Alabama Football: 2019 season preview week 2 versus New Mexico State

Game two of the Alabama football, 2019 season will be no nail-biter. The New Mexico State Aggies will allow plenty of work for the Tide’s second and third units.

There are three things we all know going into Sept 7 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama football coach, Nick Saban will berate anyone who foolishly suggests his Crimson Tide players may take the opponent too lightly. On game day, unless it rains, it will be scorchingly hot in Bryant-Denny. The New Mexico State Aggies have absolutely no chance to win the game. If the ESPN FPI algorithm eventually spews out the Aggies have a one or two percent chance, the FPI should be consigned to bad media idea oblivion.

The other guarantee for game two is the game guarantee paid to New Mexico State. It is hard to say whether the Aggies need games or cash more. After being booted out of the Sun Belt, scheduling as an independent has been a challenge for NMSU. Last season, the Aggies played Liberty, twice.

Other than a big payday, what are the expectations of the Aggies? Some context is needed. After 57 seasons of bowl game futility, the Aggies won the Arizona Bowl in 2017, beating Utah State. An end-of-season win over South Alabama made the Aggies bowl-eligible at 6-6. Fans rushed the field in celebration of both wins. Football in Las Cruces, NM does not afford many opportunities for celebrations.

Bill Connelly of SBNation gave the best description of the Aggies football program.

"NMSU and its cousin UTEP, an hour down the road, are not in an area that’s going to produce a bounty of football talent. They are isolated in a way that will always hold them back. That both insist on playing football in the highest subdivision is an admirable affirmation of “the love of the game.” But in an environment of such ridiculous anti-parity, it’s also a quest for minimal joy."

“A quest for minimal joy” perfectly describes New Mexico State football. After the jubilation of finishing 7-6 in 2017, the Aggies slumped to 3-9 last season. The lack of talent argument stated by Connelly has led to some unique suggestions of remedies. It has been suggested the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State should combine football programs and field a single team. One outlandish suggestion was a New Mexico merger would be insufficient and Texas El-Paso should be included.

The Aggies, Lobos and Miners will not be joining forces in Tuscaloosa. If they did, it still would not be enough to challenge Alabama football. We are assuming the guy below (actually a guy in a cowboy costume) will not be brandishing about an actual weapon on the sidelines of Bryant-Denny.

For Alabama football fans who have waded through this preview hoping for some solid content on the 2019 NMSU team – they will be better than last season. This season four wins looks to be achievable.

Nick Saban is a vocal proponent Power Five schools should play only Power Five foes. Such a change will never happen until there is a measurement replacing six wins as the qualifier for bowl games.