Texas A&M Needs a Better On-Field Product to Compete in SEC

On the surface it would seem as if Texas A&M has everything they'd need to make a quick and successful jump to the SEC. 

• Large university: ✔ 
• Rabid regional fan base: ✔ 
• Respected football coach with strong NFL ties: ✔  
• Solid recruiting base:  ✔ 
• Big stadium: ✔ 

But after watching the Aggies' season opener against SMU it looks as if they're only missing one thing, but it's a huge thing: a high-quality product to put on the field.

Granted, it was just a season opener. Granted it was a win.  But there were too many mistakes and miscues to give the Aggie fanbase confidence that their team could be anything more than an afterthought in the SEC.

Compare the A&M-SMU game to the LSU-Oregon matchup.  After getting over the initial shock of Oregon's fast tempo, the Tigers made adjustments, fought back and showed considerable strength in beating the Ducks.  There is a Darwinian process in the SEC that doesn't exist in the Big 12 or any other conference.  LSU fought back because they know that they will face talent levels like that every week. How many people who watched A&M believe they have the talent to do what LSU did?

Between A&M and SMU, you'd have to think the Mustangs felt better about their performance than the Aggies. 

The reality of A&M's flirtation—heck, outright courtship—with the SEC is that while the Aggies stand to gain a great deal of money, they will be trading wealth for a life of mediocrity in just about every sport. 

Sure they would no longer be standing in the shadow of Texas—that will make a minor difference in recruiting.  They will never win an SEC championship in football or basketball with all the competition.  Their women's basketball team has a fighting chance, but that road goes through Knoxville every year.  In baseball the Aggies would be in the shadow of South Carolina and Florida.  In just about every measure, and about every sport, A&M's on-field product falls in the middle or bottom of the SEC pack.

Don't do it, A&M.  You have a wonderful school.  Your campus traditions are amazing and the pride you instill in your students and alumni is a thing of beauty.  Why trade that in order to become a Real Housewife of the SEC, when you have other options. 

Consider the Big Ten first, where you'd automatically be a contender in just about every sport.  You'd have a ton of TV revenue and you'd be a destination for fans all season.  You'd develop great rivalries and could become one of the big dogs right away.  

Or consider staying in the Big 12 and fighting for a solid expansion plan.  One could easily imagine a partial resurrection of the old Southwest Conference with the addition of TCU and SMU.  That would create a regional power conference with huge TV potential and tons of financial upside.

The reality is that the on-field product just isn't there. If you leave for the SEC you'll have a lot of money but little on-field success