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Well, shit.

Tried to share Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter.

The net is great.

But sometimes it sucks.

Anyway, great song. Great memories.

Anyone have the link to the recent @Mark Passwaters post about the attrition of the team that resulted in A&M being so young.

It was an excellent rundown of everyone that has left the program. I just didn't have time to delve into all of it at the time and now can't find it.

Thanks for any assistance.

As I sit in the Whataburger in Tuscaloosa. It’s like the SEC meetings in here. Six schools represented.
Anyway…

the offensive line is so bad in pass protection it boggles the mind. And I think a lot of it comes down to two things: communication and not getting the blocking scheme. They continue to play as 5 individuals and not a unit. And when someone blows and assignment, that’s it. It’s a net loss. It didn’t help that they had two new starters out there last night, but Alabama just abused them. Thankfully, that’s the best defensive front 7 they’ll see the remainder of the year.

it’s interesting that the buy-in can’t be questioned (I mean they played their asses off) after Mississippi State. It seemed like a different team in that respect.

it’s not going to take long for Evan Stewart to become and elite receiver. Moose Muhammad deserves to start. But watch out for Chris Marshall. He only had a few catches, but he made some experienced corners look bad last night and he fought for some big yards.

I know a lot of you hate Haynes King, but the way he gutted through things last night, yelled at the coaches to hurry up and kept things going in a very loud and packed (100,077) stadium wins the respect of your teammates.

Donovan Green is still developing, but I think he’s going to be a more complete tight end than Jalen Wydermyer. He not only doesn’t mind blocking, he puts effort into it. And for him to be the man on a gotta have it fourth down is impressive.

There were about seven different plays or mistakes you can say cost the Aggies the game. That’s how close it was and why it’s so frustrating.

the comfort level the defensive line had with the 4-man front was obvious last night. You had true freshmen whipping seniors and applying a lot more pressure. That group is going to be so good in 2023.

McKinnley Jackson and Walter Nolen need to play together more. And by more I mean a lot. Jackson bulldozed Alabama’s front, at least in part because they were doubling Nolen!

Fadil Diggs is a boss, on and off the field. I thought he’d be an effort guy who would be rewarded for his work. Nah. He had an NFL get off last night and embarrassed JC Latham. Humiliated him.

that’s the last time we’ll see Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s going to the show. That was a good a job by a back as I’ve seen since Derrick Henry (not counting Spiller or Achane). He has 1st round wiggle, getting through small holes.

Bryce Young would have made Alabama more dangerous, but I’m not sure how much more. A&M probably would have had more sacks and the corners played really well last night for the most part. Deuce Harmon got beat on a perfect playcall, but that was about it. And teams are looking at 17 and not throwing to his side of the field.

Jarred Kerr looks like a steal. Kid’s fearless.

Jacoby Mathews is getting more snaps and he seems increasingly comfortable.

better catch: Stewart’s last night or Kendrick Rogers in OT against LSU? It was that good.

I don’t know if you’re seeing it, but I see the freshmen rapidly improving. There’s still bad moments, but they’re taking over series with more frequency.

Shemar Stewart is going to be a beast. Overton and Lucas are players, but of that group, he’s the one I think can be an All-American and a 1st Rounder. I’m just talking DEs.

Seemed like Alabama went looking for Albert Regis when he was out there. There was a lot of running at 15. When it was 35/88, Bama ran outside.

There were several plays last night where the defense showed improvement. Alabama likes to run what I call flow plays (not the technical term) where they run a stretch play and the lines blocks almost diagonally to the direction of the run. A&M responded by moving with the flow, holding the edge and stuffing the play. You have to be physical to do that and they were. Alabama killed A&M with that play under Sumlin.

I like designed rollouts for King. Good things tend to happen. But they have to be designed.

Alabama fans sitting in here are genuinely scared they’ll lose next year since Young will be gone and A&M’s young guys won’t.

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A&M is playing like they’re lives depend on it, but you still see how small the margin of error is when you play Alabama at Bryant-Denny.


Let’s get right to it: Haynes King should have never thrown that ball. It was a stupid throw and made in desperation. And Aki Ogunbiyi got whipped on the play and Evan Stewart fell down. And it was a dumb play call. Four errors when you can’t afford any.


