Texas A&M has continued to prove it's one of the best teams in the nation, entering Week 8 as one of 10 undefeated Power Four teams in college football and just one of two within the SEC. The Aggies have shown they can win slugfest battles and keep pace in high-scoring affairs, while looking dominant when both sides of the football are playing at their best.
That's why this trip to Arkansas doesn't strike too much fear into the chests of Aggie Nation, because this team has shown it's capable of winning in a multitude of ways. But that doesn't mean a win is guaranteed nor that Arkansas will simply roll over, so let's take a peek at some of the more captivating storylines surrounding these two teams as they prepare for a midafternoon clash in Fayetteville.
How will the Aggies handle an intricate, high-flying offense?
Despite a 2-4 start to the season, one that led to former head coach Sam Pittman's demise, there has been one consistently great part of this Arkansas football team: its offense. The Razorbacks' 503.8 yards per game rank fourth in the nation, and they're incredibly balanced in the way they execute, averaging 223.4 yards on the ground and 280.4 yards through the air.
Taylen Green might be one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the nation, a lethal dual-threat athlete who's thrown for 1,654 yards and added 504 on the ground, with 17 total touchdowns on the season. Bobby Petrino, the team's offensive coordinator and now-interim head coach, has done a tremendous job pushing all the right buttons for this talented group.
The story to watch here is just how this Aggie defense is able to halt — or even limit — this Arkansas attack. Mike Elko's team has faced plenty of talented offenses this season, but none have really matched that talent with a strong, cohesive identity like the Razorbacks will bring. If we get more of the same from this defense then it will be one of the more impressive feats we've seen all year, but, if Arkansas is humming along just as they have all year, then this A&M offense will need to be ready for an encore of the performance it showed against Notre Dame just a few short weeks ago.