Texas A&M are now the 2012 SEC West Champions, courtesy of LSU football's probation penalties
Pete Hernandez
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June 23, 2023 9:42 am CT
Breaking news to all Texas A&M football fans: the Aggies can officially add the title of 2012 SEC West Champions to their resume. Well, technically they could, but let’s break it down for you regardless.
In a report shared on Thursday, the NCAA’s Independent Accountability Resolution Process announced that the LSU football and basketball programs will receive three years of probation each that stems from the discovery that former offensive lineman Vadal Alexander competed while ineligible during his entire LSU career.
The probation period will include only minor penalties for both programs, as they both self-imposed penalties earlier in the investigative process.
As it pertains to LSU football, one of the self-imposed penalties was the vacating of all 37 wins from the years 2012 to 2015. One of those wins occurred on October 20, 2012, as the Tigers beat the Aggies 24-19 to give Texas A&M just their second loss of the entire season.
But now that the victory has been scrapped from the record, it only means one thing: Texas A&M is now your 2012 SEC West champions. Confused? Let’s break it down for you.
The 2012 Texas A&M season was headlined by a number of firsts: it was the Aggies’ first year in the SEC, their first season under head coach Kevin Sumlin, and in case you forgot, their first run with a quarterback named Johnny Manziel under center, who would go on to become the first freshman to be awarded the Heisman.
The Aggies finished 11-2 and would go on to beat Oklahoma 41-13 in the Cotton Bowl. But now that Texas A&M’s second loss to LSU has been wiped, the Maroon and White would have finished 11-1 that year with their lone loss coming to Florida in Week 1.
But wait, even without the effect of LSU’s probation, didn’t Alabama finish atop the SEC West with a 13-1 record? Indeed, but don’t forget who handed the Crimson Tide their only loss of the 2012 season.
In Week 10, Johnny Football and the SEC newbies from College Station took down Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in their own neighborhood with a 29-24 win, headlined by Manziel’s miraculous scramble and touchdown throw, just one of his three touchdowns on the day.
So even with a 13-1 record by the Crimson Tide, the Aggies, with a similar one-loss resume, would have had the edge atop the SEC West in light of their win over Alabama during the 2012 season.
From that point forward, I think it’s clear how the story would have played out.
Texas A&M goes on to beat Georgia in the SEC Championship, earns a ticket to the BCS Championship Game, and easily thwarts Notre Dame for a national title. It’s clear the college football screenwriters were on their game when penning the 2012 season, you could not have written it any better!
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