While being realistic with the current situation, the one encouragement that I have is the strong early recruiting class. Sign a good running back or two and it will be even better.
FSU is a clearly a more inspired and focused team without Jimbo Fisher. He reminded me of Mack Brown at the real UT. Brown rode a world class quaterback in Vince Young to a NC. Fisher did the same with Winston and then the decline occured. A&M will not succeed with Fisher. He is going from two perhaps three heavy games per year to four or five major games per year.
Concerning our own coach, I think we're doing as well as one can with Hop. Mack the Knife did not bet the house on him unlike Sanders did with HWSNBN. I scratch my head with Dawson calls and he should go if the proper adjustments can't be made.