Top 10 Reasons Texas A&M Is Ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll

The Texas A&M Football Team is ranked in the top 10 of the AP Preseason Poll for the first time since 1999. The Aggies are coming off their first nine win season since 2006 and expectations are that A&M will compete for the Big 12 Conference title, as well as be a dark horse contender for the national title.

We will examine the top ten reasons why the 2011 Aggies are expected to be the best A&M team in a decade.

Improved Special Teams

One of the glaring weaknesses of the 2010 A&M Football Team was their special teams. The Aggies' punting was particularly egregious. Texas A&M averaged only 35.7 yards per punt in 2010 with a paltry net average of 34.0 yards per punt.

The Ags addressed this issue in their 2011 recruiting class with punter Drew Kaser from Strongville, OH. Kaser has impressed insiders with punting over the summer and is expected to start against SMU on September 4th.

Coryell Judie is one of the top kick returners in the nation, after averaging 30.2 yds per return in '10 and bringing back two for touchdowns. Junior Christine Michael is fully recovered from a broken leg and will return kickoffs along with Judie. Kenric McNeal and Dustin Harris will split time returning punts after combining to average a respectable 7.1 yds per return with one touchdown.

Senior Randy Bullock returns at placekicker after going 16-21 on FGs with a long of 50, and was perfect on extra points in 2010. Bullock is finally healthy after getting over some nagging injuries from 2010 and has had a strong fall camp.  

Manageable Schedule

The Aggies 2011 schedule is strong enough to warrant attention from BCS bowls but manageable enough to where an undefeated run is not out of the question.

Facing nine bowl teams in 2011, the Aggies will play seven home games, with one of their road games in Arlington against Arkansas. The toughest road game will be in Norman against OU, but the Ags also have games at Lubbock against Tech, and at Manhattan, KS against Kansas State that should be challenging.

Meanwhile, A&M gets Oklahoma State, Baylor, Missouri, and Texas at home. Oklahoma State, Missouri, and OU are legitimate candidates to win the Big 12 so getting two of the three at home should help the Ags chances. If the Ags can find a way to win in Norman and just play solid football in Lubbock and Manhattan, they have a chance to run the table because of how this schedule sets up. Playing at Manhattan could be a trap game right after a big game in Norman.

Veteran Team

The Ags return 17 starters from their 2010 squad that went 9-4. While one of the players A&M lost was two-time All-American and Butkus Award winner Von Miller, the Ags return plenty of experience on both sides of the ball.

Most of the starters have played in two bowl games. Plus, they have experienced and overcome adversity on the road in a comeback win over Baylor. These 17 starters defeated two top 10 teams last year in Nebraska and OU, and is a veteran team that knows what it takes to win big ballgames.

The Best RB Combo in the Nation

Texas A&M returns the top RB combo in the nation in Senior Cyrus Gray and Junior Christine Michael. Gray led the Ags with 1,113 yards rushing and 12 TDs, reeling off seven straight 100 yd rushing games to end the season, which coincided with the Ags six game winning streak. Gray showed that he could run against even the toughest defenses in the country, with 100 yds on 20 carries against LSU in the Cotton Bowl.

Gray heads into 2011 looking to become the first Aggies to top 1,000 yds in back to back seasons since Greg Hill did it in '91 and '92.

Christine Michael rushed for 631 yds and 4 TDs in an injury-shortened 2010. Michael enters his junior season looking to live up to his recruiting rankings coming out of high school when many considered him the top RB in the nation. Michael has been a good RB in college so far, but will look to take a big step forward as an upperclassman. Michael has averaged five yards per carry for his career at A&M.

Second Year in Tim Deruyter's System

Tim Deruyter was hired as the Texas A&M Defensive Coordinator for the 2010 season and his impact was immediate.

The Aggie defense allowed one less yard per carry than they did in 2009, and put the top run defense in the conference on the field. In 2009 the Ags allowed 426 yards per game. In 2010 the Ags allowed 364 yards per game.

