced. I'm speculating here, but think that the LSU AD may have done it again in terms of a hire that will leave many shocked. If my gut feeling here is right, the two names I'm keeping close tabs on over the next few days are Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and even Dabo Swinney. While I think Mark Stoops would be a very solid hire on the Bayou, I just have a feeling everything about Woodward's history says he's been working behind the scenes and had someone in addition to Fisher that he considered a 'home run' hire, just like he kicked the tires on Swinney four years ago while pursuing Jimbo.

    -Getting back to the Ags' upcoming bowl game, pay close attention to how many of the NFL-bound seniors decide to play versus how many opt out. I think it'll be pretty telling in terms of how many were looking ahead a little more than you'd prefer down the stretch. That's not to say all of the veterans weren't as dialed in as they should have been and I get any individual choosing to sit out the bowl, but if you see a large number of opt outs, I think it explains a lot.

    -Really surprising to see the A&M defense go out the way they did on Saturday night in Baton Rouge. For the third time in eight SEC games, the Aggies were rocked with a series of haymakers early. Mike Elko's unit was once again on its heels and giving up a surprising number of yards and points to what has been a bad LSU offense for most of the season. The Tigers put up 10 points in the very early going and had 17 by halftime. As he typically does, Elko made some masterful halftime adjustments and the defense was dialed in. The Ags started playing better versus the run and, with Clemons leading the way, were demolishing LSU's protection and getting to Max Johnson on nearly every dropback. The result was three points through 28-plus minutes of the second half.  

    And then came LSU's final drive. Let's forget for a minute the fact that the Tigers shouldn't have had the football (more on the blown call in a moment). Johnson leading the Bayou Bengals down the field 85 yards on 9 plays. Three plays into the drive, LSU faced a 4th-and-6 inside their own red zone. A way-too-easy 11-yard completion followed quickly by a blown coverage and a 31-yard pass immediately flipped the game pressure onto the Aggie defense. This is where I thought the Ags could have used a timeout to regroup and let the pass-rushers get some rest. A couple of plays later, Johnson actually made an incredible throw under intense pressure from Tyree Johnson for the game-winning score.  

    Yes, Jaylon Jones was absolutely pushed out of position by the LSU receiver when the ball was in the air but the bottom line is that LSU marched nearly the length of the field in less than two minutes to win the game. And let's not forget that the Tigers scored on two plays from 62 yards out in the final minute of the second quarter, as well. Two disastrous possessions that still have me absolutely stunned a day later. If you'd have told me that Max Johnson would throw for over 300 yards and 3 TDs without a turnover against Elko's defense I would have never believed it. But that's what happened. Two deep shots down the sidelines for scores and screen pass that never should have gone for more than a few yards and a blown coverage on the game's final possession.

    -Still blows my mind a little that Johnson, despite being under intense pressure all night, can connect down the field on two deep ball touchdowns to what were backup receivers early in the season while the Ags never came close to doing the same. You either have to take more of those chances or stockpile more receivers capable of making plays over the top.

    -While Calzada didn't connect on anything truly deep down the field, damn the dude has guts and he cares as much as anyone could ask of someone wearing the Maroon & White and Block aTm. The dude clearly separated his shoulder for the second time in three games after he stumbled and fell while attempting to avoid pressure in the first half and came back out without missing a snap. Alabama, Auburn and LSU...all Zach does it get back up and battle, oftentimes playing even better once he famously returned from 'the tent.' On Saturday night, I wouldn't say Calzada played a great game, as he missed too many throws and occasionally retreated from the pocket too quickly, but he played a gutty, gritty game and the dude led. He also made some terrific throws and led the Ags back from 10 points down to take the lead with a pair of second-half touchdown tosses, including a spectacular connection to Jalen Preston following an improbable scramble. Calzada finished the game throwing for 242 yards and 3 scores without a turnover in Death Valley at night while seeing a few passes dropped. He's not an All-Conference quarterback but he's leaving it all on the field and the word quit isn't in his vocabulary. 

    -My thoughts on the third-and-2 call with the game on the line in the fourth quarter? I actually don't hate the idea of throwing it there. The Ags were about a good social distancing away from the first down marker and that's a very tough two yards to gain against an LSU defense loading up to stop the run...especially between the tackles. Far from a sure thing and, based on how the game had gone up until that point, probably no better than a coin flip. So while I'd still lean towards giving Devon Achane or Isaiah Spiller a crack at it there, a pass wasn't the part of the call I had any real issue with. After a day to rewatch and stew over it, all I'll really say is that if you are going to dial up a pass, it has to be one of those "Wow, what a great call" type of plays. Calzada rolling quickly to his left, needing to throw on time and in stride while hitting Jalen Wydermyer looking back while running towards the sideline? I don't think that gave teh Ags the best crack at it, even though when you re-watch the play, it's easy to see that - even against an All-American linebacker - the play could have certainly worked. Jalen had two steps, he probably turns the corner there for an easy first and he also had the outside receiver potentially setting a pick to clear the path. Still, it's a lower percentage play given what you know about your own players and the LSU defense (and the guy who was going to be covering #85) and not a play that gives you better odds than just giving it to #6.

    -Rough last couple of conference games for the Maroon Goons, who did not do a very good job of blocking a quality LSU front seven. On Saturday night, Damone Clark sprinted through the A&M o-line untouched far more often than he should have. The linebacker blew up several run plays and finished the game with 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. LSU had nine backfield stops as a team and clearly won the line of scrimmage, just as Ole Miss did the last time the Ags played an SEC West game. For as good as the Aggie OL played in wins over Bama and Auburn, the past couple of contests should serve as a reminder that the Ags still have some work to do before calling themselves one of the league's upper-echelon o-lines.

    -Missed call update: Let's just say the SEC knows they screwed up. I wouldn't expect any sort of public announcement, however, because there wasn't enough public outcry during the game and because the play wasn't even so much as reviewed.

    Tomorrow, we'll talk a little more about the game, the season, all of the happenings with the coaching carousel and plenty of recruiting, as there's a ton to discuss.

     

    • Haha 1
  2. 6 hours ago, 52-80 said:

    Todays Turkey rally kicked ass. A little bear trap in the morning and then strength the rest of the day. 

    Historically the market goes strong to close the year, so hopefully we have a nice Santa rally as well. 
     

    Im buying the dips and short-selling any VIX spikes

    Should be good plan, seasonality shows strength until Dec 6th for Santa rally, then chop. 

  3. 5 hours ago, immamac said:

    You want me to stop using cookies? No. Like wtf. Don't delete cookies for this site. You have to log in every time. You have to accept the banner. You have to get a new server assignment. You have to reselect your theme. You have to reselect you view preferences. 

     

    Its fucking stupid to clear this sites cookies. 

    I think it is something more, I never clear cookies for this site, and I have to click agree every new page or click on this site. Could be a macOS Monterey thing though, but every page. 

  4. Spoiler

    A&M CB Jaylon Jones vs. Alabama WR John Metchie

    A couple of weeks ago, Jaylon and I talked about the Alabama game last fall, which stood out as a baptism by fire for a true freshman cornerback. In that contest, Jones was beaten for two scores, one of which was a 78-yard catch-and-run by Alabama speedster John Metchie.

    Metchie finished with 181 yards in what turned out to be the Ags’ only loss of the season, and it’s something Jones hasn’t forgotten. With 27 catches for 275 yards and two scores, Metchie is still rolling right along, but he’s still in search of a breakout game in 2021.

    Meanwhile, Jaylon hopes to bounce back on Saturday night following a particularly rough outing in the Aggies’ 26-22 loss to Mississippi State. Jones struggled against the State passing game, and he and his fellow Aggie defensive backs know that Bryce Young will have an absolute field day throwing to Metchie and another game-breaking set of pass-catchers if the home team doesn’t tighten things up on the back end.

    The tight end battle

    The two aren’t on the field together, but two of the SEC’s best will show the country what they’ve got on Saturday night at Kyle Field.

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    Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
    Billingsley scored one of his two touchdowns against Florida in the Tide’s 31-29 win.

    Alabama’s Jahleel Billingsley is a nightmare matchup for the Aggie defense. At 6-4, 230 pounds, Billingsley is nothing more than a huge wide receiver who can make plays all over the field. So far this season, he has caught ten passes for 178 yards and two scores.

