Aggies look to build on SEC debut

Heisman

Kevin Sumlin and A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the former star quarterback at Texas Tech.

Manziel turned 20 this week. Kingsbury is 33. Sumlin is 48. It’s not hard to look at them and see the future of the SEC. Especially after the Aggies went 10-2 this season and left no doubt that their fastpaced, spread offense would not sputter in the big, bad conference.

Texas A&M averaged 552 yards per game and 44 points. Manziel smashed Cam Newton’s total offense record with 4,600 yards passing and rushing.

“You look what our offense did this year,” Manziel said. “People didn’t really think that we were going to have much success in the SEC.”

“For us to come into Alabama and some of the other games and really stress tempo, tempo, tempo. We want to move fast. We want to make people uncomfortable. That was our main goal this year. ... It’s definitely something that can work if you have the right people in place for it.”

Potentially, Texas A&M will have many of its best pieces in place next season. There’s no reason why A&M’s offense can’t be even better, even if Manziel’s numbers aren’t.

Expectations will be sky high. The move to the SEC, hiring Sumlin and the second Heisman in the history of the program — and first since John David Crow in 1957 — have Aggies’ hopes soaring. Maybe Manziel can buck the trends again, and A&M won’t have to wait so long to add a third Heisman.