The chants of "Wrecking Crew" again cascaded down from the second and third deck of Kyle Field as the defense made big play after big play to put away games. 

In 2011 the Ags will have a year in Deruyter's system under their belt. The defense should be more varied now that Von Miller is not there to create a pass rush, so expect more exotic blitzes and more turnovers created as the Aggies continue to get their defensive swagger back.

Everyone Is Forgetting About Sean Porter

Elvis has left the building. With Von Miller continuing his football career in the NFL, most fans are wondering where the next great Aggie OLB will come from. While the mainstream media is pimping senior ILB Garrick Williams, junior OLB Sean Porter has been quietly been making a case for himself to be the next big thing in Aggieland.

Porter was 3rd on the team in 2010 with 74 tackles including 7 TFLs and half a sack. Expect his sack and TFL numbers to increase as Tim Deruyter blitzes him more this year. Porter is also strong in coverage, with six passes broken up. As a true freshman in '09, Porter played in all 13 games, starting two of them and amassed 42 tackles with 4 TFLs and a sack. Porter will be on of the best different linebackers in the conference and will compete for All Conference honors. 

Depth, Depth, and More Depth

The 2011 version of the Texas A&M Football Team has talent stacked throughout the roster. The Ags have five receivers in Jeff Fuller, Ryan Swope, Brandal Jackson, Uzoma Nwachukwu, and Kenric McNeal who are a threat to go for 100 yards in any game. A&M has two All Conference level RBs, and an OL rotation that is truly 10 deep.

The Aggies return three TEs who caught passes in 2010. On defense, the Ags return six DBs who have starting experience. Five LBs have seen extensive playing time. The DL features five returnees who saw extensive playing time in '10 and will get Kirby Ennis back from injury.

This is the deepest team that Ags have put on the field in at least 15 years.

Best Skill Talent Ever on the A&M Campus

Texas A&M returns five WRs who caught at least 20 passes in '10 including Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope, who both tied the school record with 72 receptions. Fuller holds the records for most receiving yardage in a season (1,066) and most career receiving TDs with 28. Kenric McNeal, Brandal Jackson, and EZ Nwachukwu combine with Fuller and Swope to give the Ags the deepest receiving corps in the Big 12. 

Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael would both start for any team in the conference. Ben Malena has slimmed down and will be a nice option catching passes out of the backfield. Mister Jones is coming off a redshirt season and gives the Ags a short yardage option. From top to bottom, A&M has one of the best combinations of RB and WR talent in the country. 

Veteran Secondary Returns

Dustin Harris, Terrence Frederick, and Coryell Judie will all likely play on Sundays. The three,along with sophomore Tony Hurd, give the Ags a great group of CBs.

Judie garnered preseason All-American recognition after snagging four interceptions in '10. Harris had four interceptions also despite playing in a backup roll in '10. As a freshman, Harris shut down Cincinatti Bengals first round draft pick A.J. Green in the 2009 Independence Bowl. Frederick is arguably the Aggies most consistent CB. 

Trent Hunter, Steven Terrell, and Steven Campbell return at safety. Hunter will be a four-year starter and is very strong against the run, while Campbell's arguably the best athlete on the entire team. If Campbell has shaken the injury bug, he can be a future high third round draft pick.Terrell should see extensive action in nickel and dime packages.

The Ags return six DBs who have starting experience. That type of experience will come in handy when the defense faces adversity on the field in '11. 

Ryan Tannehill Returns at QB

In 2010 Aggie QB Ryan Tannehill completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,638 yards and 13 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions. After taking over as the starter, Tannehill led the Ags to a 6-1 record including wins over top 10 Nebraska and OU teams.

Tannehill is an exceptional athlete who holds the school records for most receiving yards in a game with 210, and most passing yards in a game with 449 versus Texas Tech. The senior QB has looked exceptional during spring and summer workouts. He simply needs to drive the bus for the Ags, and just get the ball into the hands of all the play makers.

Tannehill will play on Sundays and has the experience to go along with the talent to help lead the Ags to a special season.