Tag: Cole Cubelic

CBS Sports’ Josh Pate is buying what Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is selling

Mike Elko is building something special, and this season is just the start

Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) is off to a hot start after finishing the first half of the 2024 regular season with a 5-1 record and a 3-0, SEC-leading conference record that has shocked many in the national media who wrote off the program after the Aggies’ season-opening loss to Notre Dame.

One of the more popular college football analysts in the country has been a fan of what Texas A&M is building under new head coach Mike Elko, especially after the Aggies blew out a top 10-ranked Missouri team 41-10 in front of a packed Kyle Field before entering the Week 7 bye week.

This week, Pate, during a segment on his YouTube show with CFB analyst Cole Cubelic, discussed the difference in recruiting/player evaluations under former head coach Jimbo Fisher, who routinely relied on raw talent rather than looking past the 5 and 4-star recruiting designations.

While Elko helped build several of Texas A&M’s recruiting classes under Fisher during his time as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, his successful two-year stint as Duke’s head coach was based on utilizing the transfer portal and recruiting athletes who fit the team’s system. However, it’s all about selling the program to future prospects, something Elko has all but mastered.

“I would almost say, that is as much like and Ohio State, as it is and LSU, or an Ole Miss or Alabama in the way they attract kids to campus and how they sell A&M” Pate stated.

“You got a guy who understands it, so I know that it was nice to beat Missouri, but even if they had lost a dog fight to Missouri, there are so many green arrows that you get when you start raising the hood on Texas A&M. I’m buying stock.”

This week, Elko and his staff have been focused on recruiting and attending several 2025 commits’ games. Meanwhile, the team continues working out and recuperating before heading to Starkville to face Mississippi State next Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Cole Cubelic says Auburn ‘feels confused’ in key moments

The former Auburn OL says there is one glaring aspect of Auburn’s game that is causing them to find success on the field.

Auburn football ranks among the top 10 within the SEC in terms of total offensive output and ranks No. 6 in the conference in passing yards per game, beating out teams such as Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.

So it is no surprise that Auburn fans scratch their heads when thinking of the Tigers’ 2-4 record and 0-3 mark in SEC play at the halfway mark of the regular season. However, a former Tiger may have found the root of Auburn’s scoring woes.

As good as Auburn’s offense is, they rank in the lower tier of the SEC in points per game. The Tigers score 30 points per contest, which ranks No. 12 in the SEC. During a recent interview on The Paul Finebaum Show, ESPN analyst [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag] says that the lack of success in key moments has been the thorn in Auburn’s side this season.

“This football team feels confused, they lack confidence, and there have been big mistakes in game-defining moments. And that has to stop. It has to go away,” Cubelic said.

Several moments come to mind when hearing Cubelic’s quote. One of those was during last week’s loss to No. 4 Georgia when quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] checked into a quarterback keeper late in the game, resulting in a turnover on downs. Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said that Thorne “didn’t go with what we had called” during his postgame press conference.

“You are at a stoppage in play at the end of the quarter with three timeouts remaining and a two-minute timeout remaining, down 11 points, and you allow whatever happened, this confusion, this befuddlement of what was going to be called. What was called wasn’t called,” Cubelic said of the play. “Hugh Freeze called it a critical drive in his post-game press conference. You have to figure those things out, and that confusion’s got to go away. If this team’s going to find a way to start winning games, they’re finding ways to lose games. That’s not a great place to be.”

Auburn football will have extra time to work on their mistakes in crucial moments during the bye week this week. Next up for Auburn is a trip to Columbia to battle No. 18 Missouri at Faurot Field on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Texas A&M OL Dametrious Crownover prasied for his play vs. Notre Dame

Texas A&M’s starting left tackle looks the part according to CFB analyst Cole Cubelic

If you can take any positives away from Texas A&M’s 2024 season-opening loss to Notre Dame, it was the play of the Aggie O-line against one of the better defensive lines in the country, as improvement in the trenches has been sought after for the last three seasons.

Featuring several new faces, including former Kansas guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams, new O-line coach Adam Cushing was tasked with moving players around to find the best fit for every 2023 starter/reserve, which included shifting former starting right tackle Chase Bisontis to left guard due to his size and strength.