    On the A&M side, Jalen Wydermyer has gotten off to a slower start than expected, but Jimbo Fisher mentioned big #85 as having had a much better game last weekend against Mississippi State, even if the stats didn’t show it. Wydermyer did get back into the end zone for the first time all season, setting the Ags’ career touchdown record for a tight end in the process. Even though Wydermyer’s numbers and production aren’t there yet, his track record against Alabama combined with the fact that the Tide has had issues covering the tight end this season make Jalen one of the more interesting figures in Maroon & White on Saturday. Two years ago at Kyle Field, Jalen caught two touchdown passes from Kellen Mond against the Tide. Last year in Tuscaloosa, he managed eight catches for 82 yards.

    Jimbo vs. Nick, special teams, end of half

    A couple of quick-hitters to wrap this thing up and send us into the weekend: How about Jimbo Fisher vs. Nick Saban, and no, I’m not talking about the off-season back-and-forth through the media. I’m talking more about Fisher attempting to scheme and call plays against Saban and DC Pete Golding’s Tide defense, which will be the toughest challenge Jimbo has had in four tries against Alabama at A&M.

    The special teams battle looms large, as well. Two years ago at Kyle Field, A&M’s punt return team was taken apart by Jaylen Waddle, which helped turn a competitive game into a blowout. Seth Small, Nik Constantinou and Caden Davis all have to play their respective roles to help the Ags win field position and get points every time there’s the opportunity to do so, and A&M has to keep the ball out of Alabama WR/return specialist Jameson Williams’ hands (two kickoff-return touchdowns vs. Southern Miss) at all costs.

    Finally, the Ags need to not only weather the early storm but also (if things are close) maintain focus in the moments before halftime. In three cracks at the Tide dynasty under Fisher, an Alabama surge in the four or five minutes before halftime have turned close games into blowouts. If the Aggies play well enough to stay in it, they’ve got to give the Kyle Field crowd (which should be well over 90,000 strong) a reason to explode in the second half.

    A&M DE DeMarvin Leal vs. Alabama LT Chris Owens

    While the Ags have a likely first-rounder at defensive end and the Alabama defense boasts a no-doubt Round 1 pick at left tackle, DeMarvin Leal and Evan Neal won’t necessarily be matched up one-on-one very often on Saturday night.

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    Jamie Maury, TexAgs
    Leal has 4.5 sacks in five games, including two last week vs. Mississippi State.

    The more frequent matchups will be super senior Micheal Clemons (4.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks in four games) against the 6-7, 350-pound Neal, and when he’s at end and not inside, Leal lining up over senior right tackle and Arlington native Chris Owens.

    Owens is a natural interior lineman, which could help him against a physical end like DeMarvin, but the 6-3, 305-pounder could have some issues dealing with Leal’s blend of athleticism and quickness (combined with an awful lot of power).

    The Ags are a three-score underdog to an Alabama team that led then-No. 12 Ole Miss by four touchdowns at halftime last weekend. Leal, Clemons and the guys along the A&M defensive know they’re going to have to decisively win the battle at the line of scrimmage if they intend to contain senior tailback Brian Robinson and put any kind of pressure on Heisman favorite Bryce Young. 

    A&M OLs Reuben Fatheree and Bryce Foster vs. Alabama’s DJ Dale and Will Anderson

    Two true freshmen squaring off against two of the best in the Southeastern Conference, if not all of college football. That’s the Ags’ season to date in a nutshell. One day — and probably one day soon — Bryce Foster and Reuben Fatheree will anchor a dominant Aggie offensive line, one that can stand toe-to-toe with even elite defensive fronts like the ones fielded by the Alabamas and Georgias of the world. Both have All-SEC and high-round NFL potential. Unfortunately, both are currently true freshmen, struggling through their first month of college football and have started all of two SEC games.

    Long story short, Fatheree and Foster have been thrust into action much sooner than anticipated, and the transition has been challenging. We’re watching the two future stars learn on the fly and, as a result, have seen both struggle while showing flashes of future greatness in losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State.

    On Saturday night, those two plus the rest of the Aggie offensive line are going to be put to the ultimate test. Alabama’s Will Anderson leads the nation with 11 tackles for loss after recording 2.5 last Saturday against Ole Miss. He was in on four backfield stops in a ridiculous effort at Florida. In his last 12 games, the 6-4, 245-pound sophomore has registered a stunning 20.5 stops behind the line, so containing this game-wrecker will not only be a tough task for Fatheree but also anyone in Maroon & White (LT Jahmir Johnson, running backs, tight ends) asked to block him.

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    Jamie Maury, TexAgs
    Foster has started all five games at center and will be working with Zach Calzada under center again this week.

    Foster had a hard time against Arkansas dealing with a nose guard lined up six inches from his face, and he’ll see big DJ Dale for most of four quarters at Kyle Field. The 6-3, 300-pound junior doesn’t put up big stats, but he has been a key part of Alabama’s improving run defense, one that completely shut down Ole Miss and Jerrion Ealy.

    The entire Aggie offensive line will have to play at a much higher level than anything we’ve seen so far this fall to so much as having a chance of establishing the run and staying on the field. Foster and Fatheree are going to have to elevate as much as anyone, perhaps giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. Either way, this one will be a learning experience for the true freshmen.

    A&M Wide Receiver Ainias Smith vs. Alabama DB Malachi Moore

    The Ags’ do-it-all playmaker in the slot was a real problem for the Alabama defense in last year’s matchup, catching two touchdown passes, including a dazzling 47-yard score in the first half. So far this season, Jimbo Fisher hasn’t been able to get “Sub Zero” involved nearly as much as he’d like, due mainly to passing game inconsistency and Isaiah Spiller and Davon Achane getting most of the backfield reps. Smith caught eight passes for 100 yards and two scores in the season-opener while working with Haynes King, but in four games since, Smith has since totaled just 12 catches for 100 yards.

    Malachi Moore mans the ‘star’ or nickel position in Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide defense and is a proven playmaker who does a great job of tackling in space and in coverage, where he has four interceptions in 1.5 seasons.

    Not only do the Ags need Smith to make some big plays against Moore and the Tide, but A&M’s other offensive stars also are going to have to step up in a big, big way for the home team to take this one into the second half and let Kyle Field become a factor. Isaiah Spiller (he has had a quiet couple of games vs. the Tide) and Devon Achane sit alongside Ainias at the top of that list and will have to put up big combined numbers on the ground versus an Alabama defense that allowed nearly 250 rushing yards to a very physical Florida Gator backfield. As mentioned earlier, junior tight end Jalen Wydermyer needs to get heavily involved in the act, as well.

     

     

     

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  5. Spoiler

    Heading into Texas A&M’s SEC-opening showdown with No. 16 Arkansas, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies knew that what they’d shown during the first three games of the season wouldn’t be enough. The hope — and belief — was that the Ags, winners of eleven straight games, would walk into Jerryworld prepared for a 12-round heavyweight fight. An old-school, SEC West bare-knuckle brawl. Four quarters of physical football against an Arkansas team led by fiery Sam Pittman and a locker room full of opponents hell-bent on breaking the Ags’ nine-game run in the series.

    For the Razorbacks, this was personal.

    Inexplicably, the Aggies didn’t get the memo.

    Texas A&M — riding a winning streak that spanned nearly an entire season’s worth of games — looked like a team that didn’t have a clue what SEC football was all about. The Ags were overwhelmed early on both sides of the ball and didn’t gather themselves until the third quarter when it was simply too little, too late.

    The Ags were overwhelmed early on both sides of the ball and didn’t gather themselves until the third quarter when it was simply too little, too late.

    Sure, the guys in Maroon & White showed heart and plenty of pride in stemming the tide, eventually cutting the Razorback lead to 7. Hell, the Ags had the ball with a chance to tie early in the fourth quarter, which didn’t seem remotely possible during an atrocious start to the game. Alas, Pittman’s Pigs were not to be denied on this day at AT&T Stadium. When things got tough, the Hogs closed things in a manner that the Aggies perfected last season. They did it with big plays, stops on defense and grinding out first downs and the clock with a punishing fourth-quarter ground attack.

