The SEC West gives us a top-25 matchup this weekend as the no. 17 Texas A&M Aggies play host to the no. 8 Auburn Tigers. Game time is at 3:30 EST on Saturday, September 21 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.
Current odds list Texas A&M as 4-point favorites at home with an over/under of 49.5 points. Be sure to check out a full list of this week’s college football odds.
Auburn got off to a fast start this year, beating Oregon 27-21 in come-from-behind fashion, and they haven’t slowed down. The Tigers took care of a tough Tulane team a couple of weeks ago and won last week in convincing fashion over Kent State. The most amazing part is that they’ve done it with true freshman Bo Nix, who has looked like a veteran through the first few games of his career.
Of course, the Tigers face one of the most difficult schedules in the country in the SEC, starting this week. Not only do the Tigers have to play every other team in the SEC West, but they also have crossover games against Florida and Georgia, giving them four teams on their schedule currently ranked in the top-10. For most teams, a trip to College Station is the toughest game on the schedule, but for Auburn, it’s just the start of a brutal stretch.
As for the Aggies, they’ve already experienced a setback this season, losing to no. 1 Clemson on the road a couple of weeks ago. However, Texas A&M also has lopsided wins over Texas State and Lamar, putting them at 2-1 heading into the SEC opener.
The Aggies are also getting ready for a gauntlet of a schedule that includes four teams that are currently ranked in the top-10. On the bright side, the Aggies play their first three conference games at home, starting with this week’s game against Auburn.
In the short time that Texas A&M has been in the SEC, the Aggies and Tigers have played some memorable games. Auburn has won three of their last four meetings with A&M, including a 28-24 nail biter last season. Perhaps more importantly, the Tigers have won all three of their trips to College Station, although all three of those games were before Jimbo Fisher took over at Texas A&M.
Given Auburn’s history of winning in College Station, I like the Tigers in this matchup, especially as underdogs. Auburn’s defense awfully good, so covering more than a field goal will be a tall task for the Aggies, even if they get a boost from the crowd. In the end, I think Auburn will find a way to pull out a close win in a low-scoring game.
When Texas A&M faced Clemson a couple of weeks ago, their offense came grinding to a halt. They scored a touchdown with six seconds left in the game to make it a 24-10 game and beat the spread. But that was all they got outside of a field goal to cap a 16-play, 48-yard drive. I like quarterback Kellen Mond, but he had a tough game, especially with the A&M rushing attack producing little.
To be fair, that game was on the road and came against the no. 1 team in the country. But one could argue that the Auburn defense is better than the Clemson defense. Gus Malzahn’s defense is loaded, especially on the defensive line. Look no further than the first game of the season when the Tigers faced Oregon, a team with a veteran quarterback and one of the best offensive lines in the country. The Tigers had three sacks and allowed less than 100 yards rushing against the Ducks.
I don’t know if Texas A&M has the offensive line to hold up against Auburn’s defensive line for four quarters. My guess is the Aggies will struggle to run the ball and give Mond much support. Remember, the home-field advantage isn’t going to do much for the A&M offense, so I think the Tigers will get the better of this matchup.
On the other side of the ball, there’s a lot to like about the Texas A&M defense. They did their best against Clemson to keep the Aggies in the game. It’s also fair to ask questions about the Auburn offense in a game when they won’t be able to push around a smaller opponent. Nix, despite his poise and his performance in the fourth quarter against Oregon, is completing just 52% of his passes this year. The Tigers are going to have to manufacture some points and lean on JaTarvious Whitlow to grind out the game on the ground.
Ultimately, I trust Nix to avoid any disastrous mistakes against Texas A&M. If he can do that, I think the Auburn defense and running game can do enough to at least keep the Tigers within a field goal to beat the spread. However, I think there’s a good chance Nix has a good game and leads the Tigers to a win.