Alabama’s No. 1 hits the road to face Texas A&M on Saturday in an SEC game that’s been circled on college football fan calendars since the offseason. While one of the storylines will be whether the Crimson Tide can avenge last year’s stunning loss, most of the storyline surrounding this game stems from the offseason issues between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher.

First, Texas A&M toppled Alabama 41-38 in College Station, Texas, last season, marking the first time Saban had lost to a former assistant. Then, Fisher and his staff achieved a recruiting class that not only ranked #1 in the nation, but also considered the best class in the history of the recruiting ranking industry. Saban would go on to make a public comment regarding NIL’s influence on Texas A&M’s recruiting success, prompting a fiery response from Fisher at a press conference — and ultimately a public rebuke from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey for the claims. two coaches for their “derogatory comments”. and public criticism” of another program.

The first half of the season may not have gone according to preseason expectations with two top-10 teams facing off in the Saban-Fisher rematch, but the intensity of this modern SEC rivalry requires national rankings to spark intrigue. Alabama both puts its No. 1 ranking on the line and seeks revenge for last year’s loss in the same setting; Jimbo and the Aggies are here to play spoilers on one of the biggest stages in gaming, the SEC on CBS primetime.

Alabama vs. Texas A&M: Need to Know

Bryce Young suffers from a shoulder injury: The biggest headline on the court heading into Saturday’s game is the status of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The defending Heisman Trophy winner was knocked out of last week’s victory at Arkansas with a shoulder injury, and is going to a game time decision as he works his way to full health. He was replaced in the game by redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe, and after a tough third quarter, the offense relied heavily on running play to get away from Arkansas. in the fourth quarter. If Young can’t get there or is limited, running back Jahmyr Gibbs is expected to lead a heavy approach against the Aggies after the former Georgia Tech transfer had 206 yards and two long touchdowns on victory over the Razorbacks. .

Devon Achane is the only bright spot in the Aggies’ attack: The junior running back does it all for Texas A&M. He is the third leading rusher in the SEC, averaging 92.3 yards per game, while also leading all Power Five specialists in kickoff return average with 34.25 yards per return. But outside of Achane, it’s been hard for Texas A&M to find consistency, going through a quarterback change from Haynes King to Max Johnson and losing top receiver Ainias Smith to injury. two weeks ago in the win over Arkansas. The result of those setbacks is a Texas A&M offense that ranks last in the SEC, averaging 335.6 yards per game, and No. 108 nationally with 21.8 ppg. Beating Alabama will require another stellar performance from Achane, but it will also require a solid performance from the supporting cast.

Saban’s next chapter against the old wizards: Last season was notable for Fisher handing Saban his first loss to a former assistant, but Kirby Smart continued when he scored his first win over Saban in the College Football Playoff National Championship. But while those two losses each meant a lot, Saban remains dominant over time against his former assistants since arriving in Alabama with a 26-2 record that dates back to beating Derek Dooley in 2010 and was recently improved in beating Steve Sarkisian and Texas. earlier this season. Fisher can claim either of those two losses for Saban, but he’s also on the other end of four Alabama wins (three at Texas A&M, one at Florida State), so there’s still a noticeable advantage in this rivalry. of modern coaches.

How to Watch Alabama vs. Texas A&M Live

Date: Saturday October 8 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium — Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TV: SCS | Direct: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)

Alabama vs Texas A&M prediction, picks

Texas A&M may have one of the 10 worst offenses at the Power Five level, but I have to believe the same head coach who put Zach Calzada in a position to succeed against a solid Alabama defense will be able to get more than 13 or 14 points awarded to the Aggies in the implied score of this point spread and total – 38-14 based on Alabama-24 and a 51.5 over-under. Besides, I think Alabama – with or without Bryce Young – is going to snag at least 40 in this game. It might be a sweat, but I think the tendencies of the series support higher-scoring play when these two meet. Prediction: Over 51.5

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