SEC Football: Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies and Bryan Harsin’s Tigers must win today

In College Station and Auburn today, the home teams must win. If either home team loses, it will immediately be an SEC Football ‘also-ran’ for the 2022 season. Auburn’s long slide does not fit a ‘mighty has fallen’ theme, but the situation is different for the Aggies.

After Texas A&M beat Alabama last October, the Aggies proclaimed themselves to be ascendant. And not just in the SEC or in SEC Football, but as a 2022 National Championship contender.

Since last season’s win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Aggies are 7-6, with losses to Ole Miss and LSU last season, plus losses to Appalachian State, Mississippi State, Alabama and South Carolina this season.

A loss on Saturday would make the Aggies 3-5 and in danger of not being a bowl team. In this case, ‘how the perceived mighty has fallen’ is an apt theme for a program suffering from its own delusions.

Auburn has moved beyond delusional to depressing. Anyone wanting to hear some positive spin from an Auburn fan had best form a search party. All the Aubies seem interested in these days, is whether they can hire Deion Sanders or Hugh Freeze and if so, can either one take over immediately.

Arkansas is the week nine opponent for the Tigers. At 4-3, the Hogs have disappointed but their fanbase remains optimistic for the rest of 2022 and beyond.

In recent days, much coverage of the Aggies and Tigers has been about internal dissension. Jimbo Fisher suspended a few of his most recent, prized recruits. In a steady flow, Auburn keeps losing players to the Transfer Portal.

Reportedly, Jimbo Fisher was a no-show for the week’s broadcast team’s production meeting on Friday. Coaches rarely miss those sessions. All week. Bryan Harsin has had to fend off accusations he is denying players redshirt opportunities.

Not a time in the SEC football season for faltering mindsets

Neither team appears to be in the best mindset for must-win games.

Ole Miss badly needs a bounce-back win in College Station. There are rumors the Rebels will play without running back, Zach Evans, but freshman Quinshon Judkins leads Ole Miss in rushing.

Aggies’ QB, Haynes King is said to still be banged up, but not so much for Jimbo Fisher to go with his former 5-Star, freshman, QB Conner Weigman. Going with Weigman would be a bold move due to his lack of experience. The Aggies can churn up offense on the ground through Devon Achane, but the A&M offense winning a shootout with Ole Miss is doubtful.

The lead story on FlyWarEagle Friday night was about Bo Nix being “miserable every week” last season, while playing for Bryan Harsin. In fairness to the site, there are few positive storylines to engage Auburn fans.

Auburn players should have a ‘back against the wall’ mentality against Arkansas. If Harsin has not lost a sizable portion of his team, the Tigers could beat the Hogs. Or, what should be a close game, might not be close at all with an Arkansas win.

If one or both of Texas A&M and Auburn drop to 3-5 after Saturday, what is left in their seasons will not much matter.