FiveDimes recently released over/under regular season win totals for college football teams.
Here is an early season look at the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC.
Over/under
FiveDimes has Texas A&M at 7.5 regular season wins. Last year, the Aggies were 7-5 in the regular season. The line features a better return on the under at -105, while the over is at -135.
The upside
America will find out how good Texas A&M is during the season’s first week.
The Aggies will travel to Houston to square off against Arizona State, and if it’s anything like last year’s opening game domination against nationally ranked South Carolina, the year will get off to a far better start than last year ended.
The Aggies lost five of its final seven regular season games last year. It’s not the offense that bettors have to worry about. Returning starter Kyle Allen returns under center, and he has plenty of weapons to throw to, alongside multiple returners on the offensive line.
It’s all about the defense for the Aggies. Last season, Texas A&M allowed more than 30 points per game during SEC play. To alleviate some of the pressure on the offense, the Aggies hired former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis.
Chavis will depend on sophomore Myles Garrett to get the defense back on schedule. Garrett set a SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks last season. He should only get better in Chavis’ system, which allows athletes to go out and make plays.
The downside
That defense has been horrendous in the SEC.
The secondary will still have issues, much like it has since joining the SEC, and it’s hard to forget last year’s collapse. Things were going so well for the Aggies at 5-0, before the defense completely lost itself en route to five losses in seven games. And many of those weren’t close, with the Aggies losing by more than two touchdowns in three of the five losses.
That’s been a common theme for the Aggies since joining the SEC. There are plenty of signs of hope, but those get dashed away with lifeless performances by the defense.
Chavis is good enough to construct a new culture, but how long will that take? It appears the best athletes for Texas A&M play on one side of the ball, and from the looks of the last few years, that doesn’t reside on the defensive side.
The verdict
It’s the SEC, so the schedule isn’t easy by any means.
The Aggies must navigate through a schedule that includes road games against Arkansas, Mississippi and LSU, and home games against Mississippi State, Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn.
Texas A&M has plenty of talent. However, that schedule doesn’t feature many off weeks. Go ahead and anticipate the defense to not improve enough for the Aggies to win eight games, and take the under.