Offensively, the line has stunk in pass protection. They’ve had two good drives and A&M scored on both. The tackles, Deuce Fatheree and Aki, are getting absolutely whipped. Will Anderson and Dallas Turner look like men on a mission. They’re everywhere.


Matthew Wykoff was getting destroyed earlier and they brought in Kam Dewberry. Dewberry has settled things down somewhat.


One plus: the snaps have been perfect.


King is 11-23 for 100 yards, 2 touchdowns and a pick. Considering the pressure he’s been under, that’s not terrible. But he’s being hesitant when it comes to running the ball and made the dumb throw.


Devon Achane has 44 yards on 11 carries, but he’s had some tough yards considering his long is 9. But A&M got away from him and they need to get back to using him, and running King.


Evan Stewart showed he was the truth on that long pass down the field, which was perfect, had to be perfect and Stewart had to make a great play. Alabama really doesn’t want Stewart to beat them, so they’ve put a lot of attention on him — and, ironically, Donovan Green. They were doubling Green in the red zone, and then lost him once. The result was a touchdown.


Moose Muhammad is having another good game. He’s getting pushed around, but he’s still getting open. He’s doing the Ainias Smith role.


The Aggies are bringing in Chase Lane and Jalen Preston in to block and they may as well stop. Lane’s blew a block on a quick pass to Devon Achane that destroyed a drive. He’s absolutely whiffed on two critical blocks this year, and that should be enough.





Defensively, the Aggies are playing their butts off. They have gone back to the 4-man front and it’s working. The return of McKinnley Jackson has been VITAL. He has repeatedly gotten a push in the middle and disrupted plays. Walter Nolen has as well. Jackson’s big screwup on the false start led to a touchdown, though, which you can’t have.


The Aggies knew they needed to pressure Jalen Milroe and they have done so effectively. They’ve given up some big runs, but have also bottled up the middle for several series at a time.


The scheme is MUCH better with a 4-man front. The aggression is much greater tonight than it has been and it’s been beneficial. Three sacks, 6 tackles for loss. Fadil Diggs is playing out of his mind, absolutely dominating JC Latham on the right side. Two sacks and two forced fumbles, both of which became points.


The Aggies absolutely MUST spy Milroe. Odds are he’s not going to beat you with his arm and he’s making bad decisions under pressure. But when he gets out of the pocket, he can run all day. He has more yards rushing (79) than he does passing (66).


Demani Richardson has had several plays where he’s been sucked up into the wash and run out of plays, and Milroe has taken advantage. But inside the red zone, he also stuffed Milroe right at the line.


I’m worried about Antonio Johnson. He wasn’t out there on the last drive and may have hurt his hamstring. That would be a devastating loss to a defense that has already lost their fair share of players.


One guy who deserves tremendous credit is Jaylon Jones. He’s made a positive impact on this game with his physical play and Milroe isn’t even testing him. He’s been outstanding.

The Aggies need to remain aggressive on defense and see if they can get some push in the running game on offense. Tell King to get his butt in gear when he rolls out and, when he’s out of the pocket, option 1 is to RUN. Keep drives alive. Move the ball and help your defense. Do that and the Aggies have a real shot at shocking the world again.

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Tomorrow's probable starting lineup

QB: Haynes King
RB: Devon Achane
TE: Max Wright
WR: Evan Stewart
WR: Ainias Smith
WR: Chase Lane

LT: Trey Zuhn
LG: Aki Ogunbiyi
C: Matthew Wykoff
RG: Layden Robinson
RT: Deuce Fatheree

DE: Tunmise Adeleye
DT: McKinnley Jackson
DT: Isaiah Raikes
DE: Fadil Diggs

LB: Edgerrin Cooper
LB: Andre White
Nickel: Antonio Johnson

CB: Jaylon Jones
S: Demani Richardson
S: Jardin Gilbert
CB: Brian George

I am almost completely certain of everyone on this list save for George. If Tyreek Chappell is 100%, he'll get the nod. But they will play a lot of corners anyway, so it's almost irrelevant.

But, but, Wykoff...

