CFB odds: Johnny “Football” Manziel was a luxury that the Texas A&M Aggies were fortunate to have in their first two seasons as members of the Southeastern Conference. Manziel carried the Aggies to glory with a memorable upset win at Alabama which was one of the most memorable in recent college football history. Manziel took attention away from a Texas A&M Aggies program that lacked depth and a reliable defense and with his departure to the NFL the spotlight, and the pressure, is now on third year head coach Kevin Sumlin who must prove that he can build a team that can compete consistently in the SEC without a flashy Heisman Trophy winning QB. Texas A&M opened as a +7986 choice to win the BCS National Championship with an over under win total of seven at -126 over and +106 under.
Nowhere to go but Up on Defense
Last year the Aggies ranked 111th in the nation for total defense and 96th for points allowed. With nine starters returning on defense the worst should be over and even modest improvement is a near certainty. Offense is where the bigger questions remain as Manziel leaves a significant void to fill. Freshman QB Kyle Allen stands a strong chance to start but regardless of who is calling signals they will not match Johnny Football’s production or intangibles. The Aggies must replace three out of their top four receivers as well as their top gaining running back.
Handicapper’s Notebook
After surprising opponents and gamblers in 2012 with a record of 8-5 against the spread the Aggies paid the price with a steep drop in board value last year as they went 4-9 ATS. Texas A&M has covered the spread in just nine out of their last 25 games as a road dog while going 26-21 ATS as a home chalk.
Our Prognosis
Texas A&M plays in the SEC West Division with Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State and opens the season at South Carolina, the favorite to win the SEC East. When you combine the brutally tough schedule with the transition of the roster and the still unproven defense you have what looks to be a daunting challenge for the 2014 season in which seven wins would have to be considered a success.