    There’s a lot to unpack following the Ags’ first loss in nearly a calendar year, but the biggest issue right now is that it seems somewhere along the path from last year’s 9-1 march to an Orange Bowl victory and top-five finish, the Aggies have forgotten the formula that got them there.

    Grit, toughness of the physical and mental variety, winning the fourth quarter and, oftentimes, flat out wanting it more than the opponent. We saw it last year time and time again — the Orange Bowl, at Auburn, versus LSU, Florida and even against Arkansas. Heading into Saturday’s contest, the Ags were somewhere around 14-4 in what I’d consider ‘close’ or four-quarter games under Jimbo, so a “let’s stand in the middle of the ring and trade blows for four quarters” battle sure felt like it would be perfectly comfortable for Texas A&M.

    Instead, Arkansas took the fight to the Aggies from the start, and it took A&M far too long to regroup and respond. Pittman’s Pigs were ready for a fight from the opening bell, and Fisher’s crew was not. Certainly not on offense (the Ags scored one touchdown and finished the game with just 272 yards) and not even on defense, where the final numbers were respectable, but Mike Elko’s unit was ambushed on the Hogs’ first three possessions.

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    USA Today
    KJ Jefferson and the Arkansas rushing attack ran for 197 yards against the Aggies

    In the early stages of a game on the big stage, the Aggies were pushed around on both lines of scrimmage, missed easy tackles (even pulling up in embarrassing fashion on a long Razorback touchdown run), committed ridiculous penalties, executed incredibly poorly in the passing game and were positively out-schemed on both sides during the week leading up to the game. Everything in the aforementioned list would fall into the “unacceptable” bucket, but that’s especially true when the opponent isn’t Clemson, Alabama or Georgia but rather Arkansas.

    Look, Pittman and Co. have built a good team in Fayetteville.

    The Hogs can run the ball. They play excellent defense, have some dangerous weapons in the passing game and are a physical, veteran bunch, probably the most experienced team in the Southeastern Conference. They also believe. In a lot of ways, they favor last season’s Aggies.

    Still, the reason for saying it’s unacceptable to lose to Arkansas in the manner A&M did is simple: Unlike the other programs I mentioned, Fisher, Elko and the gang have been recruiting at a much higher level, are supposed to have more high-end NFL talent and are paid and have the experience expected to show up big for big games. While it’s not the mortal sin some believe it to be to lose for just the second time in three-plus seasons, let’s call it a less-funded and less-evolved program. In no way is falling behind the Hogs 17-0 three possessions into the game and being physically whipped for four quarters something that should happen in year four of the Fisher Era.

    That’s where I end the rant. We all agree, right? I’m fairly certain Jimbo, Elko and any coach or player on the trip back to College Station feel the same. At least you’d damn sure hope so. I mean, we could all be message board maniacs on the first ‘Day After’ in a year or address the real elephant in the room.

    And no, I’m not talking about the head coach or the direction of the program.

    Fisher is as culpable and probably more so than any individual player for the product the Aggies trotted onto the field at AT&T yesterday, but he’s also the guy who won 11 straight games heading into the 20-10 loss. That’s the longest such streak Texas A&M has seen in roughly 30 years. I’m an Aggie and a fan just like every one of you, so believe me, I get it. Very high after the wins and questioning everything after the losses, however infrequent they’ve become around here.

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    USA Today
    Following Saturday’s action, Sam Pittman’s team is now ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, while Fisher’s team has dropped to No. 15.

    However, if you’re questioning where this program is headed by focusing on yesterday’s showing/outcome and choosing to ignore what’s happened over the past year, well, have fun with that.

    On Saturday, the Aggies ran into a buzzsaw in Arkansas. The Hogs are one of the hottest teams in the country right now. They also happen to be one of the most experienced, and the talent level, while not on A&M’s level top to bottom, is pretty damn strong at the top. The Hogs have “super seniors” dotting the roster, something the Ags have used to their benefit on defense this season and could use on offense right about now.

    Imagine if Carson Green, Jared Hocker and Ryan McCollum would have opted to return for one more run. The Aggies are virtually devoid of experience along the offensive line. They were down a pair of starting receivers on Saturday and are without the player who created most of the offseason excitement and anticipation on offense in starting quarterback Haynes King.

    Those aren’t excuses, folks. Those are facts, and while a deeper dive into the Ags’ offensive issues is certainly necessary, a big part of the reason A&M lost yesterday is that they lack experience where it matters most to any team, along the offensive line and at quarterback, where six of seven of those guys (plus a couple of receivers) were playing their first meaningful snaps in an SEC game in an intense, big-game environment at the Death Star. That’s especially true for a Fisher-coached squad. Look no further than last season, when Jimbo rode a poised four-year starter at quarterback and an offensive line consisting of four seniors to a top-five finish.

    The finish. That’s Fisher’s primary concern today and in the days and weeks ahead.

    We’re no longer talking about last year’s team. That was a special group that had it all working in terms of chemistry, experience and having a keen grasp on what it took to win at the highest level of college football. The Ags showed very little to get fired up about in their first three games, but there was hope that with some battle-tested veterans and star players, the Maroon & White would get it together in time for Saturday’s SEC opener on the big stage. Instead, what we got was stage fright and a four-hour lesson that one season does not carry over into the next, even for individual players.

    We’re now a third of the way through the 2021 season, and the Ags are still a very flawed and vulnerable team. A top-20 outfit thanks mainly to a strong defense but certainly not the title-contender everyone inside of Bright and throughout the 12th Man had hoped.

    For all the talk yesterday about the program Pittman is building in Fayetteville — and it is a remarkable story — what Jimbo and the powers-that-be at A&M have their sights set on is a long run of excellence. What many of us have forgotten is that there are going to be bumps in the road, and the Ags have already had their fair share this fall. The climb to emerging as a true college football power is a perilous one, and no one knows more than Fisher how a small slip can lead to a long, painful tumble if you’re not careful.

    Jimbo has to right the ship in a hurry to keep momentum on the Ags’ side on the recruiting trail and also to continue to build a championship culture.

    The point being: One loss doesn’t make or break a program, but a season full of frustrating or even ugly setbacks can.

    Jimbo has to right the ship in a hurry to keep momentum on the Ags’ side on the recruiting trail and also to continue to build a championship culture. Remember, the guys in the A&M locker room tasted losing for the first time in a while yesterday. Hopefully, it’s something they don’t want to experience again anytime soon.

    Big picture stuff aside, what Fisher is trying to figure out today is how to fix all of the issues — and there are many — that led to yesterday’s outcome.

    One loss is just that, but the fact of the matter is the Ags haven’t played well at all this season. The things that kept them from being competitive throughout the first half versus Arkansas and from completing the comeback will result in several more losses if the Ags don’t start looking like a completely different team. Four games in, the Aggies look shaky as hell.

    As is always the case, it starts with the head coach and his staff.

    The Ags have been dealt a pretty brutal hand offensively in the early going. First King, then Caleb Chapman, then Chase Lane and injuries that have led to zero consistency along the offensive line. While the ‘why’ is understandable, Fisher and Darrell Dickey have to figure out the ‘what.’ As in what do they to fix it because two touchdowns in two games versus Power 5 opposition is absolutely outlandish.

    While defense certainly hasn’t been the issue, the Ags were cut through with ease early against Arkansas, and an honest eyeball test tells you that Elko should probably start considering making some subtle personnel changes before a couple of leaks in the dam turn into something bigger.

    The coaches have to put players like Zach Calzada — who looked visibly flustered throughout most of his first SEC start — in a better position to succeed. Just one example, but when Isaiah Spiller rips off a 67-yard touchdown run midway through the third to cut the Razorback lead to 17-10 and then Devon Achane steps off eight yards on first down to open the next drive, how on earth do the Ags not run the ball a single time the remainder of the contest?

    Defensively, a veteran group looked on their heels and confused early, as Kendal Briles and KJ Jefferson were in all-out attack mode to start the game. Fisher and Dickey will have to get very creative and less predictable in the run game moving forward while figuring out how to turn Calzada into a more aware and decisive quarterback. Improvement along the offensive line is obviously a must, but that’s the one thing that should come as a talented group gets more and more playing time.

