Date: 10/18/14
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Television: CBS (National)
Spread: Alabama -13.5
Players to Watch
Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver (Alabama)
After an injury riddled 2013 season, Cooper has regained his freshman form, terrorizing opposing secondaries, so far this season, Cooper has caught 54 passes, and is averaging almost 15 yards per reception. He is getting open at all levels of the field, and breaking plays open with his speed.
Landon Collins, Safety (Alabama)
Collins is next in line of the recent trend of talended Alabama safeties, following players like Mark Barron, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Robert Lester. Collins is great at reading the quarterback and using his athletic ability to break up passes and create create turnovers.
Kenny Hill, Quarterback (Texas A&M)
Although the “Kenny Trill” hype has died down considerably, Hill is still a great fit for the Aggie offense and gives them the potential to score a lot of points. His pass-first mentality is a stark contrast from Johnny Manziel, but he still forces defenses to gameplan for his legs, with his mobility.
Myles Garrett, Defensive Line (Texas A&M)
Although he’s only a freshman, Garrett has made a name for himself as a pass rusher, leading the SEC in sacks with seven and one-half sacks half way through this season. He is an explosive athlete with a strong first step, and can rush the passer with speed. He is already putting himself on NFL radars with his performance and upside.
Texas A&M’s Offense vs Alabama’s Defense
The key for the Aggies offense will be for Hill to not commit turnovers. Early in the season, when the Aggies were climbing the polls, Hill had not thrown an interception. However, since conference play started, he has thrown six, and A&M lost two of those games, and needed overtime to beat Arkansas.
They have plenty of talented receivers, like Riky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil, Malcolme Kennedy, and more, but ‘Bama’s secondary is loaded with equally talented and athletic players.
Alabama’s Offense vs Texas A&M’s Defense
The Aggies have a subpar pass defense, and an average run defense, so the advantage swings towards the Tide. With T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake, Derrick Henry, Amari Cooper, DeAndrew White, and O.J. Howard, Alabama is loaded with offensive weapons to attack the Aggies.
Blake Sims has struggled the past couple games, so look for a conservative offensive gameplan early, as he looks to get back in rhythm.
Game Preview
A&M is finishing up an absolutely brutal stretch of games, as they are coming off of losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, both currently ranked in the Top 3 of the polls.
The last time these two teams met in Tuscaloosa is when the legend of “Johnny Football” began to take shape. This time around, Kenny Hill will be the quarterback. He is not quite the personality that Manziel is, but he may be just as good of a quarterback.
Though this is an SEC matchup, and will have plenty of tough defense, this game has the potential for a lot of offense. The Tide has plenty of top players, especially Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon, leading the offense. And since all of Alabama’s opponents have struggled to stop them, A&M’s average defense may have a tough time.
One key matchup to watch that could make a huge difference is the battle of the true freshman, Aggie defensive end Myles Garrett against Alabama left tackle Cameron Robinson. Sims has cooled off significantly over the past couple weeks, so if Garrett can create pressure consistently and open up opportunities for other rushers, they could force Sims into bad decisions, giving the Aggies have a chance to pidgeon-hole Alabama’s offense and focus on stopping Yeldon.
Implications
Texas A&M has two conference losses, so they are all but out of the playoff picture, but Alabama still has a chance. They suffered their only loss in Oxford against Ole Miss, so one loss in a tough environment against a Top-3 team is not too big of a blemish on their resume. However, a loss on Saturday could take them out of the hunt all together.
Final Prediction
Texas A&M- 24 vs. Alabama- 30