Taking over a right tackle, junior OL Dametrious Crownover came into the season at 6-7 and 330 pounds, winning the job over veteran tackle Reuben Fatheree, who has dealt with injury issues over the past two seasons.

After watching the game tape, SEC college football analyst Cole Cubelic noted Crownover’s textbook pass protection rep during one of the cleaner pockets provided to starting quarterback Conner Weigman. Crownover showed solid footwork, delivered his first punch efficiently, and pushed the pass rusher away from the pocket.

https://twitter.com/colecubelic/status/1831803727826841852?s=61&t=7Grt_BRNEg2xS6KG8YO0rg

However, watch the rep from Ar’maj Reed-Adams at right guard, who finished his defender with pure power, which is a great sign heading into SEC play. Even with junior center Mark Nabou’s season-ending injury, former Utah center Koli Faaiu enters the fold with plenty of size, understanding of leverage, and starting experience to keep things rolling.

Texas A&M will host McNeese State on Saturday, Sept. 7, for an early kickoff at 11:45 a.m. The game will air on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

LSU leads the way in Cole Cubelic’s SEC offensive line rankings

LSU’s offensive line could be the team’s biggest strength this fall.

Former Auburn offensive lineman and current [autotag]SEC Network[/autotag] analyst [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag] recently ranked the top offensive lines in the SEC.

The LSU Tigers are No. 1 on his board followed by Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Missouri. When you look at LSU’s offensive line, there are two huge reasons why the Tigers are sitting at No. 1 on Cubelic’s list. Those reasons? [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones Jr.[/autotag].

Campbell and Jones are two of the top five offensive tackle prospects for the 2025 NFL draft with Campbell being the No. 1 offensive tackle and one of the top five overall draft prospects.

Combine those two guys with three other solid offensive linemen and the talent that LSU has on the offensive side of the ball and you have a recipe for what could be one of the best offenses in the country this fall. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and the Tigers offense will try to lead [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] to his third straight 10-win season on the Bayou.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

ESPN’s Chris Low shares his thoughts on LSU midway through the season

Chris Low sat down with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on their show to discuss his thoughts on what is helping LSU and what is holding it back.

The LSU Tigers are off to a 4-2 start in the 2023 season.

The Tigers have suffered losses to Florida State and Ole Miss but they still have hopes of winning the SEC West. To do that, the Tigers will likely have to win every SEC game left on their schedule. LSU would have to beat Auburn, Alabama, and Texas A&M for a shot at Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

This team has their positives and their negatives. Chris Low sat down with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on their show to discuss his thoughts on what is helping LSU and what is holding them back.

“They’re dangerous because they can score. To beat these guys, you’re going to have to score. I don’t think you can beat them 21-17 or 24-20. … But the flip side of that is, for LSU, it’s hard when you have to beat people 42-41 every game… there’s a lot of pressure with that,” Low said, per On3. “As good as Jayden Daniels is playing right now, and their receivers, I mean they’re moving the ball up and down the field against everybody. At some point when you’re having to outscore everybody, it comes back to get you.”

LSU takes on the Auburn Tigers on Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT in Baton Rouge.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic is a big fan of Texas A&M DE Shemar Turner’s impressive versatiliy

SEC Networks’ Cole Cubelic is a fan of Aggies junior defensive end Shemar Turner’s impressive versatility.

Texas A&M (2-1) is just a couple of days away from hosting the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon, as both programs are set to open SEC play in front of what should be a packed Kyle Field.

As SEC Nation has already made its way to College Station to preview the game for the next two days up until kick-off, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic joined many of us in Aggie media and the fanbase alike concerning junior defensive end Shemar Turner, who leads Texas A&M in sacks (3) netting one sack a week so far. Due to his impressive position versatility, Cubelic notes that this may be the beginning of Turner’s rise to stardom in the trenches.

“Shemar Turner was lights out, lights out again. And this is what’s cool: he can go outside of a tackle, and he can rush the edge; he can move down into a 3-technique, outside shade of a guard, and he can strike and shed an offensive lineman and play the interior of the defensive line exactly the way it’s supposed to be played. He had an awesome game again.” 