    0151355-mvhy-240x135.jpg
    USA Today
    Isaiah Spiller’s electrifying 67-yard touchdown run that cut Arkansas’ lead was among the very few Aggie highlights.

    Perhaps Fisher’s most significant challenge this week will be figuring out how to convince his team to start playing football with the sense of urgency shown last fall.

    Watching the Ags through four games, it’s just not there. What’s more alarming is that we’re seeing many plays where guys in Maroon & White are being beaten in the effort department. Too many penalties, too many missed tackles, too many lazy routes and an embarrassing showing yesterday (and all season, for that matter) from the wideouts and tight ends blocking on the perimeter. Isaiah Spiller being the obvious of only a few exceptions, the Aggies did not look like a team that wanted it nearly as badly as Arkansas did yesterday, and that might be the toughest fix of all. It’s also not what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from a Fisher-coached team. This is where more veterans than just Spiller — who was very vocal during practice last week and backed it up on the field — need to step up, start making plays and lead. Things should begin to get very uncomfortable beginning Monday.

    We’ll dive deeper into the offense and defense tonight and tomorrow in the ‘Game in Review’ segments, but the fact of the matter is that the 2021 Aggies have reached a fork in the road earlier than expected. Three of the next four heading into the mid-season bye still look very winnable, at which point the Ags will have Haynes King back and, hopefully, a more experienced and confident group blocking for the dual-threat signal-caller. That said, nothing on the SEC schedule looks like a given at this point, not a Mississippi State team that can play a little defense and score some points on Saturday and not a road game against Connor Bazelak and Missouri. Fisher and his staff have little margin for error and will have to be on top of their Xs and Os and motivational game, and the guys taking the snaps on Saturday need to ask themselves today if they’re okay with being thoroughly outplayed and ultimately being viewed as one of the country’s most disappointing teams. Or would they rather start playing with the type of grit, focus and determination that the program’s foundation under Fisher was built on and begin the challenging but far-from-impossible climb back into New Year’s Six bowl contention?

    As outlandish as that may sound today, it’s certainly still on the table for a team that played about as poorly as it could yesterday yet still found themselves down by a score with the ball in the fourth quarter against a team that is now in the top-ten.

    Fisher and the Aggies aren’t alone in what has already been a wild season. Clemson is already a two-loss team after losing to NC State. Ohio State looked every bit as shaky as A&M did a couple of weeks ago in losing to Oregon. Preseason No. 7 Iowa State is finished, and Oklahoma and Notre Dame look incredibly vulnerable. A couple of these teams will right the ship and end up having championship or New Year’s Six type seasons. For the Ags to fall on the right side of that cut line, a lot has to change, and Saturday’s showing needs to stand out in December as Texas A&M’s worst of the season.

    In the postgame presser, defensive end DeMarvin Leal said the Ags “have to get back to grabbing every single crumb.” It’s a mindset that served the Ags well throughout last fall and something that’s been missing so far this year. If the Aggies need a reminder of what that mentality and approach looks like, they need not watch tape of last season but rather give Saturday’s loss another look and focus on the team wearing Red & White.

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  6. Spoiler

    Jimbo Fisher and the A&M staff have been riding a wave of recruiting momentum since early February and that run continued this evening, as the Ags were able to venture into the heart of SEC territory and add their quarterback to a sensational class that is threatening to push Alabama out of the top spot in the 2019 rankings.

    For as hot as the Aggies have been on the recruiting front since an incredible Signing Day close five months ago, landing a talented signal-caller was an absolute must for Fisher and Darrell Dickey in this cycle. The A&M staff extended a few offers nationally and were very patient and deliberate while evaluating options from Florida to California and all points in between.

    And then Zach Calzada‍ camped in College Station.

    The 6-3 (and still growing) gunslinger made his way to Aggieland last Friday and threw to several of A&M's top targets in front of Fisher, Dickey and Co. Frankly, I'm not sure it took more than a few warm-up tosses for the Ags' national championship head coach to realize that he had found his man.

    Calzada, who has seen his stock soar this spring as he picked up offers from the likes of A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, N.C. State and others, rifled accurate passes all over the Ags indoor practice field, displaying a quick release, excellent mechanics and, most of all, a cannon right arm. A few days later, Zach and his family made a return trip to Aggieland, he cancelled a scheduled weekend visit to Clemson and ended what was a whirlwind process by choosing the Aggies.

    Zach has the arm strength to make even the most difficult throws look easy and can also display delicate touch when necessary. He holds the ball and gets rid of it in a hurry and passes just seem to jump off of his hand.

    One can only imagine how fired up Fisher was when Calzada told him the news. The man who does nothing BUT produce first-round draft picks at the position just added a young man who has shown over the past year that he's developing (and growing) at a very accelerated rate and who has limitless potential as a passer.

    Zach has the arm strength to make even the most difficult throws look easy and can also display delicate touch when necessary. He holds the ball and gets rid of it in a hurry and passes just seem to jump off of his hand. He's also a tireless worker who has had to grind his way from relative unknown to one of the fastest-rising QB prospects in the country, one who many unbiased observers from both the media and coaching ranks believed should have been included among the final group in this year's Elite 11 field.

    Calzada is also plenty athletic enough to make some things happen with his legs and has a reputation as a pretty fiery competitor and natural leader. In other words, the newest addition to Dickey's quarterback room checks all of the boxes. When I watched him throw in person last week, a name that immediately came to mind was Jarrett Stidham.

    As a junior at Lanier High School, Calzada threw for 1,706 yards on 116-of-227 passing, with 15 touchdowns versus 11 picks. He added three scores on the ground. Pay close attention to Zach's senior production. Because he stood well under 6-0 tall until a little over a year ago, he's been a late-bloomer at the position, with last fall really being his first to showcase his skills as a varsity starter. So he is far ahead of where he was a year ago at this time — both from a physical and developmental/maturity/experience standpoint — this dude is going to absolutely blow up this fall and the offers will continue to pour in despite his A&M pledge. It won't matter, however, as Calzada is solid and Fisher and the Ags are officially out of the 2019 quarterback market as of today.

    Calzada becomes the Ags' 17th commitment in the 2019 class and his pledge is sure to catch the attention of at least a couple of uncommitted A&M wide receiver targets. Both West Mesquite's Dylan Wright‍ and 2020 stud Troy Omeire‍ spent last Friday afternoon catching passes from and getting to know the future Aggie quarterback and came away as impressed as anyone with the Georgia product's ability to sling the rock.

     

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Haha 2
  7. Spoiler

    No more tune-ups for the Aggies as they prepare to crank up SEC play against the No. 16 Razorbacks on Saturday. Billy Liucci takes on this week's subscriber questions about Saturday's SEC opener, the A&M o-line and much more.


    Billy Liucci: Welcome back. I'm Billy Liucci. He's Gabe Bock. We're going to take your questions. Gabe, let's go. It's Arkansas Week. It's SEC play. There's not a lot to talk about or beat around the bush. Let's get this conversation going.

    Gabe Bock: No exchange of pleasantries. It is SEC time. Let's go. All right. RebAg13, was that the first wide-open bomb of the Jimbo era? It was beautiful to see. Obviously, talking about Demas', which was the first 70-yard pass play in the Jimbo era at A&M.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I mean, I don't know how many times we've seen guys run that open. Actually, I can think of one and they didn't connect. It was against Clemson on like the second play of the game or so, at Clemson, a couple of years ago. Yeah. That hasn't been the MO. They also haven't had guys that can... Quite frankly, they haven't had many guys that can do that and take the top off of defense and now I think you certainly have one in Demas. You'd like to get Chapman back as soon as possible. He's shown he can be a problem down the field as well.

    Billy Liucci: Maybe you're getting that going... I'm torn between the Joey TexAgs that just is so, "Our offense stinks. It's too conservative" but I also go I've seen this offense do it and I've seen it light up good defenses. I've actually seen it do it with Jimbo but they just do it running and throwing and maybe not attacking deep. I also am like I want to see stuff that makes the safeties back up and threatens them but then you go is that a chicken or the egg kind of thing?

    Billy Liucci: I think it is but then I go back to the other side of the message boards where it's like, well, you're recruiting these guys like Demas and Yulkeith and Moose and we want to see some more of them but it's not like some of the other guys are necessarily lighting it up. I think they're underrated but I also think if you're still looking for that explosive element, you should still be in search of finding it because of what it can do.

