College Confidential

No need to whine, Gary

Let me say up front I dont know TCU coach Gary Patterson, though after covering the Horned Frogs for a decade (the Jim Wacker era into Pat Sullivan) and being aware of the obstacles inherent in building and maintaining a winning program there -- I have a great deal of respect for his coaching ability.

So at least from my point of view -- and I've considered whether to remain silent on this -- I fail to see Patterson's need to whine about the loss to Oklahoma.

"They are the No. 1 team in the nation," Patterson said Sunday, "and we gave one away. I give all the credit to Oklahoma, but we helped them a lot.

"We let them have too many easy plays early, and when we finally woke up and decided to go play football, it was too late."

Now before you go and jump me for being a homer because I now cover OU football, forget it. My only concern at game time -- especially night games -- is that the teams play fast so I don't have to write like (what is left of) my hair is on fire. It does make covering any team easier if it is winning because all concerned are easier to deal with, stories easier to write. But I go on to cover Big 12 basketball and whether OU wins or loses is really no concern of mine. I cover the beat because that's what I'm assigned to do during football season.

And I didn't go to school there.

That said, I could dispute some other talking points Patterson cited. Like did he 'give up' those 'easy' plays' OU scored on in the second half? Did OU's philosophy of running the clock as much as it could in the second half rather than running the full gamut of its offense have any influence on the course of things?

Did he think a 2005 vintage game plan would work three years later? Lining up and stopping Adrian Peterson and forcing Paul Thompson to beat you is one thing. Forcing Sam Bradford to beat you appears to be a whole 'nuther smoke.

Hey, pointing out mistakes his team made is legit. Part of the game. Most coaches do that.

But the notion that TCU 'gave one away' strikes me as ludicrous.

OU coach Bob Stoops declined to respond to Patterson's comment Tuesday, much as I expected. Much as Stoops refused to play the spy game at the beginning of last week. Maybe Patterson should take a cue from "Bobby Stoops," as he referred to him.

Patterson's team played hard last Saturday and maintained his program's respect simply by doing that. He should have let it stand.

I don't begrudge Patterson or his program any success it has now or in the future. It's good for Fort Worth. But the guy has established a program that has a solid, classy national reputation -- one built on playing, not whining.

-- Mike Jones

Breaking down the Aggies

New offense, new defense, new coaching staff. And that's just the beginning of the changes for the Texas A&M Aggies this season.

About the only thing that hasn't changed is the quarterback. Stephen McGee is entering his third season as the Aggies' starter, but even he had to beat out sophomore Jerrod Johnson and redshirt freshman Ryan Tannehill in fall camp.

First-year coach Mike Sherman inherits a team with talent but numerous holes. Competition has been fierce at all positions, and plenty of jobs are still up for grabs and could continue to change hands once the season gets under way.

Here's a breakdown of the Aggies heading into Saturday's season opener against Arkansas State.

Offense
The offensive backfield is one of the few areas where the Aggies have quality depth and experience. Jorvorskie Lane's move to fullback has allowed Mike Goodson to slide into the starting tailback roll, giving A&M a strong 1-2 rushing punch. Redshirt freshman Bradley Stephens and true freshman Cyrus Gray also have shown some big-play potential during two-a-days with long runs and receptions, giving A&M even more weapons. McGee finally will get a chance to showcase his passing skills in the new West Coast offense, but he'll be depending on a thin, inexperienced line to protect him. Experience is also an issue at wide receiver and tight end. Keller Fossil Ridge ex Howard Morrow and true freshman Jeff Fuller have stood out among the receivers, who have had problems holding onto the ball in the preseason, and former receiver Jamie McCoy is stepping in for Martellus Bennett at tight end. If the offensive line can enjoy some early success and, most importantly, avoid injuries, the Aggies' offense should hold its own. The biggest question mark is at left guard, where true freshman Brian Thomas could earn the starting job.

Defense
The 2007 season produced some ugly numbers for the Aggies, who ranked 83rd in the nation in total defense, 91st in pass efficiency defense and 104th in sacks. That final number is the biggest concern for new defensive coordinator Joe Kines, whose primary focus has been on getting pressure on the quarterback. A&M defenders are raving about Kines' aggressive 4-3 scheme, which will allow them to take more chances and make big plays. Depth is a concern at linebacker, where the Aggies lost two leaders in Mark Dodge and Misi Tupe and have dealt with a preseason injury to outside linebacker Garrick Williams. None of the three starting linebacker positions are set on the Week 1 depth chart. There has also been some shifting in the secondary -- Jordan Pugh has moved to cornerback and Jordan Peterson is now at free safety -- but five of the returning players there have combined to start 91 games. Defensive end Cyril Obiozor is the lone returning starter on the defensive front, but Michael Bennett, Amos Gbunblee, Kellen Heard and Lucas Patterson should give the Aggies a formidable front-line presence.

Special teams
Justin Brantly, the third-ranked active punter in the nation with a 43.9-yard average, is probably the most dependable player on the Aggies roster. He is the only A&M punter ever to average over 43 yards per punt in his first three seasons. That's the good news. The bad news is no placekicker on the roster has ever attempted a field goal in college. Senior Richie Bean and freshman walk-on Randy Bullock have taken their battle for the starting job into game week, with no word yet on the starter. It will be interesting to see if true freshman Cyrus Gray can make an impact on the return game.

Outlook
The Aggies could get off to a strong start but can't overlook their first two opponents. Arkansas State came shockingly close to upsetting Texas in last year's opener, and New Mexico can be tough to beat in Albuquerque. There should be no trouble getting up for Miami after last season's blowout, and Army rounds out the non-conference slate. If A&M can manage to head into conference play unbeaten, the Aggies could gain enough confidence to challenge the top teams in the Big 12. Injuries on the offensive line or at linebacker could be devastating, but look for A&M to have a respectable showing.

The bottom line? The guess here is 7-5 and a lower-tier bowl, which wouldn't be a bad start for Sherman considering the number of new faces in the starting lineup.

What do you think? Hit the comment below to make your prediction on how the Aggies will fare this season.

-- Lori Dann

Five quick thoughts

Some of the things that catch my attention...

1.) TCU fans ought to really like this Horned Frogs team. After hitting rock bottom against UNLV in Las Vegas, this bunch has shown its got some heart and grit. It's been a long time since I've seen a team so devastated after a loss like I did on Tuesday following their 5-4 loss to Oklahoma in 12 innings. If TCU pulls out a win today over BYU, that series next weekend at San Diego State is going to be outstanding.

2.) Does anyone else remember a time when college baseball in Texas has been better? E-mail and let me know. I'd be interested.

3.) Wow. That's about all I can say about UTA here lately.

4.) If you haven't done so yet, circle April 29 and April 30 on your calendars. That first night, TCU hosts Texas A&M and the following night the Horned Frogs head east on I-30 to play UTA. That leads me to this...

5.) Both nights should be amped. There have been maybe one or two times so far this spring when I've really felt and witnessed a good college baseball crowd. I think fans enjoy the college game locally, but it's a little subdued for my tastes (and where are all the college students at TCU and UTA games??). I'm not saying fans should get vulgar or rude, but based on past experience, I can say there's nothing like being at a college baseball game when fans are loud and rowdy and cheering for nine innings (and I know TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle knows what I'm talking about after his time at Tulane).

-Trae Thompson