MMR 7: Alabama at Texas A&M
The Dennis Franchione Bowl
Sure, I bet you’re thinking, “Macho Man, so many other connections between these two school…Gene Stallings, Bear Bryant.” And you would be right, but these two programs had to endure the $h!tstorm of what was left after Franchione departed both programs in shambles … both schools deserve to commiserate together.
So what’s at stake here, A LOT! If Alabama wants to get back into the national title picture, they need a win on Saturday. If Texas A&M wants to throw their hat into the playoff discussion, they have to win on Saturday. Who wants it more? I think both teams would say they would, it’s a question of who is better, and that’s what we find out in about 24 hours.
It looked as though Alabama may have been on track for a down year and eliminated from the playoff picture with their loss to Ole Miss, but a subsequent loss by Ole Miss along with Alabama’s win over Georgia changed their outlook and gave them one last chance to get back into the hunt if they won every game forward. So, in essence, the Crimson Tide are already playing elimination games for the rest of the season.
Texas A&M has been a surprise to the national media, as the football team has started the season 5-0. No one was really sure what to expect because the defense was such a question mark, but now that there is a sense of understanding of what the Aggies can do. A&M is finally getting the mentions of their talent that needs to be recognized, like Kyle Allen, Christian Kirk, Daeshon Hall and of course Myles Garrett.
Fundamentally, this game is a test for everyone. Can A&M stop the running game led by Alabama’s freshman sensation Derrick Henry Can Alabama handle the A&M pass rush? Is the Alabama passing defense going to show up or allow for tons of passing yards like we saw in the OIe Miss game? All we know is that the game will be more competitive that last year’s shutout in Tuscaloosa.
I would expect A&M’s defense to be very aggressive and take advantage of the home crowd to jump on an early lead against the Crimson Tide. I am excited to see how Kyle Allen has matured and become such a strong pocket presence. I love the way the offense is being presented to him so he can run through options at his own pace. He has some great talent to bring in the ball, let’s hope we can score early and often. I expect Alabama to try and use the same game plan Arkansas used against us, with the big difference that Alabama does not have the same size of offensive line that Arkansas does, so we should get a few more possessions. However, the pass is a bigger threat against us than it was for Arkansas, so we have to respect that aspect. QB Jake Coker is getting better every game, and has found a great target in Calvin Ridley, the freshman wide receiver. But A&M brings the same problem with Allen and Kirk. However, A&M has as many wide receiver threats as Ole Miss did and we all saw how that turned out.
Alright, so what does it come down to? This will be A&M’s passing up-tempo offense versus Alabama’s inconsistent defense. This is Alabama’s tough, pounding rushing attack let by RB Derrick Henry versus an Aggie defense that still struggles against the run. Whoever wins this matchup has the advantage, and the X factor will be turnovers. The turnover battle will determine the winner.
This is just another test for our Aggies, with many more to come. A win here will then line up the next key matchup with Ole Miss and LSU…both of which are on the road. For now, let’s keep the focus on this weekend and a win for the boys in maroon.
Alabama 24
Texas A&M 30