    Billy Liucci: Then at the same time, I also will say guys like Demas and Moose, they have to do it in practice every day. If I'm sitting there and I make a highlight-reel catch and, Gabe, you're running the right routes and I'm not and you're out at practice every day and I'm not and I'm not saying those guys in specific but I'm saying anybody on a team... Like the younger guys just have to figure it out and adjust and then learn the offense and figure out what it takes to be in the good graces of your head coach there to where you can play, so I think these guys have... They're in their second year now and now they're starting to earn their chances more.

    Billy Liucci: Demas started to do it late last year and now the next step is when you do get those chances, make plays and that's exactly what Demond and Moose did. That was exciting because I do think those guys have play-making potential, the same with Yulkeith.

    Gabe Bock: Billy, TheBirdman, a little off-topic here but that's what we get with Ask Liucci. How far do you see the Astros going this year? All the way or no?

    Billy Liucci: I don't know if they can. I don't know if they can get past the Rays. You know? Look, that's not the only team but the Rays and... The Rays were a problem was it last year... I'm losing track. Yeah. It was last year, two years ago, the Astros got past them in five and I think it was three and one but it was a little more competitive series than the three to one would indicate. Then last year, they lost to the Dodgers there.

    Billy Liucci: Man, they look good. The thing is Greinke, where's he at right now? There's no Verlander... I just don't know if they have the pitching to get through that gauntlet... It does become a gauntlet to make it through those playoffs. I could see them advancing to the ALCS, I'm a little skeptical of them winning it all.

    Gabe Bock: Yeah. That East is so dang good, man. Some great teams.

    Billy Liucci: The Jays, I mean, how about Toronto?

    Gabe Bock: The Jays are doing really good. All right, dustdust8. I wonder if this is Chris Dusterhoff. Which position coach is not getting enough credit/recognition, Looch?

    Billy Liucci: We always talk about those D-line guys. I think on some level, you might want to point out a guy like TJ Rush. I mean, they've been doing it without Myles Jones. They've been trying to get Brian George ready, a freshman in Tyreek Chappell, you saw Deuce Harmon playing early last weekend. Jaylon Jones has been absolutely lock-down. I'm not sure... I'm assuming it would be shared throughout the nickel with Antonio Johnson and Elko, Elko coaches the safeties and that's what Johnson really is.

    Billy Liucci: I think he's done a nice job so far. I would say TJ Rushing in terms of someone that... Again, you're talking about that doesn't get a lot of credit.

    Gabe Bock: All right. We go EastCoastAgNC, How many points does the defense give up Saturday? Only 17 total through three games. Do any of our running backs break 100 yards? A two-parter there.

    Billy Liucci: Oh, man. I hope somebody breaks 100 yards for the Aggies. It's going to be difficult with the way they've been blocking. Just being perfectly honest here. I think they're going to have to grind it out. If you could get... Spiller can get up over 80 and Achane can get in the sixties... It might take a home run hit by Achane to get up there. Maybe that's what will put somebody over but if they can grind out over 150, those two backs, I think you'd be talking about a good day for the A&M offense where they grind out one of those...

    Billy Liucci: Maybe it's a 23-17 kind of win, but I think Arkansas is going to score more on Saturday than A&M has given up in three games, which is what? 17 points? I think Arkansas, 20... You know, 17 on a good day for the Ags, 20-23, 24. A&M's offense is going... It's a winnable game and that's a good defensive effort but the Aggies are going to have to...

    Billy Liucci: Here's why I say that Gabe, I think A&M's offense is going to be a struggle. I think they'll figure it out and grind through it but it's going to be a struggle, which is going to put Arkansas in some field position opportunities that will result in points. I mean, I think A&M wins this game. I'm not super fired up about the pick and I think it's like 24-20 Aggies.

    Billy Liucci: My problem is what I haven't seen from A&M, save that second half at Colorado, is they just haven't seemed to be ready to go in there and say, "Let's freaking fight. Let's go." Particularly, on offense. The linemen, they just look like they're thinking, they're getting beat. They have a little hanging look about them. They don't look confident. I don't see guys running around just super confident on offense, whether it's Calzada, whether it's Wydermyer, Ainias, all the guys. The one guy that seems to just keep bringing it is Isiah and I think he's been the unsung MVP, helping hold it together offensively right now, because you're just not seeing it from that unit. They don't look like a confident unit. We're sitting here assuming that all of a sudden, they're going to gain confidence against the best defense they've played so far in that environment, against Barry Odom?

    Billy Liucci: Crazier things have happened. These are college kids, these are college sports, but they're just going to have to mentally get tough this week and say, "We are not going to lose this football game because we have better players and we still have better guys on offense. We're just not going to lose. It ain't happening today. Not on my watch."

    Billy Liucci: They're just going to have to take that mentality and they can grind this one out, grind out next week, and outscore Mississippi State at Kyle Field and then see where you're at for Bama. That's three weeks from New Mexico to Bama. That's a lot of time to improve.

    Billy Liucci: A&M should be in survival mode right now, though, because they're a few game days from losing the first game in almost a year, in 12 tries, if they don't play their best game of the season Saturday.

    Billy Liucci: By the way, A&M's best is absolutely good enough to beat Arkansas. Even though we haven't seen it yet and every team is different, I know these players and I know the way Jimbo Fisher and Mike Elko will coach a game. If these guys play their best Saturday, it will be good enough to beat Arkansas but we just haven't seen it. To play your best, you have to be confident, you have to practice well, and the last time I watched them play, which was Saturday against New Mexico and the week before against... They don't look like the most confident team at all offensively. They've got to get...

    Billy Liucci: Something's got to change up here. I think the key to this one could be can the Aggie offense have some early success? Can Jimbo script up a great first drive? Can the O-line and Calzada execute that? And just take some of that pressure off and be like, okay, we're going to move the ball today. I think that could change everything, Gabe.

    Billy Liucci: Again, 24-20 Ags. With all that said, I think A&M pulls off a very close one and it's going to be... It ain't going to be fun to watch if you're an Aggie fan. If you're going to be an Aggie fan or an Arkansas fan, it ain't going to be fun to watch but I think at the end, the Ags are the last team standing.

    Gabe Bock: You sort of alluded to... The beginning of that message is it sounds like you've still got more you'd like to see from the number three-ranked defense in the country too.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I would. I do. A little more. Well, this is a new test now. For half the game, Colorado ran on them and made them look pedestrian and they tightened the screws up and they haven't looked the same since, they've been dominant, but Arkansas is a different beast from anything they've seen in terms of that running game.

    Billy Liucci: Now it's not different than what they've seen previously, guys like Leal, Clemons, Jackson, Johnson, Hansford, Leon... Those guys have seen better but this is different than anything they've seen so far this year so they got to really dial up the intensity from start to finish.

    Gabe Bock: streamers406, Baylor Cupp looked impressive as a run blocker when he entered the game, Billy. Do you think we will see more of 88 going forward in place of Max Wright as a second tight end?

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I think Max has struggled run blocking from watching the tape. Again, this is a guy that's just doing what the team asks him. He's moving around positions. Cupp looked good there at the end.

    Billy Liucci: Baylor's MO, just being honest, has not always been as an excellent blocker. I know we've never seen him play but you've seen him practice a lot over the last two years. He caught my eye too with what he did and at some point, it's like Moose and Demas, guys out there and he's doing something different when it's an actual game...

    Billy Liucci: Also, Baylor Cupp maybe that's... That's the benefit of competition. You have Max Wright out there and Baylor Cupp is sitting there going, "I should be out there." Okay, get in the game. Okay. You're not throwing it to me? I'm going to block my ass off and make you play me. I think that's what I was seeing from Cupp on Saturday. I was impressed too.

    Gabe Bock: streamers406 has a second question...

    Billy Liucci: By the way, they need that. The running game... They're too tight and if that second tight end can really block, it changes everything for Jimbo Fisher and what he can do.

    Gabe Bock: No question.

    Billy Liucci: By the way, Cupp's fast as hell. You get him running up the field it's a problem too.

