Not to be argumentative, but at least one team was ready for A&M. The charts of Manziel's production game by game during his tenure are fodder for LSU fans. It's high and steady, with massive drops for his two games against LSU. That offense did precisely squat against LSU in two tries, and frankly, 2012 was not one of LSU's greatest defenses, and 2013 was flat out bad by its standards at that time.
I'd actually argue LSU in particular was geared to handle A&M. Chavis built a specific machine for those offenses, which had in fact entered the SEC. But he also implemented a brutal platoon system, if needed, in the summer of 2011 leading up to the opener against Oregon, the kings of the HUNH. Why Alabama had so much problems with A&M early on, I don't know. They were built rather similarly to us, I thought, usually with better linebackers and (at that time) not quite as good DLs.
I'll never forget the game against Oregon in Jerry-world. Oregon's vaunted pace which ran a play every 15 seconds or something like that......they lined up to run a play and at times were visibly stunned to see LSU's entire defense set already and waiting for them. At one point our DE Sam Montgomery was in his stance beating his hand on the ground as if to say "Come on! Hurry up! We ain't got all day! Get lined up and run your play, Oregon!" What Chavis had done to prepare for them was to coordinate with the offensive coaches and employ two completely separate offenses who would run a play, one after another. All one unit had to do after running a play was get off the field as quick as possible, and the other offense was waiting to run on and snap the ball, having had time to get a play in while the other squad ran its play. It got down to where LSU's defense was forced to defend a play within something like 6 seconds of the last play being dead. By the time the Oregon game came around, the HUNH was like a Jedi mind trick that didn't work on them.
What amazes me, and escapes our current teams, is when I watch Texas, UGA, or some of Alabama's recent great defenses. Even against RPO teams, everywhere the ball goes, 2 or 3 defenders are already flying in. It's like they know what's coming before it happens. Talent is obviously part of it, but what I'm talking about goes beyond talent. This is something I never saw from even our best defenses. Those teams operated on very specific assignments and counted on havoc on the line and the back end being better than your guy. What I'm talking about, like when Texas and UGA play each other this year, or watching Alabama for several years, is it feeling like there's 4 defenders no matter where you go with the ball. I'm amazed, enthralled, and enchanted by how it happens, and keeps happening. They know beyond a shadow of doubt what their formation is taking away, what the QB is going to do in response to that, and it's like they're all going to where they know the ball is going to go as soon as its snapped.
Well.....and tackling. That's something those teams are doing which we used to, but have abandoned in recent years. But still. Note the utter hell they create for an offense as it never looks like there's any open space, anywhere on camera. It's like there's 20 guys on defense.
Which is, like, 2 less than Tennessee lined up with against us that one time.