Yeah, Matthew Wykoff at center. It sounds like he is the guy who gets the start tomorrow. Does that mean Bryce Foster will not play or has permanently lost the job? No, on both cases. But Wykoff has more time under Steve Addazio and has played extremely well this summer. Bryce, on the other hand, missed the spring due to track and then missed about half of camp. Jimbo hasn't wanted to discuss this, even though Courtney pressed him on it, and he got a little defensive. But this is going to be a week to week thing (details below on WHY this is a week to week thing), and there's a really good chance Bryce is back in the lineup before SEC play begins.

And no, I don't think he'll move to left guard. He hasn't played there in two years and hasn't practiced there, so it would take time for him to get used to it again.

UPDATE: Bryce's mom says he's sick and is out tomorrow anyway. He has mono, which is what knocked him out of camp and limited him. So the drama really moves week two -- and maybe longer.
Expect frequent rotations at TE, WR

While more experienced players like Wright and Blake Smith, as well as Lane, are going to start, but they're not going to be the only guys play. As expected, there's going to be a lot of substituting at both the tight end and receiver positions. Look for Donovan Green and Jake Johnson, especially, at tight end, but Theo Ohrstrom should get time out there as well. At receiver, the rotation should allow for Chris Marshall and Noah Thomas, the other two freshmen, to play as well.

CFP, university presidents get commissioners to cut the crap

The expansion of the college football playoff has been on hold for more than a year because of petty disputes between the leaders of the respective conferences. Things were on the verge of getting done last year until it came out that Texas and Oklahoma were defecting to the SEC. Instead, you had a hatefest erupt between a bunch of different commissioners that put expansion on ice. That was the creation of the "alliance", the Big 10, Pac-12 and ACC against the SEC.
Of course, the Big 10 then stabbed the Pac in the back, so that did them a ton of good.
Said commissioners feel stupid today, because they have been completely sidelined by the CFP organization and university presidents. That combination worked together to announce a 12-team playoff starting no later than 2026 (when the current contract ends), and the conferences can either get on board or stay out.
Amazing! They're all getting on board.
"This is an exciting day for college football," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. "As originally proposed, the 12-team playoff creates more access for teams and conferences across the country to compete in college football's championship event."
Oh, yeah. Sankey's acting all delighted. He wanted 8 teams. But the presidents and ADs of the SEC, along with those in other conferences, told their respective commissioners to shut up and take the deal.
The 11-member CFP board (with members representing all 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame) did this without the commissioners' involvement. The commissioners do have to sign off on this, but it's very clear that if they like their jobs, they will.
That wasn't so hard, now, was it?

12-team playoff layout

The format calls for the inclusion of the six highest-ranked conference champions, then the six highest-ranked non-conference champions. So that doesn't guarantee a Power 5 team a seat at the table, which must really burn the Pac-12, but it makes it pretty likely they'll squeeze a team in. The four highest-ranked conference champs will get a bye, with the four highest-remaining seeds after that will host the lower seeds at home (which is seriously cool).

So are they waiting until 2026 for this? Unlikely. The commissioners have been told to get their butts in gear, because expanding as early as 2024 could mean an extra $430 million on the table. Mississippi State's Mark Keenum, who led this little coup. was on the radio in Mississippi this afternoon and said, "We are expecting them (the commissioners) to get this done as quickly as we can."
That's a pretty clear indicator of where the universities stand.

Not huge, but still extremely impressive, visitors list for this weekend (Courtney)
5-star LB and A&M commit Anthony Hill
La Grange 4-star CB Bravion Rogers
Bellville 2025 DT and recent offer DJ Sanders
Shiner 4-star S and A&M commit Dalton Brooks
Katy Tompkins 2024 3-star OL Ashton Funk
Willis 4-star QB DJ Lagway
Southlake Carroll K and A&M commit Tyler White

Hill taking on leadership role in '23 class
4-star OL Colton Thomasson has been the most vocal of the 2023 recruits to date, but it looks like he's going to be getting some help. I was told that 5-star Anthony Hill has told the coaching staff he's going to be speaking up more and helping recruit players for the 2023 class. A player of his talent may hold a good bit of sway, so we'll see what he can do.

