Alabama football has been dominating opponents the past two weeks. Tide fans expect more of the same against TAMU. The Aggies deserve more respect.
Alabama football fans might need to be wary of our frequent view of presumed, unparalleled dominance. There is a good argument Alabama football is still inside a run as the greatest college football dynasty ever. A couple of seconds and a couple of pick plays did not slam a door on the dynasty.
The 2017 season is more about restoration than recovery. Despite almost waltzing to a 5-0 record, the season will bring challenge. Auburn is much better. Georgia looks very good. Clemson looks great. Other teams are serious CFB Playoff contenders.
The old ‘any given team …’ line is trite but not invalid. Play down to an opponent, make too many mistakes and greater teams can lose to lesser teams. It could even happen Saturday night in College Station, Texas.
The Aggies are the best team the Tide has played
All of us thought FSU was the greatest threat in the 2017 regular season. After the Noles, then Auburn or LSU. Last summer we published a series of posts, counting down the 2017 regular season opposition from worst to best. We picked Texas A&M as fourth best. If we did a new rating today, we might bump LSU and move the Aggies up to third.
What about FSU? Obviously, FSU without Deondre Francois is not near as good. In week six, we believe the Aggies are better than FSU. We are confident TAMU is better than Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State.
What about the Aggie collapse against an average UCLA team?
It was without question a collapse. Late in the third quarter, the Aggies led the Bruins 44-10 and lost 45-44. Such defeats can turn into mortal wounds for teams. TAMU limped to a 24-14 win the following week against lowly Nicholls State. The wins over Louisiana (Lafayette), Arkansas and South Carolina showed a team finding its footing.
Why is TAMU not 5-0 and why has it struggled since late in the third quarter against UCLA? Look no further than the photo below.
Texas A&M starting QB Nick Starkel on the Aggie sidelines on crutches pic.twitter.com/bnMHi4WhmW
— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 𝕃. 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 (@Travis_L_Brown) September 4, 2017
After Starkel’s exit from the UCLA game, true freshman QB Kellen Mond was 3-of-17. Since then he has gone 66-of-109 for 781 yards. He also rushed for 204 yards against Arkansas and South Carolina.
Mond is creative and can extend plays under pressure. Perhaps not as elusive as Shea Patterson but more of a true running threat, Mond has not played against a defense as talented as the Alabama football group. Against the Tide, Mond does not have to be great. A good performance by Mond is enough because the Aggies have other weapons.
Kevin Sumlin will get no argument from us after he suggested Minkah Fitzpatrick should be a Heisman contender. If an Aggies fan or coach states Christian Kirk is the most explosive offensive player competing Saturday night, we will not argue either. Kirk is a game-changer.
The Tide roster is loaded with talent but so is the Aggies roster. Trayveon Willimas, Keith Ford, Jhamon Ausbon, Armani Watts and Otoro Olaka are talented players. The also-talented, though inexperienced, Kellen Mond has more help than just Christian Kirk.
What about the three-plus touchdown spread?
Alabama football should not lose Saturday night. Even playing on the road, the Crimson Tide should prevail in a game that is not close at the finish. Just don’t get lulled into the presumption of another dominating blowout. Alabama is good, very good. But TAMU is not as bad as most think.
Next: The Tide and Aggies History
It is hard to believe how fast a college football season flies past. Check in with us each Sunday as we review the top SEC contenders and potential CFB Playoff participants. The first CFB Playoff rankings come out on October 31st.