A&M aligns stars for national title bid in 2013

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COLLEGE STATION – Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M's freshman quarterback, enjoyed an up-close angle on Alabama's spanking of Notre Dame in Monday night's national title game.

"It was crazy to watch," said Manziel, who observed the Crimson Tide's 42-14 triumph from the Sun Life Stadium sidelines.

He knows of only one view better for the title tilt: through a facemask. And with the offseason a week old and the Aggies celebrating their strongest finish in 56 years, Manziel is itching to sprint back on the grass.

"All the tools are there," he said Thursday, "for us to be one of the best teams in the country."

A&M closed out its surprising first swing through the Southeastern Conference already grasping that description, finishing fifth in the final Associated Press poll. In doing so, first-year coach Kevin Sumlin managed what only Paul "Bear" Bryant had at A&M since just prior to World War II: a top-five finish. Sumlin did so in a league sporting the national titlist in Alabama and five teams among the AP's final top 10.

"We weren't coming in-to the league just trying to play games," Sumlin said.

The Aggies won a national title in 1939 under Homer Norton, and their next top-five finish (fifth) came in 1956 under Bryant, a year before he bolted for Alabama, his alma mater. Since then and despite their deserved places in Aggies lore, Emory Bellard, Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum never managed a top-five finish.

Now the Aggies are an early pick to contend for their second national title, and that prognostication got a bit stronger on Thursday with the news offensive tackle Jake Matthews will return for his senior season.

"There are a few things that really swayed my decision," Matthews said. "No. 1 is the opportunity to play with my younger brother, Mike (a sophomore lineman). That opportunity doesn't come around very often."

The Aggies are an early pick to contend for next year's national title. (Nick de la Torre/Chronicle) The Aggies are an early pick to contend for next year's national title. (Nick de la Torre/Chronicle) Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close A&M aligns stars for national title bid in 2013 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Neither does the chance to compete for a title. But the Aggies, with Manziel, leading receiver Mike Evans and a slew of talented running backs returning, should be in the mix from the start. They had to fight their way into the top 25 in 2012, coming off a 7-6 finish with many of the same players under then-coach Mike Sherman.

What a difference four months of football makes.

"(My) preseason top three next year: Texas A&M, Alabama, Ohio State," CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel posted on his Twitter account Thursday. "Order could vary, but those are the best of the best."

His early prediction is in line with plenty of others, and the Aggies will find out early if they're on target. Alabama visits Kyle Field on Sept. 14. Another potential stumbling block is Nov. 23 at LSU, although the Tigers haven't been helped by the announced departures of 10 underclassmen to the draft.

"Those are the two teams that jump off the page at you," Manziel said in surveying this year's schedule. "And (Alabama) will want revenge."

Two months ago, the Aggies toppled the Crimson Tide 29-24, handing Alabama its lone loss of the season. A week ago, A&M earned a jump on the 2013 slate with a 41-13 throttling of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.

"For everybody next year, this is the first game of the new year," Sumlin said afterward. "It sets the bar."

A bar now set higher than even the most ardent Aggie fans imagined a year ago.