Despite tackling issues and poor coverage witnessed in the Aggies’ 48-33 Week 2 road loss to Miami, don’t count out the defense just yet, showing vast improvement in the win vs. UL Monroe, currently ranked 39th in the country, which includes their 35th-ranked rushing defense; a steady improvement from last season.

However, the pass rush has continued to struggle, but that may be changing with Turner’s sudden ascendance, which could open up the rest of the Aggie’s defensive line to finally get in the backfield at a consistent rate, starting with Auburn’s veteran, and transfer heavy offensive line.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

SEC Networks’ Cole Cubelic is very high on one Aggie football transfer portal addition

SEC Network’s Cole Cubelic is an apparent fan of one Texas A&M Football transfer portal addition, former North Carolina CB Tony Grimes.

Last week, SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic, well known for his highly entertaining sideline reporting during the SEC Football slate, is apparently a big fan of one Texas A&M transfer portal addition, former North Carolina shutdown cornerback Tony Grimes, who after three seasons in Chapel Hill is back with the program that recruited him the hardest out of Virginia Beach (VA).

With ten transfer portal additions, Grimes announced his intentions to finish his collegiate career with the Aggies back in late December, and due to his vast experience in the always high-scoring ACC, he’s a shoo-in to compete for the starting cornerback position opposite junior corner Tyreek Chappell.

While discussing which teams made the best additions through the portal during a recent episode of the Cube Show, Cubelic’ made it clear: Grimes is slated to become “that dude” for the Maroon and White in 2023, recording a PFF coverage grade of 66.3 in 2022.

“Texas A&M, another one that’s pretty easy. We don’t need to spend a ton of time on it because there’s not a ton of dudes going in. I’ll go Tony Grimes, cornerback out of UNC,” Cubelic stated. “Outside of one safety spot, I don’t feel super comfortable with the A&M secondary. So you go get someone with experience, understanding of playing big-time college football, should be able to come in, lock down a spot and be a good player for that A&M defense.”

Grimes joins former Florida State defensive back Sam McCall and former Boston College cornerback Josh DeBerry in what will be a revamped secondary from a depth perspective, as the departures of Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones to the NFL present a challenge. Still, I’d be a fool, not to mention sophomore hybrid defensive back Bryce Anderson, who is undoubtedly poised to pick up where he left off after a very successful and highlight-worthy 2022 performance.

Nevertheless, Tony Grimes’ speed, length, and football intelligence led to 97 tackles, 74 solo tackles, 19 pass deflections, and one interception in three seasons with the Tarheels, including 36 tackles and seven pass deflections during the 2022 season.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]

Greg McElroy reacts to Auburn’s 2024 SEC schedule

McElroy broke down each SEC team’s 2024 draw on the latest episode of his podcast “Always College Football.”

Now that the 2024 SEC schedule release has had time to marinate, college football experts from across the region have begun to share their opinions on each program’s draw.

The most recent personality to share his take on SEC team’s fates is former Alabama quarterback [autotag]Greg McElroy[/autotag]. Since hanging up his cleats, McElroy is staying busy by hosting a podcast, co-hosting a radio show in Birmingham with former Auburn lineman [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag], and serving as a college football analyst on ESPN.

In a recent episode of his podcast, Always College Football, McElroy took time to break down Auburn’s 2024 draw. McElroy complimented the SEC’s work in being able to keep Alabama and Georgia on Auburn’s schedule, but went on to say that the rest of the docket was “random.”

“Look at Auburn’s schedule. There wasn’t a whole lot of consistency across the board, but you did protect their two biggest rivals. The Iron Bowl and the [Deep] South’s Oldest Rivalry, Auburn-Georgia,” McElroy said. “So, I’m glad that those two games remained. The others felt just kind of thrown together a little bit with the Auburn Tigers.”

Another topic of note regarding the SEC schedule release is the lack of several games. Auburn will not play LSU or Mississippi State next season, but several notables that McElroy mentioned in his show are Alabama-Mississippi State, South Carolina-Georgia, and Oklahoma–Texas A&M.

