With every new season there is new hope, new optimism among players and supporters whether the team they support went 4-8, 6-6 or 9-3 in its previous campaign.

An offseason with the strength coach, countless reps with the first team for the returnees and the influx of freshmen whose high school stats are still fresh in everyone's minds always lift the aspirations, more often than not, beyond what is feasible.

After all, everyone is undefeated in Week 1. Better yet, everyone still has a shot at being bowl eligible.

This season, though, Texas A&M fans will have to be guarded about their optimism, especially if they are focusing on the win-loss column. And for the most part, that appears to be the attitude that has been taken by A&M followers in the know.

"Improvement" and "respectability" are words thrown around more often than "title" and "championship." A&M supporters appear realistic and willing to wait at least another season for A&M to legitimately challenge Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State, the three Big 12 South teams ranked in the Top 10.

"The fans were very receptive and straightforward and honest," A&M second-year head coach Mike Sherman said of his tour across Texas this summer. "They want us to improve and they want to see improvement from year to year, which I would certainly expect them to think. They want to win and want to win championships, [but] I think they're realistic in where we are and hopeful we continue to get better. Oftentimes they talked about recruiting and they're excited about the guys that are attracted to Texas A&M. I think they are a very hopeful group of people."

For this season at least, "hope" is the operative word.

With a depth chart that has three more freshmen and sophomores on it than upperclassmen (27 to 24), time is obviously an ingredient the Aggies need before they are again part of the Big 12 South equation. Even five of the upperclassmen are relative newbies, having never lettered at A&M.

With those numbers in mind and on the heels of a 4-8 season, there is good reason why the Aggies are picked sixth in the Big 12 South.

But like what Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman said about being voted fifth in the Big 12 North -- "No one goes into the season believing they will be fifth" -- the Aggies surely aren't planning to finish last in their division.

So what can honestly be expected of the Aggies?

Make a bowl game and its been a successful season. Spend the entire holiday season at home for a second straight year -- not an easy thing to do these days with the amount of bowl games out there -- and it will be another disappointing campaign and the moaning will grow louder.

Wins and losses won't tell the whole story of the 2009 season, though.

Last year's disappointments were more about the way the Aggies lost than the loss itself. The Aggies must avoid the embarrassing 49-7 and 41-21 losses, at least cutting them back from six to no more than one, if possible.

The defense, with the speed it is supposedly gaining, must establish it can at least keep up with the offenses it faces.

Offensively, the Aggies have to show they are a threat to run consistently, so that Sherman's pro-style attack can have the balance he covets.

If those things can be accomplished, the direction the team is headed will be just as important as the number of wins.

But be careful, Aggie fans, for a successful season this year will also set up the annual abundance of sanguinity for next season's campaign, when words like "title" and "championship" will come to mind whether warranted or not.

Richard Croome's e-mail address is richard.croome@theeagle.com.