Texas A&M boosters may be wanting a mulligan on their recent decision to extend Jimbo Fisher’s contract and give him a 20% pay raise. Fisher is now making $9 million annually as coach of the Aggies, and he is set to be the head coach in College Station until 2031. The Aggies were considered a College Football Playoff contender coming into the season, but they are already 0-2 in SEC play and will likely lose their third straight game this week when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.
CBS is wishing they had a mulligan too, as the network used one of its two night game flexes to put this game on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET. The Texas A&M Aggies will host the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.
College Football Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Alabama Crimson Tide -19
Texas A&M Aggies +19
Total 51
Alabama comes into this game as the No. 1 ranked team in the country. The Crimson Tide have the longest winning streak in the nation after winning the CFP National Championship in 2020. They have not been unbeatable though, as Florida only lost to Alabama by two points in Gainesville a few weeks ago. That was the program’s only close game though as the Crimson Tide hammered Miami in their season opener and easily handled Ole Miss last week.
The Aggies looked to be a strong team coming into the season. However, starting quarterback Haynes King fractured his ankle in the second game of the year. Texas A&M’s offense has sputtered since that point, leading to a narrow win over Colorado and losses to both Arkansas and Mississippi State. That has already eliminated the Aggies from contention in the SEC West.
Steve Sarkisian is no longer the offensive coordinator and Alabama lost a ton of talent to the NFL, but the Crimson Tide have the third-best scoring offense in the nation (45.0 PPG). Bryce Young is lighting up teams just like Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa, completing 73% of his passes for 9.2 YPA with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. The offensive line has given him a ton of time to find open receivers, and he is making opposing defenses pay.
John Metchie III and Jameson Williams have been the top receivers. Metchie is primarily a possession receiver and leads the Crimson Tide with 27 receptions, while Williams is averaging 21.4 YPR. The ground game is churning out big yards with Brian Robinson Jr. and Jase McClellan leading the way too.
Backup quarterback Zach Calzada has not played well in lieu of the injured King. Calzada has completed just 53.9% of his passes and is averaging 5.8 YPA with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He has two real difference makers in Ainias Smith and tight end Jalen Wydermyer, but he has been unable to find them often. Wydermyer is someone that could have a big game on Saturday though, as Alabama’s dealing with injuries at linebacker.
Texas A&M’s top two running backs are churning out nice chunks of yardage. Isaiah Spiller has run for 445 yards and is averaging 6.5 YPC, while Devon Achane has run for 296 yards and is averaging 6.9 YPC.
The Crimson Tide have done a good job stopping the run. They are allowing 3.5 YPC on the season, but Florida had a lot of success with read option looks. Unfortunately for the Aggies, Calzada doesn’t have a lot of speed, and Fisher is a pro-style coach that doesn’t like to run his quarterbacks often.
Prediction
Alabama is beatable this season, but Texas A&M doesn’t have the right personnel to pull off the upset. The Aggies would have had a chance with a healthy King considering the offensive line and the ground game, but Calzada will be unable to make Alabama respect the pass.
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