    Gabe Bock: In streamers406's opinion, Moose was the most impressive wide receiver on Saturday, Seemed to create more separation, showed more consistent hands than Chase Lane. Do you believe Moose eventually gets reps with the 1’s moving forward this year?

    Billy Liucci: I think it's possible. Again, guys, this is my conflict with message boards and it always has been and sometimes the message boards will be right and sometimes they'll be wrong and I know that going in but everybody that said Kellen Mond sucked or Tannehill could never be a first-round pick or Von Miller shouldn't be a first-team All Big 12 and the Orange Bloods got it right.

    Billy Liucci: But then there's the ones where I'm like, "Not yet. Not yet." I fight that battle with you too, Gabe. All the guys you know and have going in the first round where I'm like, "No, they're not. They're not." Then there are times when I'm going to be wrong.

    Billy Liucci: I'm slower to warm. I think Moose is really good. I think Moose needs to play. I think these guys need chances to show what they can do so I agree on that front. I'll also say it was New Mexico and I did think Moose looked... He looked like he had juice to him. There was just a little extra there when I'm watching him. You know? Obviously, that catch was sensational. You hear the players say he makes those catches all the time.

    Billy Liucci: But then there's Chase and it's like, okay, he also had four for 45 yards or so. He also made some monstrous catches and plays for this football team last year. My answer would not be I want to see Moose just take over for Chase. My answer would be I want to see more Moose and I'd like to see a situation where whoever is playing better or practicing better plays and that's...

    Billy Liucci: I don't think they need to just stick with one guy there. I think it's like running back where you can say, "Hey, this guy's giving us a little juice this week. Let's leave him out there." "Oh, Demas caught two passes on the first drive? He's feeling it. Let's leave him out there." You know, "Demas doesn't seem in it. He's getting jammed up at the line. Let's put Chapman back out there and see what he can..."

    Billy Liucci: I think it should be like that at all those receiver positions, to be honest with you. I don't think you have to go in and say we're going to rotate out guys regularly. I think if a guy is playing well, don't worry about it, leave him out there. If a guy is off to a slower start, don't waste time. Get someone else in there and see what they can do. That's what guys like... Like what you saw from Moose and Demas, that's what that I think provides you and then you might look up in three or four weeks and maybe one of those guys, it's like he's becoming that dude. They got to have a chance.

    Gabe Bock: Absolutely. All right. Can't wait for your thoughts on this one. JBone3515, Who do you think will be the starting offensive line this week?

    Billy Liucci: I think for this week, and we're at Tuesday so this could change, but I think you'd see it go Jahmir Johnson, Aki, Bryce, Layden, Kenyon, the original group. Now the wildcard in this whole thing... One of the wildcards is Luke Matthews but he's still in the sling as of Saturday. Until he practices for a couple weeks straight and it's like he's back and he's ready... Until that happens, I'm going to say the wildcard is Deuce Fatheree. Can he become good enough... I would throw him out there some Saturday at left tackle, like rotate... Don't rotate where Jahmir can't get in the flow in the SEC game but give Deuce some reps out there. See how he holds up in Jerry world under the scoreboard and the lights and the big stage.

    Billy Liucci: That's all you got to worry about. The physical, it's already there for him. It's the mental and the knowing what to do and the not having your head explode when you're out there and forgetting everything you've been taught. You get his beak wet even a little more this week but once he gets to where... I've said this before the season. It might be mid-season. He could shake things up pretty significantly. Particularly, if he can man that right tackle spot. Then you could put Kenyon and you have a great guard again, you have an All American guard all of a sudden, and then you have Aki and Layden, hey, whoever is playing better is the starter, and then we got a pretty damn good, semi-experienced backup as well. That could be the wildcard but I don't think we're there yet.

    Gabe Bock: All right. Red Red Wine, make me feel so fine, Billy, two-parter. First, what's your favorite way to eat pork?

    Billy Liucci: Pork? I love Snow's Barbecue pork. It's like breakfast pork. It just falls apart. You can literally just pull it with your hand...

    Gabe Bock: They only serve it at 8 A.M. on Saturdays.

    Billy Liucci: That's true. It is breakfast pork. Carrie and the crew over there do an amazing job with that. That's incredible. Shout out to the crew at Snow's.

    Gabe Bock: Let's go there soon.

    Billy Liucci: You're not invited. Actually, you are, Gabe. You're invited.

    Billy Liucci: Now you have time on Saturdays. Maybe on the by week, we'll go, Halloween Snow's. I'll tell you my other favorite pork dish is the pork chop at Perry's, whatever that... They do it like three different... One of them is literally like brisket, it almost tastes like, and then the other... Then there's a pork chop that comes with it. Then the big... I don't know if you'd call that a pork butt, whatever the hell you'd call the pork loin, but anyway, that's it. There you go. I don't want to make that answer too long.

    Gabe Bock: Take the bacon, wrap it around the steak. That's my favorite way to do pork. All right. Second part of Red Red Wine's question …

    Billy Liucci: We've seen your steak so I hope you've improved on them.

    Gabe Bock: I have. I have.

    Billy Liucci: What's part two?

    Gabe Bock: Will we see Achane blow the game wide open in the third quarter?

    Billy Liucci: I don't think I'm expecting that, Gabe. I don't think I'm expecting Achane in that running game just to wear them down and blow it open. I could see Achane popping a long touchdown run to win the game late. You know? In other words, in an Aggie victory, I could see a huge play from Achane, whether it's running the ball or coming out of the backfield for a long touchdown catch. Something to win that thing late. You know? In the fourth quarter. It's like whether it comes in the final couple minutes or whether it comes early but it's like the signature play of that fourth quarter and the play everyone shows when they're showing how the Aggies won.

    Billy Liucci: I do think Achane is one of the small handful of keys to an A&M victory. You've got to get him the ball, he's got to turn in some big plays because right now, I still don't know that the Ags have very many big-play threats on offense, so you want to see a steady dose of Isaiah, and you want to see them work the ball to Wydermyer more for sure, and Ainias, but I think the home run plays, Achane is still the one the most capable of bringing them and you're not going to just drive up and down the field methodically for four quarters against this defense. They're going to need some big plays.

    Billy Liucci: A&M drove pretty methodically through three quarters against them last year but Kellen Mond was just kind of perfectly navigating things. He had all day to throw a great protection upfront from those seniors. You don't have either of those dynamics now. You need big plays. Number six is the guy to do it.

    Gabe Bock: All right. Sam Pittman initially invited this question and then you knew it was coming after the other thread last night so here we go, TheClaw07, Did Jimbo try to hire Sam Pittman a couple of years ago?

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I said that. Somebody asked Olin for some ... Sometimes they ask Olin or Hop. Ask me the football stuff and ask me the inside stuff. I'm the one that knows. I'm also the one that's known for 25 fricking years, people. So yes. I don't know what they all said but they went after him... Jim Turner was here. Jim Turner was going to stay but Jim Turner was also looking, like coaches do when a new coach comes in.

    Billy Liucci: Sam Pittman was considered the best O-line coach in the country at that time. They went to Georgia and made runs at him and James Coley and they didn't get Coley the first time. Actually got him the second time around. You look at Jimbo and Georgia and he took Marshall Malchow and he took a couple of GA analyst guys out of there. There's certainly a connection there.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. Pittman would have been a game-changing hire because of what it would have meant in terms of the O-line recruiting because he's an excellent recruiter upfront. He really is. It worked out for Sam and I think it's worked out for A&M as well. Turner ended up leaving, which I don't think he should have. I think he probably regrets... I know he has to regret that. The Bengals and that didn't work out. He's at Texas State right now.

    Billy Liucci: Josh Henson had a great year last year. This is the litmus test too. This is a hard group to work with, if you're Henson, just because of inexperience. It's tough, man. Somebody was saying how bad the Aggie O-line looked shaky on Saturday, right? It looked shaky, right? Okay.

    Billy Liucci: I looked up at one point and your two tackles had never played college football, a meaningful snap. Blake Trainor and Deuce Fatheree, all of the talent in the world for Deuce. Bottom line, your two tackles on the field had never played college football. Ever. Three weeks ago, Aki had never played. Saturday, I look out there and you're starting two true freshmen of the five during the second half. Two of your five are true freshmen in game three. Bryce Foster, Aki, Layden came in in a blowout against South Carolina and Cole Cubelic went crazy over him. It was deserved but it was a blowout game against South Carolina and that's all he's ever really played that's mattered.

