Issue date: 6/7/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: File - The Battalion Texas A&M sophomore Mike Goodson played a significant role in the Aggie offense in 2006. Goodson scored four touchdowns and accumulated 960 all-purpose yards, averaging 6.7 yards every play. [Click to enlarge]

In 2006, Texas A&M football fans saw the best and the worst. The Aggies won all of the road games, had a winning record in conference, played competitively against the best in the Big 12, made it to a high-tier bowl game, and even defeated the Texas Longhorns in Austin.

The Aggies even had a chance to earn a trip to the Big 12 Championship game as the season drew to a close. A revived defensive prowess lead fans to invoke the Wrecking Crew hand symbol. Young running backs Jorvorskie Lane and Mike Goodson provided a fearful backfield combination.

Despite the bright spots, there were a lot of problems that could be attributed to inexperience. Lack of senior leadership on offense and letdowns in winnable home games stymied what could have been a legitimate championship season.

The only three games the Aggies lost during the regular season were at home. They lost those three games by a combined six points. The back-to-back one-point losses to Oklahoma and Nebraska put a lid on the opportunity for a Big 12 title.

The Aggies followed the emotional win against the Longhorns by laying an egg against California in the Holiday Bowl. They were out-gunned and out-classed. The disparity in speed was stark. Young quarterback Stephen seemed to be out of rhythm and could have been struggling with some postseason jitters.

And as much as McGee struggled (he actually had solid numbers for the season), his receivers let him down numerous times, dropping key passes and critical moments. Looking the team up and down, it simply seemed to lack savvy and experience. The Aggies were perhaps just a year away.

That year is now over, a new season is almost here, and the Aggies look good. It is hard to gauge anything when the first snap has not even been taken, but the fact that one of the major themes for spring training was leadership is very impressive. Strong performances from freshman Cornell Tarrant and Jerrod Johnson in the Maroon and White Game had A&M fans buzzing.

Johnson will probably get some time behind McGee, but Tarrant adds more to the pool of talented running backs on the A&M roster. Starting with the tag team of Goodson and Lane, the Aggies have the personnel to run teams over roughshod with a variety of different looks.

Another year of experience for Stephen McGee, as well as some job competition, should provide the impetus for him to exhibit the talent that has been witnessed only sporadically. If McGee and the Aggies can weather a very difficult Big 12 road schedule, which features four of the last six games on the road, A&M could contend for the national championship, which they were points away from competing for in 2006.

Time will tell, but it may truly be time for the Aggies in football.

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