Tipton Auto Group in Brownsville is Aggie owned and operated, and they can help you with your new or used car needs anywhere in Texas. Check them out at TiptonFordBrownsville.com, or call (956)350-5600!

Q: What’s your good, the bad, and the ugly with our current QB room?

A: Good: You have five scholarship quarterbacks, and your starter has tremendous natural ability.

Bad: Three of those quarterbacks have little to no game experience. The backup is coming off a season-ending injury.

Ugly: You’re placing a lot on the hope that your starter takes a big step forward in 2025.

Do you think we currently have the coaches on staff to win a Natty?

A: Nobody thought Michigan did a year ago, and look what happened.

NIL, we see how Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and most of the SEC have used their resources to pay for top end players, because that’s what it take for the top recruits, does A&M have that same intent/dedication to out bid those Blue bloods? (Big Smoothie)

A: Sure. They have before and certainly have with transfers.

Q: What is holding back our receivers from getting open: Scheme, Talent, Experience, or Football IQ? Whose job is it to fix it? (3rd Gen Ag)

A: Adjusting to the scheme certainly had something to do with it. The talent level last year was good enough that they should have played better, but it wasn’t elite. They had enough experience, and I will let you judge on Football IQ. But in the end, it’s on WR Coach Holmon Wiggins to square it all away.

Q: Would like your point of view regarding Shemar Stewart and what I've read about his performance in those senior bowl practices. Did the senior bowl coaches just 'turn him loose'? Seems like he didn't perform in games (consistently) like he did in those post-season practice sessions. Can't believe that he just 'turned the switch on' and became a monster all of a sudden. Did Bateman/Spencer/Jerod-Eddie have something to do with it? Not trying to point fingers but we've all seen the potential...just wondering how/why something different showed up under a different coaching staff. (Pebbycree)

A: Who’s to say anything different showed up? There’s a reason coach Elko was going around saying he was a potential first rounder before the season started. He’s looked great in practices the last two years. That hasn’t translated into game production, though he may have been more disruptive than the stat sheet indicates. Also, note that we’re talking about practices here. He didn’t play in the actual Senior Bowl.

Q: Expectations are high right now for basketball and baseball. If we win a national championship in either sport, we’d obviously deem the year a success for that sport. However, is there an achievement short of winning it all that, if achieved, we’d still feel like we had success and were on the path to winning it all? Would it be second place, SEC champions, or something else? What are your thoughts? Thank you. (Kneuse)

A: I thought last year’s baseball team was an unqualified success because they went farther than any other Aggie baseball team and did it with some serious injuries. This year, it’ll be hard to say anything less than a natty would be a success. As for the basketball team, they’re in the same position where the baseball team was last year: advance to a level A&M’s never been to and that has to qualify as a success. So that means an Elite 8 or higher.

Q: Some some crap on Facebook which I never believe, but since I haven’t seen posted here I’ll ask. Did we have some baseball players get suspended by coach for weed? Any word how long if so…sorry if I missed this. (Jmiles95)

A: No. It seems like Facebook has become the dispensary for absolutely made up stuff.

Q: I heard a comment during one of our basketball games about how the SEC refs, "let them play". I think it was more of a compliment or observation about how physical the league is.

If this is the case, how do you think that might affect our play during postseason if non-SEC refs might be calling our games? This could be a factor especially with a team like ours. Not sure I would call us a finesse team. (Bear_P_I)

A: Whoever said that needs to be slapped. I have been to games this year where there were more than 50 fouls called, and that is definitely NOT “letting them play”.

It varies from one crew to the next. There’s no real rhyme or reason for it. But I don’t think A&M’s going to be in any more jeopardy from a non-SEC crew than an SEC crew.

Q: Why can't this basketball team put the pedal to the metal for two halves? Both t.u. games and the Georgia game are the prime examples, but there have been many others. I realize that any answer is likely to be pure speculation, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. (Battalion Ex)

A: I really wish I knew, because this is not a one-year thing. This has been going on now for three years at least. It’s obvious enough Wade Taylor recognized it and called it out when he was out for a couple of games. There seem to be periods where they just coast or get out of whack and everything crumbles. Then, most of the time, they get it together. But in three of their five losses, they’ve had double-digit leads. So it should not only be on their minds, it should be driving them crazy.

Q: Do you see a lack of football excitement / interest with all the hype around baseball and basketball?

I didn't even read about the two decommits.

A: Nah, I think it’s just February, it’s traditionally a slow football period and folks are still kind of recovering from the disappointing end to last year.

Having said that: when is spring football and what are some of the position battles? (Richard23)

A: I was told the other night it will be on our around March 24, so it’ll be a little later.

Some of the position battles to watch:

Both defensive end positions;

Backup defensive tackle;

Tight end

Cornerback

Q: If Kiel Jr tears it up what does it do to the OF rotation or 2B? (LufkinAg)

A: It means he’d probably get more playing time in the outfield, but not a lot. Nobody’s going to replace LaViolette and Gavin Kash and Caden Sorrell are both power bats. Wyatt Henseler is one of the best hitters in the game, so I don’t see him getting bumped off of second much either.

