Things are rolling in Tuscaloosa. The Alabama Crimson Tide hasn’t played a game closer than 37 points in three games so far this season. It’s a record for any SEC team to score 50+ points in their first three games of a given season. But, defeating Louisville 51-14, Arkansas State 57-7, and Ole Miss 62-7 is one thing – defeating a ranked opponent who nearly took down the #2 Clemson Tigers a couple of weeks ago is another.
Jimbo Fisher and the new-look Texas A&M Aggies travel to T-Town on Saturday for CBS’s ‘SEC Game of the Week’ at 2:30PM CST.
This marks the first real test for Nick Saban and company. So far, it’s all sunshine and rainbows as the passing offense is running smoothly regardless of whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts in at quarterback, the Tide offense is lethal. This ‘Bama receiving corps may be its deepest ever. And while the ground game has looked a little lacking at times this season, it’s still effective. The defense is obviously good…but Saturday’s game is going to be a “prove it” type of game.
When asked, Saban had complimentary things to say about Fisher, according to ESPN:
“…Jimbo Fisher has done a nice job since taking over at Texas A&M. “They’re a completely different team than they’ve been in the past,” he said, noting that they’re in more regular formations while still incorporating the spread.”
You can read that as, “they’re already immensely better than they would be if Kevin Sumlin was still at the helm” if you want to. I did.
But, anyway, there’s truth to this – Fisher has done a nice job. The Aggies were just a failed two-point conversion attempt away from forcing overtime with Clemson.
They’ve certainly found their quarterback in Kellen Mond, who has thrown for 824 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Factor in three rushing touchdowns and the fact that he has yet to throw an interception, and you’ve got your guy! Plus, what’s encouraging for the Aggies is that Mond’s best game this season didn’t come against cupcakes – it was the Clemson game. In that contest, Mond was 23/40 for 430 yards and three touchdowns. He’s a capable guy.
Trayveon Williams is a weapon on the ground, and the Aggies have a quality stable of receivers to get the job done on offense. This team is actually 5th in the FBS in terms of offensive yardage (Alabama is 14th).
On defense, Alabama is allowing a paltry 9.3 points per game, but the Aggies aren’t too far behind them, allowing just 15.0 points per game. I’m not calling this a trap game, but it will be a more accurate barometer of where this Tide team is than any other game they’ve played this season. It’s their toughest match-up yet.
The spread is currently -27 in favor of the Tide. For the first time this season, I can’t help but wonder if Alabama can cover.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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