The Bye-Week

And as we wrap up another weekend of college football, the announcement comes that Texas A&M has been "unconditionally" accepted to the SEC for the 2012 season.  Let's give Texas A&M a big round of applause, as they move out of the shadow of the Big Bad Sooners and the Big Bad Longhorns and into the shadows of at least nine teams that will dominate them in football for their tenure in the SEC.  

I thought the Aggies leaving for the SEC had nothing
to do with the Longhorns?  I'm so confused...but
it's a super classy shirt...I'd rather look at this than
those horrible overalls!

I find the timing of the acceptance and announcement hilarious - if I was the SEC, I too would welcome a program with a lot of (literal) debts to pay, a very obvious inferiority complex and a propensity to melt down when they have the most on the line.  The whole scenario leaves me wondering when a bucket of pigs blood is going to come pouring out on some poor yell leader's crisp white uniform and closely cropped head...I already get the feeling that "they're all doing to laugh at you."  

Since I had no Longhorn game to attend (or tailgate for) I was able to actually watch other games this week.  Of course, the only game really on my mind was the A&M/OSU game.  Since both teams are (at least for now) in the Big XII, I was free to root for one against the other, so I happily pulled for OSU.  And they did not disappoint.  

A few points of note from the game:  

1.  I'm guessing that at halftime, Mike Gundy beat the crap out of the team.  Because "he's a man!" Certainly his team's performance in the first half was "garbage" and "made him want to puke!"  If you have no idea why I'm saying these things, I need you to immediately look up Mike Gundy's press-conference rant on youtube.  It's will be an amazing two minutes of your life.  Yet I digress. I find it odd that OSU reacts exactly opposite when they come back from halftime when playing A&M than they do when playing Texas.  Or is it that Texas and Texas A&M play like opposites in second halves against OSU?  That being said....  

2. ...for whatever reason, the Aggies really just kind of blanked out for the third and most of the fourth quarter on Saturday.  For a team with so much on the line - kind of like having to back up the statement "we want to go to the SEC and play football with the big boys."  Hmmm, maybe you should try playing with the "normal sized" boys first? - they really didn't impress.  Also, their trainers really belong in jail for their complete lack of success in keeping their team hydrated....  

3. ...which leads me to wonder when A&M got such a top notch drama department?! Maybe I'm just cynical or short sided, but I have a hard time believing that the Aggies were having so much trouble with "cramping" and "the heat" while playing AT HOME after one of the hottest summers on record.  Really Ags?  Really? It's weird that you didn't start cramping until you realized the Cowboys were playing a 'hurry up" offense which you couldn't defend.  Thank goodness you got those cramps - otherwise your defensive coaches couldn't get your plays called in time. It's weird, your offensive players didn't have any issues with cramping...just weird.  Of course, all that drama couldn't hide the fact that....  

4. ...OSU exposed the weakness of the Aggie defense on national TV on a very highly publicized stage.  It's clear the only defense A&M had against the fast acting Cowboy offense was bad acting.  I'm curious to see how both teams compete for the rest of the season.   

Speaking of dramatics, may I mention that at one point during the game when the camera rolled to a timeout, I exclaimed "Oh my God!  Why are there old fashioned milkmen on the sidelines?!" Then I realized they were not milkmen, but Aggie Yell Leaders.  Fool me once...