Stallings: Texas A&M has impressed in 2020, Orange Bowl berth is a huge honor

Key notes from Gene Stallings interview

• I think the Aggies did better this season than I really anticipated. I thought Kellen Mond played well in every game. They've had an outstanding year. It might be a little bit of a challenge next year as they lose some key pieces, but this has been a great year for Texas A&M.
   
• I am very pleased with how Texas A&M has fit in the SEC. The SEC fits well with Texas A&M, and it was a great decision. Both sides have been winners.
   
• I see Jimbo Fisher involved in the games. Often, head coaches will turn the offense over to the offensive coordinators and the defense to the defensive coordinators. It leads me to wonder a lot of times what the head coaches do, but that's not Jimbo. He is very involved in this football team and each game.
   
• I thought Texas A&M was one of the four best teams in the country. I thought it was the wrong decision not to put them into the playoff. They played really well, and the only game they lost was to Alabama, who beat a lot of people. The Aggies beat Florida, who had a terrific season. A&M should've been fourth.
   
• It is harder today than it used to be with all of the opt-outs and transfer rules. Now, if you're not happy because you're not a first- or second-team player, you can transfer. We forget a lot that you go to school to get your education. That has been lost. It's more about playing than getting your education. In my opinion, your education should still be #1.
   
• The Orange Bowl is a big deal. When I was coaching and when I was playing, you only had four major bowls. The Orange Bowl is a major bowl, and I think it's an outstanding accomplishment for Texas A&M to play in this game.
   
• When I was coaching at Alabama, we won 20-something games in a row. It's hard to maintain that. Coaches always say to play one game at a time. I think the Aggies will be extremely prepared for this particular football game. It should be a good game because I also think North Carolina is a very good football team.
   
• I had a good relationship with Coach Bryant, and one of the reasons he gave me a job was because one of my jobs as a fifth-year senior was to scout Texas A&M. I had to go into his office and tell him what the Aggies were doing. I would give him the scouting report on Texas A&M and who they played the week before. Coach Bryant could intimidate you, but I handled it as well as I possibly could. That's one of the reasons I think I got a job.
   
• Coach Bryant wasn't all that good with Xs and Os, but coach Landry was excellent with Xs and Os. Bryant's Xs and Os weren't any better than anybody else's, but he made the players think that they were. Just having Coach Bryant on the sideline was always good for 14 points.
   
• After beating Alabama in that Cotton Bowl, I was going to shake Coach Bryant’s hand. He lifted me up, and he told me that he was trying to turn me over to hit my head on the ground. After that game, I told a manager not to let anybody else in the room, but Coach Bryant knocked on the door. That manager wasn't going to keep him out of the room. He came into our locker room and congratulated us after beating his Alabama team.
   
• Alabama has an outstanding team this year. They have six first-team All-Americans. They are extremely talented in all phases of the game, and I don't see anybody beating them.
   
• When I was working for Coach Bryant, he recruited primarily the state of Alabama. Now, if you look at Alabama's roster, they have players from all over the country. They recruit nationally, and year-in and year-out, they have the top recruiting class in the country. When you combine that talent with some of the best coaching, it's a tough combination to beat.