Alabama Football: Three Bold Predictions for Bama vs Texas A&M
Alabama Football (4-1, 2-0) looks to remain undefeated in SEC play when it travels west to take on Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0) in a highly-anticipated game that could decide the division.
The Crimson Tide is a slight favorite on the road, but the Aggies have certainly been the more popular pick with the national media. It’s a difficult matchup for Alabama, but I believe the Crimson Tide’s weaknesses have been greatly exaggerated by media types that don’t pay close enough attention to the team.
Last week’s bold predictions didn’t come through, as only one of the three hit. I expected Jalen Milroe to have some success on the deep ball and connect on two passes of 40 yards or more. While Milroe played a very clean game, his longest completion went for just 27 yards. In my defense, I didn’t know deep threat Jermaine Burton would be limited in the game.
My second bold prediction hit very early in the game. I thought the Crimson Tide defense would find the end zone in Starkville, and senior linebacker Chris Braswell brought home a pick six on State’s third possession, just 11 minutes into the contest.
My third prediction was that freshman running back Justice Haynes would score his first touchdown for Alabama Football. While Haynes didn’t hit paydirt, he got some carries late and flashed his potential with a 15-yard burst that was the longest run of the day for any Alabama running back.
Hopefully this week’s bold predictions will do a little better.
1. Alabama Football vs Texas A&M: Total goes over 55 points
This game has been billed as a defensive struggle, with the betting total set at just 46 points. This is reasonable, considering Bama has scored more than 24 points just twice this season, and won last season’s matchup by a score of 24-20. While defense is the relative strength of both teams, these offenses are more explosive than they get credit for.
Bama has a lot of electric potential offensively with Jalen Milroe at quarterback. Milroe can score from anywhere on the field with his legs or his arm, and he has big-play options in the passing game such as Jermaine Burton, Isaiah Bond, and tight end Amari Niblack. While they have been quiet so far this season, juniors Ja’Corey Brooks and Malik Benson can generate quick points as well.
On the other side, Texas A&M might be even better at the skill positions. Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart are a dynamic duo on the perimeter, while 6’6” Noah Thomas can be a red zone nightmare.
I believe both of these offenses are underrated and will be able to score points in this game. I also think turnovers and/or non-offensive touchdowns will play a role in this game and add to the total.