    Billy Liucci: This is a wildly inexperienced bunch and Henson has his work cut out but that's why these guys are paid the big bucks. They've got to figure it out. The time for going, "We're young", it's still true but nobody cares anymore. Now you have to start to play winning football and then go from there.

    Gabe Bock: TheClaw07's got one more question. We all had a crush on a teacher growing up, Billy. Who was yours?

    Billy Liucci: Never. I didn't have any crush-worthy...

    Gabe Bock: I never had a good-looking teacher, frankly.

    Billy Liucci: Gabe, that's a rude ass thing to say and I'm sure a lot of those women and men, whoever they were, at some point along the way, were good-looking. Maybe you just had older teachers that you judged because you're an ageist.

    Billy Liucci: I'm sure I had teachers that were very pretty when they were younger. I'm also sure I'm forgetting somebody but I know what the question is and my answer is not good enough for you all because it's I can't think of one.

    Gabe Bock: WhereIsHozaScott, sooner or later people are going to ask who is Hoza Scott? Do you think we'll see a "Florida moment" for this offensive line where they figure out their true identity? I feel like a lot of people don't remember or don't mention that it took a few games for last year's offensive line to see their groove.

    Billy Liucci: It did but I also think people don't understand that it took one game because they played pretty good against Bama in game two. It took a year and one game because they weren't good the year before. In some cases, it took two years and one game. Remember how the beatdown they took at Clemson to start that season? It took a year and one game. Okay? We are back to that year, and even worse in terms of experience.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I do think they're going to have a turning point moment at some point but I hope it's sooner than later or it's going to result in A&M losing a couple football games. It could be this Saturday. It could be a three-quarter struggle and in the fourth quarter, A&M lines up and churns it down the field for a seven-minute game-winning drive or they have to go into a four-minute offense after a long struggle, we're giving up... The yards and points are tough to come by and they go into a four-minute offense to preserve a three-point lead and they do it.

    Billy Liucci: It could be something as simple as that. I don't think it has to be necessarily as emphatic as what we saw against Florida last year. That's when a bunch of seniors said let's run the damn ball to Henson and Henson went and told Jimbo, "These guys, they're telling me we can do it. We need to run it" and they did.

    Billy Liucci: I don't think it has to be that dramatic or emphatic but something in even this game could change and it doesn't have to be a dominant four quarters or running the football for the Aggies. It could be a key moment late in a victory and then maybe this team skyrockets from there along with the O-line.

    Gabe Bock: David Kennard also asked who you think the starting lineup is going to be on the offensive line. We'll go to 86Aggie1... You did not predict Fatheree would start earlier, Billy, but 86Aggie1 asks, should Fatheree be starting upfront?

    Billy Liucci: I would say not yet. If you start Fatheree, you essentially have to bench either Jahmir Johnson or Aki or Layden. You know? I think you still have to play those guys and I don't think there's a reason to push out Fatheree out there before he's ready and I think he's coming on fast and I think he's going to be ready soon but, again, I just go back...

    Billy Liucci: It's like the Moose thing or, particularly, Moose with that question earlier. You guys watched the guy play half a football game against New Mexico. A guy like Jahmir Johnson has started for almost three years in the SEC and put out some really good tape and he hasn't been bad for A&M so far either.

    Billy Liucci: I do think, though, that Deuce will end up being one of the best five. I do. At some point this year. Because he had an encouraging debut against New Mexico, I would be reluctant to throw him out there as a starter and give all the one reps all week to get him ready against Arkansas, and a veteran Arkansas defense, on that stage. It's kind of like maybe you play him a little bit this week and if he fares well, then you go, okay, we'd love to have this guy really hitting a corner by the time we play Bama, maybe you play him at home against Mississippi State or maybe you're looking ahead and you're going, "South Carolina is game six. We'd like to have him ready to start throughout the second half of the season."

    Billy Liucci: I mean, it just is entirely dependent on... You've got to see where he's at mentally. Like I said, I think Deuce Fatheree is the wildcard that could really change the look of this O-line but he's got to be along.

    Billy Liucci: People are forgetting... You know that Jimbo Fisher thinks that guys like Aki and Layden Robinson have the potential to be long-time NFL football players. When you say that, you're just basically saying let's sit a guy that they believe is going to be a long-time NFL player, that they're now entering game four as starters.

    Billy Liucci: Like I said, Deuce has to do this and I think he will. I just don't know if he's at this point this week.

    Gabe Bock: Yeah. aeroag14, This is the best A&M defense since blank? Last year?

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. It's too soon to tell. Too soon to tell. They haven't been tested. Colorado's offense is awful outside of that running back. New Mexico's awful. Terry Wilson is awful. We knew that two years ago. Kent State was problematic but I wouldn't call them an explosive offense. This defense will have their chances. They're going to play KJ Jefferson and Kendal Briles and this Arkansas offense this week and those running backs and their receiver is exceptional. They're going to play Alabama. They're going to play Connor Bazelak on the road. They're going to play... It's Matt Corral. They're going to play LSU and those wide receivers. Mike Leach next weekend.

    Billy Liucci: This defense will get tested in every way imaginable. If they are one of the better A&M defenses... I think they are one of the better ones we've seen in the last 25 years or so, and that's not the highest of bars but I think this is a really good defense. If they're elite, like one of the better ones we've seen at A&M, we're sure as hell going to know it because I just went through the list of what they're going to face and if they come out the other side as a top-five defense in the country, or I think even a top 10, with those offensive attacks they face, and if they're a top 10 defense, I think you can put them down as one of the best A&M ones we've seen.

    Gabe Bock: If I heard you right, you do not expect A&M to go all year without giving up a 20-yard pass?

    Billy Liucci: No. No. They'll get tested this weekend in that regard because of how much they'll get sucked in by that Arkansas running game and wondering if Jefferson is going to keep it and then he goes over the top. That's what makes them so dangerous. The Aggies are going to have to play a very disciplined defense this weekend, which they typically do under Mike Elko.

    Gabe Bock: sundaytiger13, will any of the injured guys return? Young, B Williams, Matthews, et cetera. Does Myles Jones start this week?

    Billy Liucci: I think we'll see Myles Jones start. It's always questionable with his foot but I think they've got a specific plan for him in terms of practice. It's getting him ready for a game each week without overly taxing and risking hurting that foot. Like I said, Matthews was in a sling last Saturday still. I don't think we'll see Chapman back quite yet but pretty quickly. Who else, Gabe?

    Gabe Bock: Carper was one.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. Carper.

    Gabe Bock: Young and Brian Williams.

    Billy Liucci: Brian Williams wasn't suited up. I hadn't asked about him. I think Carper, it would be iffy. Ainias should go.

    Gabe Bock: Erick Young.

    Billy Liucci: Erick Young, he's been hurt so far all season. I keep hearing he's really close to being back. Maybe this is the week. For the last couple of weeks, I've been hearing he's really close.

    Gabe Bock: Excellent. All right. Let's see, CattlemanAg, Billy, who do you project to be our next few commitments? When should we expect to get another verbal?

    Billy Liucci: I think I'll just wait on that. We'll wait on that answer. There aren't a lot of them lined up right now for anybody. These guys, once they got into the season, they're going to wait and they're going to wait a while. I think the guy I'd be keeping a close eye on would be like Gabe Brownlow-Dindy between A&M and OU. If he's here, as it's scheduled, next weekend, I think I could see him going back and sitting down and comparing his recent OU official with the A&M experience and sitting down with his family, who is actually moving here before too long, and talking things over.

    Billy Liucci: A lot of those other guys are so highly regarded and there's so much recruitment left for them. They deliberately waited until the start of the season to go take these visits and do all this. Barring the Aggies winning Saturday and next Saturday and setting up a monster showdown with Bama and pulling off the upset and guys getting caught in the excitement, I think you'll probably be in a slower period in terms of recruiting for several weeks.

    Gabe Bock: All right. How many more, Billy?

    Billy Liucci: Let's do about five more here. We got to get down at 10:55.