Q: I know Manny can get a little too wild with the ball and be a ball hog but it seems strange that he has played almost zero minutes in the second halves of the last few games (after starting the game). Is there something going on besides this? He was pretty hot in the first half of the tu game and then played very sparingly in the second half. (Agbq76)

A: This is just an idea of mine, but I think Manny doesn’t get sat because of his offense. I think it’s his defense. They bring in Jace Carter later in the games because he’s a very good on-ball defender. Against Texas, Solomon Washington was clearly hurt (and missed several minutes) and he couldn’t cover Tre Johnson. So Carter got that assignment. As it turned out, Obaseki could’ve taken the job because Johnson was unstoppable.

Q: We have the ongoing question about why our basketball players are poor shooters, wildly inconsistent from game to game and even half to half. It seems like our defenders can't shoot or our shooters (if we have any) can't defend.

Has Buzz ever coached a team that had good shooting?

A: If I remember correctly, they were actually pretty good in 2021-22. They were in the top third in field goal percentage, which, for them, is really saying something. But that was also a lot of Quenton Jackson, Boots Radford and Wade Taylor going to the basket for high percentage shots.

Also, we see streaks where we are essentially 0-fers but we keep shooting threes. Buzz doesn't seem to call a timeout and tell those guys to quit shooting jumpers and just drive. (Or drive and dish, but we're not really good at that either).

Is that my imagination, or does Buzz not recognize or react to those situations? (Rick77)

A: He didn’t against Texas, but he did against Missouri and Georgia. It didn’t have a ton of effect against Mizzou (but Taylor nailed the winning 3 anyway), but it did against UGA. They changed up everything in the first couple minutes of the second half and it worked well.

Q: Hate to bring up our little brother but wanted your thoughts on tu recruiting (#1 class) and our class (#10 I believe) and perhaps how significant that is in terms of real in field talent. Add in portal adds/losses and perhaps the vectors of the two programs in your opinion.

Hate to see them doing well, feels like we squandered a 10 year head start. (RBMIII)

A: I’ve said this a bunch of times, but I don’t think you can judge a recruiting class accurately two months after signing day. Two years after signing day, maybe. So it’s impossible to say right now. A&M had the greatest class in the history of creation in 2022 and it absolutely crashed and burned. The 2011 class wasn’t highly regarded and it gave A&M two of the greatest players in program history.

Texas has to replace a lot of linemen. A&M has to do the same on defense, but not on offense. Both teams will have a lot of new receivers. Texas has a new quarterback, and A&M is hoping their guy takes a big leap forward this year. Texas may have more high-end talent, but whether they have more talent top to bottom is something that is tough to say at this point.

Q: It doesn't seem like it to me, but you're obviously way more in on the BTS stuff than most of us so I thought I'd ask: I know increased exposure never hurts, but does success in other "Big 3" sports affect recruiting? Baseball success affects Football, for instance? (3rd Gen Ag)

A: It does a little bit, but not a lot. Football success affects the other two more, but where sports success really helps is regular student admissions. Get a good team, and applications almost always go up in response.

Q: If available, do you think the coaches will go after another WR and DT in the spring portal? (Ag20)

A: Maybe. They at least have the opportunity now to see what they have and decide whether or not to make a move for someone.

Q: by a pro team, name a worse move than trading Luka. (Gowsie)

A: There’s only one that really draws a comparison: Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson on Dec. 9, 1965. Like the other players in the deal coming to Dallas, Baldschun and Simpson were throw-ins. The big name was Pappas, who was an all-star in 1965 with a 13-9 record and a 2.60 ERA. He was 26 years old. Robinson had already been an MVP in Cincinnati and was coming off a season where he hit .296 with 33 homers and 113 RBI. He had been there nine seasons and was a city institution. He was also getting close to a new contract.

So owner Bill DeWitt traded him to the Orioles and, on the way out the door, called Robinson “an old 30”. Robinson responded by winning the triple crown (.316, 49 HR, 122 RBI) in 1966 and the Orioles won the World Series.

All three pitchers the Reds got for Robinson were out of town by 1969. The Orioles won 109 games that year (1969) and the World Series for a second time in 1970.

If a trade is still being talked about as crappy 60 years later, it’s bad.

Q: Does or has Buzz ever talked to his team's offensive scheme or lack thereof?

A: Not really.

Is VP of the United States or Assistant WR Coach for the Raiders a better job?

A: Oh, I think VP is. You’re guaranteed a job for four years and there’s a chance for promotion.

Were the 2 decommits any surprise to Elko & Co., or is it just part of the new landscape of NIL et al?

A: I wasn’t shocked. I knew other teams had really picked up steam in recruiting them, and when that happens, it’s usually because they’re wobbling.

Any word on the Spring Game? Maybe I missed it, but is it on? Is it free and open, or is Elko pulling back like everyone else? (Tsip despiser)

A: So far as I know, the spring game is on as usual.

Q: Hypothetically, if a college basketball coach turned down a whole team of talented guys who wanted desperately to play for him, I mean like talented enough to be a top ten team, how long should he keep his job? (TAMU-83)

A: Um…why would he do that?

Q: Do you think IU has any interest in Buzz? Will they try to get him?

A: I don’t know, and they have made no indication about who they’re interested in.

Will this trigger Buzz getting an extension? (Have Gun Will Travel)

A: He was extended in 2023 and is under contract through 2028, so…maybe.