Tuesday Mash-up: Rankings rewind, Garrett's overall game, and more

Myles Garrett can play the run. There may be a good omen for the Aggies. Questions and/or concerns about the offensive line.

Some thoughts on these issues and other musings on the impending the college football season.

Blessing in disguise?

Although also receiving votes to total 81 points, Texas A&M was not ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll.

That’s a good thing. History indicates the Aggies are frequently much more successful when they have a stealth quality.

In the 20 seasons from 1996-2015, the Aggies have finished ranked in the final AP poll just six times (2013, 2012, 2010, 1999, 1998 and 1997). Three of those years A&M began the season unranked. The Aggies were not ranked to start 1997, but they finished 20th at 9-4. They began 2010 unranked and finished 21st at 9-4. Then they were unranked to start 2012 but finished fifth at 11-2.

Only once have the Aggies opened a season ranked and then finished with a higher slot in the polls. They started the 1998 season ranked 14th and finished 11th after an 11-3 campaign that included the Big 12 championship.

Also, there have been six seasons (’96, ’02, ’05, ’07, ’11 and ’14) in which Aggies were ranked in the preseason poll, but were unranked in the final poll.

Off by Myles

Sometimes one wonders if SEC Network analyst Booger McFarland actually watches football.

Last week was one of those times. That’s when McFarland, a former LSU defensive lineman, ranked his SEC defensive ends and listed Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett fourth.

For the record, his other top five were:
1) Jonathan Allen, Alabama; 2) Bryan Cox, Florida; 3) Charles Harris, Missouri; 5) Davon Godcheaux, LSU.

Garrett is perhaps the nation’s most feared pass rusher. He’s produced 23 sacks in two seasons. So, McFarland’s lame explanation for his ranking was that Garrett “doesn’t play the run.”

Again, one wonders if he actually has watched Garrett play. A&M certainly has had issues in stopping the run, but to blame Garrett for that is way off base.

Look at it this way, last season Garrett posted 59 tackles. A dozen of those were sacks. That means he posted 47 tackles on running plays, including seven tackles for loss.

Compare that to the Tide's Allen, who made 34 total tackles. Ten of those were sacks. Garrett posted more tackles against the run than Allen had overall. Of course, the argument could be made that Allen was surrounded by other standout defensive players, so he didn’t have as many opportunities to make tackles.

The counterpoint is that teams could run away from Garrett easily because A&M was weaker at other positions on defense. Also, if the called defense required Garrett to pinch inside, he cannot be blamed if a linebacker did not get outside to make a tackle. That seemed to be a big issue last season.

As shown, McFarland listed Cox second. Cox posted 45 tackles overall. He only had 3.5 sacks, though. That means about 41 tackles were against the run. So McFarland is suggesting that even though Garrett is a much greater pass rushing threat, Cox is a better end despite again having fewer tackles overall than Garrett had against the run.

No doubt, McFarland missed A&M’s game against Ole Miss in which Garrett dropped running back Jaylen Walton for a 10-yard loss and forced a fumble on the first play of the second half. Watch that play on You Tube and it’s clear that was bad picking, Booger.

On guard

Kevin Sumlin has indicated he’ll soon reveal the Aggies depth chart. Look for that on Wednesday.

The most intriguing position figures to be guard. Freshman Colton Prater has been working with the first unit at left guard. If he is indeed listed on the first team, then the Aggies will have two first-year starters in Prater and redshirt freshman center Erik McCoy.

The right guard spot may be even more interesting. Senior Jermaine Eleumunor worked the spring and most of August camp there. However, last week he started getting a look at right tackle.

Perhaps that was just cross training for depth in case of injury. But if Eleumunor is the starter at right tackle, then the choice at right guard will be a player who, at least it appears, was beat out by a true freshman (since Prater seems to be the first choice at guard overall).

By the way, Prater will be making his collegiate debut against UCLA’s 325-pound defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, who is considered a possible first-round draft choice.

Target practice

There is no question that UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is one of the best passers in the nation.

The question is who will catch his passes. His two leading receivers from last season are gone to the NFL. The leading returning receiver is Darren Andrews, who had 43 catches a year ago.

In fact, UCLA is in such need at receiver that Ishmael Adams, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior, has moved to receiver from cornerback, where he had eight starts in 2015. Adams has great speed and has big-play ability. He’s returned three interceptions for touchdowns in his career, including one for 96 yards against Colorado last season. But the transformation to offense can be difficult.

A fun side note: It will be an interesting match-up if he faces A&M cornerback Priest Willis, a transfer from UCLA, who was behind Adams on the Bruins 2014 depth chart.

Weather or not

The weather was supposed to give A&M an edge over UCLA in the season-opener on September 3.

Indeed, UCLA coach Jim Mora was so concerned about the Texas heat that last week he moved the Bruins practice from Los Angeles to the desert of San Bernadino to work out in intense heat.

Turns out that might have been unnecessary. The forecast for College Station on Sept. 3 calls for sunny skies with a high temperature of 85 degrees with 81 percent humidity.