FULL PREVIEW – Texas A&M Football vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Final Thoughts on Texas A&M Football vs Ole Miss

This preview ended up being far longer than I anticipated, but I still don’t even feel like I’ve gotten out all my thoughts on this matchup. It’s a huge inflection point for the program insofar as what Texas A&M football stands to gain with a win vs lose with a unfavorable result. If they win, as I said, they get scoreboard over the Rebels for the next two years; a long losing streak is snapped; and belief is once again infused in the program with the Aggies and LSU on a collision course for their huge matchup at the conclusion of the season. If you lose, you are on the wrong side of Kiffin’s taunts for at least two years; the long losing streak continues; and questions and dissatisfaction continue to swirl up until that LSU matchup.

There are a lot of things that don’t favor the Aggies here. I don’t like how well the Rebel defense has been playing, and how good they are at generating pressure. I don’t like how well they can pass downfield. I don’t like that it’s on the road.

But equally, there are a lot of things that I do like for the Aggies in this one. I think they have a certain mental edge on the defensive side, as several Aggie defenders seem to have been looking forward to this one for quite some time. I like that, even though on the road, the game is early and the Aggies could catch the Rebels sleepwalking a bit. I like the matchup between Fisher/Petrino and Golding, believe it or not.

I just keep coming back to those latter things—maybe it’s because I’m an optimist and just want to believe, or maybe because of how close these matchup is on paper makes me feel like the superior talent will win out here. I’m choosing that optimism here, and sticking with my prediction of 24-17 Aggies.