Texas A&M Football: First Look – Alabama

First Look at Upcoming Opponent for Texas A&M Football

Year in and year out the Alabama game is the measuring stick for Texas A&M football. Ever since the Aggies entered the conference and toppled the reigning national champions down in Tuscaloosa, both fanbases have perennially had this game circled. Only once since joining the conference has this matchup not been CBS’s first selection as their top game of the week whenever it is played, and—despite a few lopsided results—it is typically one of the premier games in the SEC each year.

That said, if early lines are to be believed, this is one of the most evenly-matched games between these two teams in quite some time. SP+ literally has this as a tie in its rounded score projections!

Texas A&M football fans should be very glad this game is at Kyle. Again, with one notable exception (2019), the matchups in College Station have been very close (the 2015 game final deficit being a bit overstated due to Kyle Allen’s three pick-sixes). Games where the Aggies are unranked and starting a backup quarterback at home? Undefeated record for the Maroon and White (that being a 1-0 mark, of course).

When it comes to the specific matchups in this game, there are some clear edges for the Aggies. I’ll be writing more on this in the full opponent preview later this week, but the defense for this Texas A&M football team is a bad matchup for Alabama. Like, a really bad matchup. This, notably, will also be Milroe’s first real road test.

When the Aggies have the ball, though, it will be similarly tough sledding. The Tide do have a good defense—though not necessarily elite—and will be going up against a QB with far more defined weaknesses than Conner Weigman has. Kevin Steele all but shut down a Max Johnson-led offense as the DC for Miami last year at Kyle Field—of course, that offense was coordinated by Jimbo rather than Bobby P—so there are definite reasons for concern. That said, though, last week’s game for the Tide exposed what could be a few cracks in the armor; cracks that the Aggie offensive staff, who even under the previous regime had a few tricks up their collective sleeve in this game, might could be able to exploit.

This will be a low-scoring game, I think. I also see it as a decisive win for Texas A&M football. Give me the Aggies winning by a score of 27-13.