Conference call.(College Football)

Texas A&M

After losses to Pittsburgh and Texas Tech, Texas A&M's season looked lifeless.

Though the Aggies might not be a threat to win the Big 12 championship after those disappointments, -things could get better considering coach Dennis Franchione has a proven record of getting his team rocking down the stretch.

Franchione has forged a reputation for quickly turning around programs. It began as the head coach of Southwestern College in Kansas, where he overcame a 1-2-2 start and won the final four games of the year. In his first year at Pittsburg State in Kansas, he led the Gorillas to six straight wins to finish the regular season after a 1-2 start. TCU won its last three games, including a Sun Bowl victory over Southern California, in Franchione's first year in Fort Worth. He helped turn around Alabama, leading the Tide to wins in its final four games in his first year there in 2001.

With the continuing emergence of young stars such as freshman running back Courtney Lewis and an explosive passing attack led by Reggie McNeal, the Aggies could be primed to shock Oklahoma (November 8), Missouri (November 15) or Texas (November 28) in the last three games of the year.

N.C. State

Thanks to spotty defense and an ineffective ground game, N.C. State struggled out of the gate after entering the season with high expectations.