Two days ago, the Texas A&M Aggies were 8-1 with a No. 22 national ranking and preparing for a non-conference show down with the No. 13 ranked Florida Gators. The contest would serve as a litmus test to determine if the Aggies were ready for prime time in the Big 12 and on the national stage.
The result? Not quite yet.
The 20-point beatdown received courtesy of the Gators served as a reminder that the Aggies still have work to do in becoming a great team in 2011-12, and also that the SEC will not be welcoming to Texas A&M when they arrive in 2012-13.
Now, the Aggies sit outside the national polls and will have two games versus Rice and Arkansas Tech to build up their conference before the beginning of Big 12 conference play on January 2nd versus the upstart No. 7 Baylor Bears.
Can Billy Kennedy get the ship righted? Can Khris Middleton and Elston Turner be the leaders Gillespie needs them to be? We'll soon find out on January 2nd.
For more Aggies news and notes, visit SB Nation's Texas A&M blog, I Am The 12th Man.