Missouri running back Henry Josey had 162 yards and a touchdown in Missouri's 38-31 win over new SEC opponent Texas A&M October 29, 2011.
The book is a popular read amongst business leaders and is required reading for US military intelligence officers. Some coaches including the NFL's Bill Belicheck is said to have used it's lessons to gain insights in preparing for games.
With the addition to the SEC of Texas A&M and Missouri for the 2012 (?) season, Tzu's quote is good advice for those who need to become familiar with the league's newest members.
There has been much speculation on just how the two former Big 12 teams might measure up against the existing member SEC schools. Today we want to take a closer look at the league's new competitors.
While both schools have won numerous multi-athletic championships, the purpose of this article is to examine their success on the gridiron.
MISSOURI:
The Tigers play their home games on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. The seating capacity is listed at 71,004. The average attendance for six home games in 2009 was 64,120. Their home field record is 251-167-20.
Mizzou is one of 39 schools that has won more than 500 games. The Tigers have been to 24 bowl games and have a 10-14 record.
Missouri has finished in the final Associated Press poll Top Ten six times since the poll began in 1936.
The Tigers have won six conference Championships: 1939, '41, '42, '45 (Big 6 Championships) and 1960,1969 (Big 8 Championships). In addition Mizzou was Big 12 North Division Champions in 2007 and 2008.
The football tradition the school is most proud of is it's claim to having the oldest homecoming game in college football. Seems the Mizzou Tigers started the tradition that most other colleges now practice annually.
Mizzou's record against the SEC:
Missouri has met SEC teams 29 times and holds a 20-8-1 record for a .696 winning percentage.
The Tigers have winning records against nine SEC schools: Alabama (2-1), Arkansas (3-2), Auburn (1-0), Florida (1-0), LSU (1-0), Mississippi State (2-0), Ole Miss (5-1), South Carolina (2-0), Vanderbilt (2-1-1).
They have a losing record against Georgia (0-1), Kentucky (1-2), and no history against Tennessee (0-0).
(Texas A&M vs SEC after the jump).
TEXAS A&M:
Before joining the Big 12, Texas A&M football earned one national title and 18 South West Conference titles. The Aggies have won 3 Big 12 South Division Championships. A&M has gone to 32 Bowl games and has a 13-19 record.
The school has finished in the AP top 25 - 24 times including 11 Top Ten seasons.
The Aggies play all home games at Kyle Field (the home of the 12th man), which has a seating capacity of 83,002. Their stadium has a reputation as a tough place for visiting teams with a 251-122-12 home record. They were especially tough to beat in the 1990s, when coach R.C. Slocum had a 55-4-1 record, including winning streaks of 31 (between 1990-1995) and 22 (1996-2000).
The school has several famous traditions including the 12th man. The tradition beckons back to 1922 when third string player E. King Gill had been sent to the press box before the game to help reporters identify players. When the team saw several injuries, the coach called Gill to the field in case he was needed to help out the team.
In modern times A&M coaches have used walk-ons to field the 12th man special teams kickoff unit. Also the A&M Corps stand and yell constantly during the games in the spirit of the 12th man. The fans hold practice screaming sessions to get ready for each game. It’s called Midnight Yell Practice, and thousands of Aggies fans participate in the tradition every Friday night before Saturday games.
Observers say this has made Aggieland one of the most intimidating venues in all of college football.
A&M's record against the SEC:
Texas A&M has met SEC teams 142 times, mainly due to an old rivalry with LSU as well as having played Arkansas in the old South West Conference. They have a cumulative record against the SEC of 58-78-6 for a .426 winning percentage.
The Aggies have a winning record against 3 SEC schools: Ole Miss (4-0), Georgia (3-2), and Auburn (2-0). They have a losing record against 4 SEC schools: Arkansas (24-40-3), LSU (20-27-3), Alabama (1-3), and Tennessee (0-2). The Aggies have not played South Carolina or Vandy and hold tie records against Florida (1-1), Kentucky (1-1), and Miss State (2-2).
While there is still doubt in some circles just how valuable the new members will be to the SEC, there is little debate over what the conference sees in bringing these two teams into the league. In short it's the dollar$ in new television markets and to a lesser degree, the hope of an expanding recruiting presence in Texas and the Midwest.
The presence of the two new teams will not greatly upset the balance of the league. However, adding two new teams will make it even more difficult to make it through conference play undefeated. A feat which is paramount in the BCS era if a team hopes to play for a national championship. That's why this author didn't think conference expansion was a good idea. After all money isn't every thing - unless you are a conference commissioner.
In the meantime SEC fan, get to know your newest members; for better or worse, they are apart of us now.