Texas A&M Football: 4 Realistic Goals for the Remainder of the 2014 Season

The Texas A&M football team is 5-2 with a 2-2 record in the SEC and the No. 21 national ranking. The coaches need to reassess where they are at as a program and come up with a few specific goals to accomplish during the last five games of the regular season.

A realistic look at the remaining schedule would have the Aggies going 3-2 to finish the regular season with an 8-4 record. Texas A&M will likely lose games at Alabama and Auburn, but there are possible wins against Louisiana-Monroe, Missouri and LSU. 

The 2014 version of the Texas A&M football team seems to have lost its confidence on offense. The Aggies struggled on defense in 2013 and again in 2014, but the offense has always been there to give the team a boost. 

The offense has struggled to consistently move the ball in consecutive losses against Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Questionable play-calling and poor execution has resulted in an offense that struggles to put sustained drives together. 

There are problems on this team that need to be addressed through recruiting and possible coaching changes. This is a look at what the Aggies' goals should be during the last five games of the 2014 season. 

Identify Some Leaders

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The 2014 Texas A&M football team is devoid of leaders on both sides of the ball. In 2013, it was definitely Johnny Manziel's football team. He was the emotional leader of the team and led with his play on the field. 

The team lacks that kind of huge personality that can pick the entire team up. It has plenty of talented players who can put the team on their back and carry the Aggies to victory, but no one has stepped up and claimed the role as the team leader. 

The coaches need to identify players who can be leaders for the team going forward. They need to focus on developing leadership in dynamic young playmakers like Speedy Noil and Myles Garrett.

Their ability on the field demands respect from their teammates. They need to use that high esteem they are held with by their peers to lift everyone up around them and help lead A&M to new heights.  

Experiment at Linebacker

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Anyone who has watched the Aggies play in 2014 knows that they have major issues at the linebacker position. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly yet expecting different results, and that's what we're seeing from A&M. 

The Aggie coaches continue to put Jordan Mastrogiovanni and Donnie Baggs on the field and expect them to make plays. They are simply not SEC-level linebackers. Shaan Washington is an effective SEC linebacker. That gives the Aggies one proven linebacker on the roster. 

The coaches need to give freshman linebackers Josh Walker and Otaro Alaka more playing time. An argument could be made that Walker and Alaka should start some games. They likely cannot do any worse than the current starters, and the experience would pay off next year. 

Win Three Games

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The Aggies went 9-4 in 2013. If they win three of their remaining five games, they will be 8-4 for the regular season. With a bowl win, they would match their 9-4 record from 2013. It would not represent progress as a program, but it is a solid season for such a young team. 

The Aggies are starting a sophomore at quarterback. With Malcome Kennedy out, they are basically starting four first-year players at wide receiver. They have three juniors and a sophomore at running back. Their best player on defense is a true freshman defensive end. 

This is a young team that could use the extra practices a bowl affords a team, and the extra live snaps of a 13th game. This program needs to be building for the future, and a 9-4 record with a bowl win would put them on that track. 

Give the Freshmen More Snaps

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The Aggies have 14 players listed on their depth chart who are either true or redshirt freshmen. It is time for the coaches to focus on getting those players more snaps. 

There is no point in wasting wide receiver Frank Iheanacho's redshirt if you are not going to give him meaningful snaps. Freshman defensive linemen Qualen Cunningham, Jarrett Johnson and Zaycoven Henderson should see more snaps. 

The 2014 recruiting class contained a lot of talent. That talent needs snaps in games so they can continue to develop and form a nucleus for future championship teams for the Aggies.