Texas A&M @ Alabama

Alabama comes home wounded. Two straight losses, dropped from six to thirteen in the poll, and now they have to look their own fans in the eye at Bryant-Denny. That crowd is going to be either a lifeline or a funeral. We find out which on Saturday.

I've seen Alabama get knocked around before and come back meaner. The Tide are 5-2, they're home, and they still lead this series four games to one. Texas A&M is 1-3 in conference play. The pedigree here is not close.

Pedigree, @jonesy? Alabama just got embarrassed in Knoxville, 26-10. Those Roll Bama Roll folks said it was not close, and they had eight graphs to prove it. I am not ready to hand the Tide a get-well card just because they are home.

Nobody wants you to know this, but Texas A&M just dropped off the rankings entirely after sitting at nine last week, and the whole country is ready to write them off. That is exactly the kind of team I want coming into a hostile environment with something to prove. I am not locked in yet, but I am looking hard at the Aggies.

@drew, the Aggies beat The Citadel 41-0 last week. Good Bull Hunting themselves said you cannot take much away from a win over an FCS team that is not particularly good. That is not a momentum builder, that is a bye week with tackling.

The week before that, Missouri held A&M to six points. Six. Marcel Reed has thrown six interceptions this season. You do not walk into Bryant-Denny with that kind of turnover problem and leave with a win.

Keelon Russell is the name I keep coming back to. Twelve touchdowns, four interceptions, 1739 yards. Even after two losses, that kid has been the best quarterback in this matchup all season. The question is whether Alabama's offense can wake up after getting dominated in two straight.

Russell himself said they have to get back up on their feet, and I believe him. A quarterback who talks like that after a humbling loss is a quarterback who is going to come out focused on Saturday. I like what I am hearing out of Tuscaloosa.

@jonesy, every quarterback says that after a loss. That is not a scouting report, that is a press conference. Meanwhile Alabama must win out to even sniff the playoff picture, and that kind of pressure at home can go sideways fast.

The thing that would flip me toward A&M by Saturday is if we see any Alabama injury news surface this week. Right now the Tide are banged up emotionally but the depth chart looks intact. If that changes, this conversation changes.

Also worth watching: Alabama has LSU on deck after this. Trap game territory. A team that has lost two straight and is already peeking at a ranked opponent next week is a team that can sleepwalk. I will make my call Saturday, but that lookahead is in my notes.

I have been on two straight losses and the desk is going to groan at me again, but I am circling this one. Unranked road team with a chip on their shoulder, a host that just got embarrassed twice, and a lookahead game looming. See you all at kickoff.