Ags working on two de-commits and a flip
It's not much of a secret that OL TJ Shanahan could make his call at any time, and it definitely looks like the Aggies are going to get him if he moves anytime soon.5-star Hykeem Williams announces on the 23rd and I don't care about this sudden FSU hype, I've heard nothing that makes me think he won't end up with A&M. So you've got those guys on the radar. But the Aggies are trying to get back two guys they lost earlier this summer, and get a guy committed to Notre Dame. Even though Bravion Rogers de-committed because he was intrigued by LSU, it looks like that shine is wearing off. An example: Rogers will be in College Station this weekend, and he could have gone to New Orleans to watch LSU and FSU in the Superdome (both teams got ticket allotments).
Johnny Bowens seemed like he was leaning Oregon's way for a while, and it looks like that situation has lost steam as well. He seems like a pretty good bet to return to the fold with A&M.
And then there's Peyton Bowen up in Denton. Notre Dame is doing everything they can to keep him committed, because he may be a potential 5-star eventually, but A&M is putting on the push. I'd put it at a 50/50 proposition that he flips, and if the Domers struggle early and the Aggies get things going, that could really move the needle in A&M's favor.

Introducing The F Word, the AggieYell Podcast
Courtney and I put this together yesterday. Hopefully you'll enjoy.

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With the season about to get underway, there's some content items that you can your business's name attached to. A few of the possibilities:
Game story (and wrapup)
Postgame Thoughts
The Mailbag
The offense/defense weekly previews
and Courtney and I will be starting a webcast (kind of like a show, I guess) this week.

If you've got any interest, or suggestions for additional content, drop me a DM.

Is Bourbon a food? Bacon sure is. This might be a game day staple.

Tonight, we went walking (or, I walked, she was on her scooter) and she fell off. "Well, that was a fall from grace," she said.

We got home and she informed me that she wants to stay at the Galactic Starcruiser at Disney the next time we go. It's a Star Wars-themed hotel. It's also $5000 for two nights.

"It's $5000 and the rooms don't even have windows!" I said.
"But it gives you a window to the galaxy," she replied.

For me, the offensive line is the most important position group in football, just as I believe quarterback is the most important individual position. Frankly, to consistently compete for and win championships, we cannot accept mediocre play in either case, which is why getting the o line coaching hire right is so crucial. And why getting great line play is so important going forward.

Alabama is playing for another title, but they stumbled a bit at times in getting there. Why? Inconsistent offensive line play by Bama standards. Bryce Young, along with their backs and receivers, did a lot to cover up their line's inconsistencies throughout the season. But when it mattered most, in the SEC Championship, the play was better. Their opponent, Georgia, has a massive if underrated line. How else do you stand up for a QB with his own limitations and help get your team to a National Championship game?!

We are losing our best lineman but the cupboard is not bare. Three starters back, including 2 freshman All-Americans, are the link to a very good line next year. There is experience and talent to compete with youngsters coming in. The key will be finding the right five and building them into a cohesive unit that will allow our playmakers to thrive. Championships start in the trenches. It's time to see that happen for us.

Go ahead, google it.

Hello everyone this is Texas90's son. Ive been debating if i should post this but here it goes. I am very sad to say that on December 1st 2016 i lost my father to a heart attack. I just wanted to thank all of his buddies on Aggies yell for being there to talk about latest football game or newest recruit. On many occasions aggie yell was the main topic at the dinner table. He would always tell me stories of how age yell is a big family that takes care of each other. Thank y'all so much for being there for him on several occasions. Gig'em

Season seems too short. Any predictions on what will happen tonight?

She could get it.


Of course I’m talking about my vote...she could get my vote.

Why don't kids want to come to A&M. It's not because off the facilities or the atmosphere anymore, That's all new and better than any around the country.

Strong has been around negative publicity his entire stay at t.u. Begged an OC to come work for him. Horrible QB situation.

Les and his job fiasco aired all over national TV. His top recruiting coordinator leaves for a HC job before signing day and Ed tried hard to find a HC job. DC left for the same job at Auburn. Horrible QB situation.

Yet they pulled off stellar recruiting classes.

What is going on? I refuse to believe that losing two quarterbacks is more damaging to a program than the stability/ job security of the coaches that run them.

I don't know. Maybe if our trophy case looked like the ones in Austin and Baton Rogue we would get away with what they do.

The question still remains, Why Don't Kids Want To Come To A&M To Play Football. Still pissed from yesterdays results.

Anyone have 4 they may be looking to unload? Looking for best seats available. TIA.