The Texas Aggies have a nice string of wins going for them, and have won their last two televised games. The next game, against Nebraska, will also be on TV and I wonder if TAMU can keep their streak of televised wins alive. The huskers are favored by about three points at Kyle Field.
I'd enjoy seeing the Aggies finish the regular season at 9-3, which would require them to win four straight TV games (against OU, Baylor, Nebraska and Texas). That's a tall order.
The Aggies won the so-called "Bonfire Game" against Texas on November 26th, 1999. A lot of people had a psychological and emotional investment in that game, and I was among them. It was tense start-to-finish, with A&M finally pulling out a 20-16 victory. I remember telling God that if He would let the Aggies win that game, I'd never ask Him to help them win another one.
Apparently God took me seriously. For the next ten years (2000-2009) the Aggies had an extremely mediocre record in televised games. I downloaded the 2010 football media guide and did the research this morning. Overall, the Aggie record in all games televised 2000-2009 was 30-49, with most of the thirty wins coming against weak teams like Wyoming or Baylor. High-profile games against non-conference opponents like Miami, Virginia Tech, California, Georgia, or Tennessee were mostly wipeouts, with an occasional win mixed in. And of course there were a few memorable Big 12 wins against Oklahoma (2002), Kansas State (2000 and 2004), and Texas (2006-2007).
R.C. Slocum's record in TV games 2000-2002 was 11-10, and things went downhill after that. Dennis Franchione (2003-2007) went 16-28, and Mike Sherman (2008-2009) was a miserable 3-11. The Aggies went 0-8 in TV games in Franchione's first season, and 0-7 in Sherman's second season last year. The only post-season victory came against TCU in the Furniture Store Bowl in 2001, back when TCU was emerging and wasn't yet a major power.
In the Big 12, the Aggies had most of their good fortune in TV games against Baylor (4-0). They were winless against Colorado (0-2) and Nebraska (0-3). In the South division, excluding Baylor, the Aggie record was a pathetic 7-25, with Texas (2-8) and Oklahoma (1-9) causing most of the damage, and the Red Raiders getting in their licks (2-5) as well.
It comes down to this: For TAMU to finish 9-3 this season, they'll need to reverse a decade-long pattern in TV games. If they pull it off, Sherman and his staff deserve contract extensions and pay raises.
No comments:
Post a Comment