Late last season, Texas A&M football ventured to Auburn, Alabama for a night game against the Tigers, who were searching for a signature win. One quadruple-overtime contest later, the Auburn students were storming the field after a dropped two-point conversion attempt by the Aggies.
Even though that didn't fully eliminate the Aggies from SEC championship contention, it is still a flashpoint in the late-season slide from 2024. The Aggie faithful look to the multiple times that Hugh Freeze's squad successfully went over the heads of the A&M secondary to Cam Coleman and Keandre Lambert-Smith as an avatar of the issues that plagued the Ags down the stretch.
Now, though, the Aggies get to play host to the Auburn Tigers in Kyle Field, where luck has been scant for the visitors over the last few matchups. Auburn hasn't won at Texas A&M since 2019, and the last few games in College Station haven't been particularly close. After last season's upset win for Auburn, the Aggies no doubt have revenge on the mind— but it won't be an easy task.
Texas A&M seeking revenge against Auburn after last season's upset
This is definitely Hugh Freeze's best team since he arrived at Auburn, but that isn't saying a whole lot given how his first two ended up. It's a put-up-or-shut-up year for him without a doubt, though— but they just failed their first test on the road at Oklahoma.
Back to back road trips in the SEC are no fun at all, and usually result in a low-level output on the back end, so that's advantage Texas A&M. With Texas A&M coming off of a bye, that definitely favors the Aggies as well.
They'll have to work hard to contain this Auburn run game, however. There's been some trouble up front for the Aggies on the defensive side, as they haven't looked quite as dominant as in years past. Jackson Arnold can kill opposing defenses with his legs, and the Auburn running backs are also pretty solid.
The question on every Aggie fans' mind is how they'll cover Cam Coleman. He's the epitome of a downfield threat, winning more than his fair share of 50/50 balls (which raises the question of whether they should be renamed, in his case). Will Lee and Dezz Ricks will definitely have their hands full.
The good news is that Arnold hasn't been particularly accurate, and is very turnover-prone. With Auburn giving up 10 sacks last week, too, this should be a game where the Ags can get a lot of pressure up front.
On the other side of the ball, Auburn has had some struggles in defense but looked good against Oklahoma. I'll be interested to see the comparison between the Ags and Sooners here, as I think A&M can generate some favorable matchups when they have the ball.
Auburn has lost by 17 points both of the last two times they came to Kyle Field, and I think we see that trend continue this year. Give me the Aggies winning 34-17 in this one.