MMR Week 3: Texas A&M at Auburn
Bruins and Panthers and Tigers, oh MY!!
Now we’re paying double jeopardy, where the games are worth twice as much and every coach is in the hot seat.
That’s what you’re going to hear all the way up to kickoff. Malzahn is playing for his job...Sumlin is playing for his job. Well, the media is right, patience in the SEC is seldom given to ride out a few bad seasons, not when Alabama is sitting on the throne with another ring to add to its collection.
There are two games that give us an indication that both teams are good, but not great. Auburn lost a close game to Clemson a few weeks ago, but the game was not close because of the Auburn defense as much as it was how overrated Clemson is this season. Already dropping spots in the polls, Clemson does not impress many people with their close wins. Auburn had a great chance to win that game and didn’t make the best of it. Now they’re trying to figure out how to pull out the close win.
Texas A&M did get tested. UCLA spotted the Aggies a few touchdowns, then came roaring back in the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime. The grit of Aggies came through and sealed the win, but it also exposed the aspect of the defense A&M needs to quickly improve, linebacker. UCLA ran the ball all day long, sucking in the corners and safeties to get comfortable in a man-to-man scheme. When the 4th quarter started, UCLA decided to wake up their offense and launch the air attack, and caught A&M dead asleep. The defense finally adjusted but not before giving up the lead late in the game.
This just lays out the game plan to beat A&M. Any team with a balanced offense that can run and pass will simply play “rope-a-dope” and wear A&M down for three quarters. Then blow up the secondary in the 4th so fast A&M cannot recover. Thankfully Auburn is not the team to accomplish the task.
This won’t happen. The offense is shaky for Auburn. Despite the sunshine they’re pumping to make Sean White look like the next Heisman candidate, the offense is not a well-tuned machine just yet. They are going to face a very tough defense, with constant blitzes coming in different forms and players. The only way to beat the tough
punch is go with a bootleg rollout or to play the tight end very strong. I just can’t see that happening.
For Texas A&M, the major question is whether the Aggies can play as good as they did for the last two weeks, but this time on the road? Silly thing about A&M since Sumlin took over, they are 11-6 on the road for conference games, and a terrible 6-9 at Kyle Field. Advantage goes to the Aggies, but only if the the playbook opens up a little more and our wide receiver corps gets a chance to catch the ball. If we stick to the run, this becomes an old-fashioned, three-yards-and-a cloud-of-dust game.
Overall, this is an interesting match up for a conference game in September. Everything on paper gives the edge to A&M in this game. The game, however, is a night game at Auburn. Winning a road game in the SEC is always tough, no matter whom you play. Auburn is giving 3.5 points at home, but this is an even match up, and I would have to bet that the Aggie Defense has a better game than the Auburn Defense, and that will make the difference.
A&M 27
Auburn 24