SEC West Prediction #7: Texas A&M
Dec 29, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate after the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2014 Liberty Bowl at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Texas A&M Aggies beat West Virginia Mountaineers 45 – 37. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
The Junior College Players have signed and enrolled. The 2015 signing class have all inked their Letters of Intent. Most teams have started or are about to start Spring Practice. Once the 2015 signing class sets foot on campus, we will know what each team will bring to the table for the 2015 season. That means it’s time for me to make my Spring Practice Predictions for the 2015 season.
2015 SEC East Prediction #7: Kentucky
2015 SEC East Prediction #6: Vanderbilt
2015 SEC East Prediction #5: South Carolina
2015 SEC East Prediction #4: Florida
2015 SEC East Prediction #3: Tennessee
2015 SEC East Prediction #2: Georgia
2015 SEC East Prediction #1: Missouri
We finished up the East yesterday, and today we start with how I see the West stacks up. I think Texas A&M is going to finish last, but do they bottom out this year, or is it the result of a stacked division?
| Opponent | Home or Away | Predicted Outcome | Wins | Losses | SEC Wins | SEC Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | Home | Win | 1 | |||
| Ball State | Home | Win | 2 | |||
| Nevada | Home | Win | 3 | |||
| Arkansas | Neutral (Arlington, TX) | Loss | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mississippi State | Home | Loss | 2 | 2 | ||
| Alabama | Home | Loss | 3 | 3 | ||
| Ole Miss | Away | Win | 4 | 1 | ||
| South Carolina | Home | Loss | 4 | 4 | ||
| Auburn | Home | Loss | 5 | 5 | ||
| Western Carolina | Home | Win | 5 | |||
| Vanderbilt | Away | Win | 6 | 2 | ||
| LSU | Away | Loss | 6 | 6 | ||
| 6-6 Overall; 2-6 SEC |
The West will once again be brutal. If you can’t tell, I will be predicting bowl eligibility for every single team in the SEC West for the second straight year. Texas A&M just draws the short straw.
The Texas A&M Aggies have a strange quirk to their record since joining the SEC West. In conference play, the Aggies are 5-7 at home. One of those home wins was their victory in Dallas last season against the Razorbacks. They didn’t win a single SEC game at Kyle Field last year despite the incredible home field advantage they have playing in front of all those fans. Their road record in conference play in this same time is 8-4. I don’t know what it means, but I think it is important when you look at their 2015 schedule.
They have Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Auburn coming to Kyle Field. With their home record of late, and that atrocious defense (which I think will be better under Chavis but it will take a year to pay big dividends) I don’t see them winning a single home game in SEC play. That’s stepping out on a limb, but three years of history is significant. They’ll be a decent team, but there are going to be some growing pains as they incorporate the Chaivs defense.