It will be a season of change and transition for Texas A&M as it moves from the Big 12 to the high-powered SEC. In their last season in the Big 12, the Aggies went out with a whimper after losing four of their last six games to finish 7-6 on the year. The one consolation was a 33-22 victory over Northwestern in the Meinke Car Care Bowl to salvage a winning season. However, they did end the year with a losing record in conference play at 4-5.

Coaching

Not only will Texas A&M be playing in a new conference this season, it will have a new head coach at the helm on opening day. Kevin Sumlin was the head coach at Houston in Conference-USA from 2007 to 2011, but he has coaching experience in just about every major conference.

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He served as assistant head coach for the Aggies for two seasons under RC Slocum and spent five years in Oklahoma with Bob Stoops. His second stint with the Aggies as the top guy will surely be a baptism by fire in the SEC.

Offense

Texas A&M will return nine starters on offense, including running back Christine Michael and all-conference wide receiver Ryan Swope. Michael rushed for 899 yards on 149 attempts and should carry more of the load this season with the departure of Cyrus Grey. Swope was the team’s leading receiver with 81 catches for 1,102 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Unfortunately he will not have Ryan Tannehill throwing him the ball anymore, so there could be an adjustment period with sophomore Jameill Showers as the projected starter.

Defense

The Aggies will have eight starters back from a defense that ended the 2011 season ranked 70th in the nation in points allowed, giving up an average of 28.2 points a game.

There are holes to be plugged up and down this squad, but they do return all-conference outside linebacker Sean Porter and a decent set of linemen in tackle Eddie Brown and end Spencer Nealy

2012 Texas A&M Football Schedule Analysis

Texas A&M opens its season on the road against Louisiana Tech in what could end up being a stern test. The Aggies open conference play the following week at home against Florida in what will be their first chance to make its presence known in the SEC.

The schedule takes a dramatic turn for the worst when the Aggies face West Division foes Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama in a span of six games with Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State filling in the cracks.

They close their regular season out with a matchup against fellow Big 12-defector Missouri in what may be a sight for sore eyes by late November.

2012 Texas A&M Futures Odds

Bovada has opened the Aggies as moderate 20/1 longshots to win the SEC West with only Ole Miss having longer odds at 50/1.

Texas A&M is listed as 40/1 longshots to win the conference and 150/1 longshots to pull off the unthinkable and win a national title.

2012 Texas A&M Football Predictions

For Texas A&M to qualify for a bowl this season, it will probably have to run the table in its four nonconference games, which will be no small task with Louisiana Tech and SMU on the slate.

It should be able to win a couple of conference games to get to six wins, but the irony of it all is that the Aggies’ postseason fate may come down to a must-win situation against the Tigers in the regular season finale. My final projection for Texas A&M is 6-6 and fifth in the SEC West.

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