Check out the entire episode of Always College Football here:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Paul Finebaum sees Texas A&M as clear contenders in the SEC West next season

During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Paul Finebaum is apparetnly all-in on the Aggies rebounding in 2023

For many of you, hearing the name Paul Finebaum may incite a litany of emotions, but no one can deny his legendary status as one of the premier college football analysts in the country.

For Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher, Finebaum has been both a friend and general thorn in his side since arriving in College Station nearly six years ago, and after the Aggies’ highly disappointing 5-7 2022 campaign, Finebaum was there to fairly criticize the program’s woeful on-field display.

On the contrary, Finebaum has surprisingly developed a more optimistic tone regarding A&M’s chances to rebound during the 2023 season, and during his Monday morning appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, the “Mouth of the South” made it clear to those listening: Texas A&M is a clear contender in the SEC West next season.

“I think you just have to cut the narrative out from last season and this season, and just look at what’s on that team and how many impact players they have,” Finebaum stated on the show. “Can they overcome a lot of things?”

Yes, the 2023 schedule is favorable with home games against Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi State, yet their Nov. 4th road trip to Oxford, Mississippi to face the always ostentatious Rebels head coach, Lane Kiffin is standing in their way. Well, Finebaum seems to think that the Rebel’s fall from grace after defeating the Aggies (who lost their final four games) is still an issue that may seep into the 2023 campaign.

“I’m still bothered by the end of last season,” he said. “I know the media narrative is ‘It had a lot to do with Lane Kiffin and Auburn.’ I don’t know. Come on. That may have been a factor on the final game, but that was not wafting through the waters of some of the other games. Ole Miss just simply collapsed last year, and that has to be dealt with.”

Shifting his focus to the matchup that will surely garner huge ratings once again, Alabama’s return to College Station on Saturday, Oct. 7 might define that Aggies season if consistency is discovered in their first five games before what is likely to be a primetime showdown.

“I think it’s a tremendous advantage to have the Alabama game at home,” Finebaum stated. “That’s where A&M planted its flag two years ago and nearly did it last year in Tuscaloosa. I feel pretty good about them.”

What caused this sudden change of heart? It’s pretty simple; Texas A&M may have holes in their roster like every team in the county, but other than that obvious fact, this team is poised to not only rebound next season but make a serious run in their return to the postseason.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

How the addition of Oklahoma, Texas could affect SEC scheduling

Greg Sankey hopes to put emphasis on rivalries and more frequent campus visits in the SEC’s new scheduling model.

In an unforeseen manner, the Big 12 Conference announced last week that has reached an early exit deal with Oklahoma and Texas, allowing the two institutions to bolt for the SEC in 2024, which is a year earlier than expected.

In order to pay for the expected revenue loss that the conference will suffer with the departure of the two programs, both Oklahoma and Texas will pay a combined $100 million in order to depart early.

Now that the move has been announced, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has some planning to do, especially when it comes to football scheduling.

Since the news of Oklahoma and Texas joining the conference broke in 2021, there have been talks of the SEC going to a four-team pod system, while others project a nine-game schedule with no divisions. What ideas does the SEC’s leading man have? He shared them in a recent episode of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning.

He tells show hosts Greg McElroy and [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag] that he wants to put emphasis on maintaining historical rivalries while building a strong rotation amongst programs to cut down on the gaps between visits. In the latter regard, he referenced last season’s game between Auburn and Missouri, and the strange history between Georgia and Texas A&M as examples of reasons to change the scheduling format.

“We saw games last year, Missouri at Auburn, for example, that hadn’t been played since we added Missouri back in 2012,” Sankey said. “The one that sticks out in most articles is Georgia has not traveled to College Station since Texas A&M has been a member. That shouldn’t happen. We shouldn’t be going 12 years between campus visits.”

Sankey also mentions the importance of rivalry games, but will not have a clear picture of the frequency of rivalry games until the conference decides on whether to play an eight or nine-game model.

“We’ve been intentional about discussing our ability to have annual rivalries played or rivalries played every other year. We haven’t arrived at a destination between eight or nine games,” Sankey said. “The number of games will facilitate the number of annual games that take place.”

Other factors that Sankey is exploring are tiebreakers within a single division and competitive balance. He says that he hopes to have the model ready in time for the SEC Spring Meetings that will take place in Destin, Florida in a few months.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]