As I sit here and write this this morning, I am still physically ill over the events that transpired on Kyle Field last night. I may end up regretting what I am about to say as I have taken a personal vow to never in a public display question our leadership and direction at Texas A&M and it's athletic programs, but I feel like now more than ever it needs to be said and if it helps one single person get closure from the events that occurred last night, than it was well worth it.
The 27-25 loss to the University of Texas last night in a rivalry game that probably won't be played for the next decade now in front of 88,645, the 2nd largest crowd to watch a game in Kyle Field history, was simply inexcusable and yet another missed opportunity on the 2012 season that began with high, Top 10 ranking expectations only to finish as the most underachieving season in the program's history at 6-6 and a losing record in Big 12 conference play at 4-5.There are no excuses for what happened last night and the events that have taken place this season. Not when games play out like a movie you have already seen numerous times from September all the way into November on Kyle Field's hallowed grounds no less. Turnovers. Penalties. Missed blocking assignments. Inept tackling. Lack of execution. Being outplayed and outscored in the third quarter after half time. Horrible play calling and play design. Lack of focus. And most importantly something that should shake every single Aggie to the core: LACK OF HEART AND DESIRE.
The team that the University of Texas brought to Kyle Field last night to showcase was their worst team to set foot on our campus in at least the last 20 years if not longer to face off what many believed to be, and even this morning, our most talented team in the last decade. And they still won with Mack Brown and DeLoss Dodds laughing and smirking about it as they ride off into the sunset. Don't even think for a second that Mike Gundy and Gary Pinkel didn't feel the same exact way as they left Kyle Field knowing their inferior team toppled what should have been a monster this season in college football.What should have been. Sadly I feel like we will be saying those words for a long time around Aggieland unless change is enacted now. Many, including myself, felt that the culture was changing around Aggieland this past year. We had put together a 9-3 regular season topped by the best home game many have ever witnessed in the home defeat of Nebraska, received a Cotton Bowl berth, sent a player into the NFL as the #2 player selected in the 2011 NFL draft and against all odds had made the courageous and bold decision to not let the tyrants in Austin and the Big 12 be able to dictate our future and to set our own path in the Southeastern Conference to increase our marketability and finally receive the respect we deserve as one of the best academic institutions in the nation. We even got to the point where we led a Top 10 team on a football Saturday in September at Kyle Field against the rising program of the Oklahoma State Cowboys 20-3 before it all came crashing down. Since that 2nd half where Mike Gundy and his Cowboys ripped the heart out of Texas A&M and took it back to Stillwater on their quest of their own program defining and dream season, this football program has never been the same and I don't see that changing in the near future. We are about to let this momentous occasion in Texas A&M's history pass us by and all the hard work we have put into this come out to mean nothing unless we act now.
How have we arrived here? There is no doubt in my mind that our football program has made leaps and bounds in the last several years in the amount of talent they showcase each and every Saturday. It's not a coincidence we were favored in 11 of the 12 games we played this year and built up double digit leads in each of those same 11 games as well. But here is the kicker. This program has built up a sense of mediocrity in it and doesn't have a sense of accountability. There is no doubt in my mind our student-athletes knew in July and August the type of team that they could and were expected to be and set out with the goal to achieve great things. But they lacked a desire and they lacked the heart to get up off the ground once you've been punched in the mouth. The fight was a knockout in the 3rd round and only went for 12 because the referee's allowed it and it came out as a terribly one-sided fight. I'm not going to single any players out because they are still college-aged men and don't deserve that, but the fact remains the same players each and every week weren't held accountable for under-performing in practice, not showing up to class, and basically giving a half-ass effort each and every Saturday while players behind them were willing to put it all on the line for this team's success but yet never saw the field in meaningful playing time the make the impact like they could have, either because they were too young in the coaches eyes or weren't around for last season's what seems like now miracle run. Instead, our coaches decided to ride the status quo that go with what has always worked and worked before instead of making adjustments, providing proper discipline and direction, and inspiring a fire inside of them. I think most everyone that will read this will agree we can cheer on a team that gives fanatical effort for 60 minutes but continually comes up short on the bounce of the ball; but what disgusts us is to see a team without heart, without focus, and without leadership at the highest levels with so much blessing of talent waste it in front of us and on a season that now means nothing but continued embarrassment for our school. And that is flat out inexcusable. That's not having the injury bug bite you. That's not being unlucky. That is a critical failure from the very top of the program on down.
The good news is, if there is any, we can still make an impact today on the direction of our program and still try to recover some of the momentum we have created in the past year. While the players will be young, we have a solid foundation to build on for our program in the future. And we have a great 2012 recruiting class that will be coming into Aggieland, if it doesn't get pouched off first by overachieving programs in Oklahoma State, Arkansas, and even Baylor. What we can do right now is to show the country, our new friends in the Southeastern Conference, and most importantly our fan base that we do not accept mediocrity as a program and are committed to Building Champions on our greatest stage. We can still continue to make bold statements that will define our path and set the course right now for ourselves.
Sadly, some won't care about that. Some of our leaders will use and take advantage of our never ending loyalties to still expect you to pack 87,000+ into Kyle Field each and every Saturday to watch a mediocre product playing now what they will market as great Southeastern Conference match-ups all the while raising ticket prices and donations level justified by the realignment of conferences. They will be happy to take your money to the bank while not returning a product we truly desire and long for. And we will let it happen once again. They will make excuses this year why change doesn't need to be made, dodging the tough questions and giving half-ass answers, and then next year when the results will likely be worse, make even more excuses about needing more time to adjust to a new conference while still expecting you to write that check for a new season's worth of tickets and donations when we know deep down in our hearts we will be setting ourselves up for failure and will have to live with it because it's the loyal Aggie way.
I, and many Aggies, are tired of making and hearing about excuses. Simply, it's Time for Texas A&M, the slogan we try to market so much. But here is the question: is it really Time for Texas A&M? We certainly don't act like it. We now have the opportunity in front of us to find out just how invested we are in Building Champions and increasing the marketability of our brand. Are we up for the challenge? Will we continue in our bold statements to the rest of the country and be in charge of our own course? Or will waste yet another opportunity and continue to talk about for year's what could have been.
Our football program is the front porch of our great and beloved university. It's what everyone judges us by and what each and every Aggie has to showcase with them when they wear their Aggie Ring or put on that maroon and white polo. Right now, our front porch is falling apart and does no justice to what's really inside; and that's the tradition, the research, the outstanding students and most importantly, the spirit. It's time to fix it and make it right. But who is going to be the one capable of driving the first nail? That's the question many Aggies are hoping a positive answer for.
No matter what happens in the end, I'm very blessed and thankful to be a Fightin' Texas Aggie and wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I'm still going to donate my money to the 12th Man Foundation and support other student-athletes who actually embody what it mean to be an Aggie, that play with true heart and grit and actually bring home the hardware. Those are the young men and women who deserve my full support, led by great coaches who are setting the example. Maybe it's time to start caring less about what happens on Kyle Field on in the Bright Complex until those young men play with the heart and passion like the other student-athletes play with who are proud to be representatives of Texas A&M each and every single day.
Let your voice's continued to be heard just as loud as you yelled last night that we demand excellence in all arenas, especially those that are closest to our hearts and let us, win or loss, be united in our efforts. Let our leadership know:
It's Time for Texas A&M.
God Bless and Gig'em to you and yours this holiday weekend.
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