So, I'm sitting here trying to come up with some positives that came out of the "Fightin'" Texas Aggies' performance on Saturday in Norman. So far, my list reads: They showed up. Literally. We have tangible evidence to suggest they were, in fact, present in Norman. And…Yeah, that's all I've got.
65-10. Another embarrassment. Another showing of ineptitude. And, suddenly, the sunshine pumpers are awfully quiet. Cat got your tongue?
The 22nd game in the infamous era of Mike Sherman sure looked familiar, didn't it?
Here's some breaking news, Aggie fans. Under Sherman, Texas A&M's football program has become THE embarrassment of the Big 12. This delegation doesn't come merely from wins and losses. It comes from the simple fact that this and last year's teams do not compete. Seriously, what teams in the Big 12 or, better yet, the entire Football Bowl Subdivision get blown out more often than the Aggies?
In Sherman's almost two years at the helm, the Aggies have lost 12 out of 16 games to teams from BCS conferences. In those 12 losses, the margin of defeat is nearly 27 points. Read it again. And, again.
Let's all stop the argument about this team being young. Seriously, it's game 10 of 2009, and the team is regressing. That is a direct reflection on the coaching staff's inability to develop talent.
In addressing the argument about it taking more than two years to instill a system, let us look no further than Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson. Yeah, the No. 7 team in the country is in their second season of a new system. So is Big 12 North frontrunner Nebraska. So is Ole Miss and Arkansas. And, Houston. And, even bowl bound SMU.
Every single one of those programs is improving. Drastically. Can you really sit here, look me in the eyes and tell me A&M, as a program, is progressing?
The defense on Saturday again made an opposing quarterback look like a Heisman contender. The offense couldn't pick up a first down; much less sustain a legitimate drive. And, the special teams couldn't grasp the simple fundamental of catching a football.
Much like the Kansas State game, this team allowed a couple bad breaks to snowball into a pathetic blowout. There were no adjustments made. There were no coaches getting up in the face of the players. There was no fire or emotion on the field or the sidelines. Seriously, it is unacceptable.
Honestly, if I'm a former student, I'm taking the money I would use on a ticket to this Saturday's battle of the basement between Big 12 doormats A&M and Baylor and spending it on a couple chances to go see a team that actually performs up to its capabilities, like Texas A&M basketball. But, I digress.
The fact of the matter remains, if the Twelfth Man is expecting any sort of change, then you are going to be sorely disappointed. The athletic department sits in a multi-million dollar hole. Our athletic director, in his pursuit of "Building Champions," signed off on Sherman, an unproven commodity in the college game, for seven years.
And, here's the kicker. Sherman's buyout would be nine million dollars in December. Suffice to say, he's not going anywhere. And, for that matter, neither is Texas A&M football.
David Harris is a junior economics major