    Gabe Bock: You'll like the username, I don't know if you'll hate the question more or the 25 people who started it, because I know you. Gordon Bombay wants to know, why don't you accept my Facebook friend request?

    Billy Liucci: I don't know... Is he Gordon Bombay on there? I don't check Facebook very often. It's about once every couple weeks I go get caught up because I'm not 90. I'm more than halfway there but I'm not 90 so I don't do Facebook. That's where like Gabe and my mom frequent.

    Gabe Bock: Your mom is huge on Facebook.

    Billy Liucci: Oh, yeah. She is. When that happens, that's when you know those outlets have jumped the shark and that's where every once in a while I'll go because you keep up with all your high school buddies on there. That's it. I'm not big on Facebook. And some of those requests get lost over... Re-request it and I will be on the lookout for Gordon Bombay.

    Gabe Bock: Yes. Exactly. All right. Maybe you'll score a goal and get Billy to friend you. AnotherOldAgDad, he's got to be on Facebook, how nasty do you expect this game to be? Assuming an Aggie win, who's the likely defensive MVP for this game?

    Billy Liucci: It better be nasty because Arkansas is going to be nasty and Jimbo mentioned it because he knows, he knows they're going... He's trying to get his team to embrace that and understand that. Like I said, every team is different. Last year's team, you knew they were going to get nasty. They had four senior nasty O-linemen. Kenyon Green's in there mauling people at guard. You know?

    Billy Liucci: Who will be the defensive MVP if A&M... I'll say... I can see it being a Micheal Clemons, Tyree Johnson kind of game. We know certain guys are going to bring it but you look up and those guys have three sacks between them and they're all over Jefferson. If Arkansas' center is injured, does McKinnley Jackson have a field day? Does DeMarvin Leal? We saw him inside more last week than at any point this season. If you got a backup center in there, how much of a problem can Marv be working on the inside?

    Billy Liucci: I'll say those two. They get to harass Jefferson and harass him into some mistakes.

    Gabe Bock: All right. BarnyardAgg ‘12, will Lincoln Riley test the NFL waters within the next five years?

    Billy Liucci: I say no. I think that's a lot of over-hype and I think people are starting to realize that maybe Lincoln Riley himself is over-hyped. I say no. He's got a great gig at OU. They're not running him out any time soon. I guess the one wildcard would be Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones and all that money and that desperation... They've looked good in the first two games but if McCarthy doesn't cut it, does Jerry... Do what?

    Gabe Bock: Jason Witten gets that job.

    Billy Liucci: Okay. I think that would be a travesty too. I don't think that would work either but whatever. I'll say if they went... Dallas would be the only real threat.

    Gabe Bock: Yeah. I think Lincoln will attest when he gets to the SEC and realizes his offense isn't that good. All right...

    Billy Liucci: They didn't ask you.

    Gabe Bock: No. They didn't.

    Billy Liucci: Look, I think he's realizing it right now, Gabe, when he's playing Tulane and Nebraska.

    Gabe Bock: Exactly.

    Billy Liucci: And Iowa State and K State last year.

    Gabe Bock: How many losses did they have this year, two or three?

    Billy Liucci: Who?

    Gabe Bock: OU.

    Billy Liucci: Oh, at the end of the year?

    Gabe Bock: Yeah.

    Billy Liucci: I don't know, man. That league is not very good either. I'll say just one and then two when they go get humiliated in the bowl in the playoff. They were very lucky last year that they got to play that Florida team.

    Gabe Bock: For sure, taylorswift13, thank you, Taylor, how cool would it be if Leal, Clemons, PV, and Johnson were all drafted in the next draft? That could solidify us as D-Line U. The first part of a two-parter.

    Billy Liucci: Yeah. I think that would be monstrous. What did you say? Leal, Clemons, PV, and who? Johnson?

    Gabe Bock: Tyree.

    Billy Liucci: That'd be awesome. I mean, Tyree hasn't popped up there yet. I have had a couple scouts ask me about him and PV's certainly got a shot. I don't know. I could see three of them getting drafted. Get all four? I could see three of them. You got to remember, Clemons is playing like it right now, man. He's playing lights out. If he keeps that up, he's going to steadily climb draft boards.

    Gabe Bock: Taylor also says he or she's prediction is three catches or less for Treylon Burks if Jaylon Jones is shadowing him. What's the over/under for receptions for Burks?

    Billy Liucci: I think you put the over/under at like four or five, four and a half, five, five and a half. I mean, they're going to try to get him the ball a lot. What do you want to bet on that? I don't know. Doe Elko shadow him with a Jaylon Jones or not? Treylon Burks, I think the question of how many catches Treylon Burks gets is going to have to do with, how many times are you going to swing him the ball where it's just going to be automatic reception? It's just a matter of how good do the Aggies tackle near the line and that's where Jaylon and Myles and even Brian George come in big.

    Billy Liucci: The second part of that is down the field, that's what I'm concerned about. If they get pressure on KJ Jefferson, that number goes way down really fast because KJ can hit... He can throw a nice, deep ball and chunk it but a lot of those passes down the field, he's throwing to guys that are wide open. I watched it against Georgia Southern, I watched it against Texas, and, A, it's partially a credit to Kendal Briles but it's also a credit to how Arkansas can get that ground game going. If they can't and A&M can get pressure on Jefferson, then him throwing accurately down the field becomes a coin flip.

    Gabe Bock: A good way to end it here, agfan2332, it looks like we finally might get a shake-up in the college football playoff. Ohio State, Clemson, and OU have struggled. How healthy is it for college football for them to not make it and who would you like to see that isn't A&M? In terms of new teams getting in.

    Billy Liucci: Say that again, Gabe.

    Gabe Bock: He thinks that there's going to be a shakeup with how Ohio State, Clemson and OU struggled. Other than A&M, which new teams would you like to see get a crack at that playoff.

    Billy Liucci: It's hard to say because you want it to be A&M. Oregon, just somebody... It's been a while for somebody out west and just to see if they have that juice. Penn State, I've always liked the uniforms, I like the atmosphere, I like the Happy Valley for where they play, and the Nittany Lions. I don't hate James Franklin.

    Billy Liucci: I also think Penn State is... I think they're over-hyped and overrated. They beat an Auburn team that might go 3-5 in the SEC this year but they're going to ride that hype now and A&M or somebody has to win some monster game to pass them and they'll have to beat somebody way better than Auburn in order to pass them. I hate that crap. One of those two I guess.

    Gabe Bock: Yeah. They won't get any credit when they beat Auburn and then we'll have to go beat somebody better, right?

    Billy Liucci: Yup. All right, man. Let's do this. I'll go hit some today, tonight, get some Q&A done tomorrow, and then it's key match-ups. The first time I'm having some fun writing these key match-ups. There are plenty of them to talk about this week. We'll do that. We'll do a lot of radio. We got a podcast this week. Aggies/Razorbacks this weekend. Jerry World should be a bowl game, a New Year six type of bowl game environment in there. Playoff environment because guess what? It's game one of SEC play. It's also game one of the SEC playoffs.

    Gabe Bock: Let's do it.

     

     

  8. On 9/18/2021 at 12:07 PM, Doc Reeves said:

    I’m also all over that Gabby Petino’s story. Police probably tricked fiancé that they knew more than they did. If he could have kept his mouth shut and and just hunkered down in isolation for the next 18months he would’ve gotten away with everything. They’ll never find her body without him IMO

    https://people.com/crime/brian-laundrie-fiance-of-gabby-petito-has-gone-missing-his-attorney-says/

    Welp. 

  9. 2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

    Short SPY 400P expiring last day of the year - pays around ~6.5$

    Long SPY 20x500C expiring last day of the year - costs about 32c each or 6.4$ total.

    Total cash outlay is zero, the credit from the short "pays for" the long.  But it will occupy about ~$5k in buying power (/collateral) depending on your broker and their requirements.

    If SPY drops 395 or so, you are at breakeven.  It takes an 12% drop and some anti-American wishfulness for that to happen.  If it drops further, you are barely to scratch loss territory.

    If SPY grows moderately, you win.  If SPY grows at the same damn pace it has for the last 6 months.... *rocket emoji* *rocket emoji* *rocket emoji*

     

    I like it for a fairly low risk trade. Not my style of trading, but I do sell a lot of naked puts. 

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