Early 2021 Crimson Tide Opponent Preview: Texas A&M
It's back-to-back weeks that pit Alabama coach Nick Saban against one of his former assistant coaches once again.
After facing Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss in Week 5, the Crimson Tide will take a road trip to College Station to meet Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies. Heading into this season, Saban is 23-0 all-time against former assistants.
With that being said, Saban will likely face his toughest challenge from a former assistant at Kyle Field this October.
Texas A&M returns six starters on offense and possesses an imposing nine returners on defense. While there are some questions surrounding the Aggies' offensive line and at quarterback, Fisher shouldn't face as many worries on defense.
The Aggies are only losing two starters on defense, but they are both important ones. Linebacker Buddy Johnson led the team with 86 total tackles in 2020 and defensive tackle Bobby Brown III led the team in sacks with 5.5. Even so, Andre White Jr. should serve as a solid replacement for Johnson and McKinnley Jackson will do just fine taking over Brown's role.
The primary worries for the Aggies for the 2021 season mostly come on the offensive side of the football.
Losing starting quarterback Kellen Mond as well as four of the team's five starting offensive linemen poses a lot of questions for the Aggies' offense. As far as replacing Mond, so far this summer Fisher has yet to name a formal replacement at quarterback. Both redshirt-freshman Haynes King and redshirt-sophomore Zach Calzada are potential candidates, with the more likely of the duo to start being King. Both saw equal action at Texas A&M's spring game, but their similar performances raised more questions rather than answer them.
The 2020 Aggies offensive line was one of the best in the nation. The group was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, an annual honor given to the best offensive line unit in the country (and was ultimately won by Alabama). Kenyon Green is the only remaining unit of last year's o-line, with a lot of big shoes to fill on the offensive front. While the line was one of the Aggies' biggest strengths last season, it could potentially be one of its biggest weaknesses if not properly addressed.
It's not all doom and despair for Texas A&M on offense, though. The Aggies return two solid running backs in Isaiah Spiller and Ainias Smith along with tight end Jalen Wydermyer. Wide receiver Chase Lane leads an up-and-coming wide receiver group that should sort itself out by the time it plays the Crimson Tide in Week 6. While there are definitely some wrinkles that need to be ironed out, the pieces that are returning have the ability to produce a powerful rushing attack combined with solid downfield threats should the offensive line and quarterback questions resolve themselves.
Alabama at Texas A&M
Date/TV: Oct. 9/TBA
Location: Kyle Field
2020 Record: 9-1 overall, 8-1 SEC
Final 2020 AP Ranking: No. 4
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher, fourth year
Number of returning starters: 6 offense, 9 defense
Key returning players: Offense: LT Kenyon Green, RB Isaiah Spiller, RB/WR Ainias Smith, WR Chase Lane, TE Jalen Wydermyer. Defense: LB Aaron Hansford, LB Andre White Jr., DB Leon O'Neal Jr.
Key departures: QB Kellen Mond, OL Carson Green, OL Jared Hocker, OL Ryan McCollum, OL Dan Moore Jr., LB Buddy Johnson, DT Bobby Brown III.
Last time out: Running backs Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane combined for 190 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Aggies to a 41-27 victory over No. 13 North Carolina in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Kellon Mond passed for 232 yards on the day but had no passing touchdowns.
Series: Alabama leads the all-time series 11-2. The Crimson Tide has won eight straight, with its last loss dating all the way back to 2012. Should Saban beat Lane Kiffin the weekend prior to facing Fisher, Saban's former assistants will be 0-24 heading into College Station for the two coaches' annual reunion.
Last meeting: Alabama quarterback Mac Jones passed for 435 yards and four touchdowns as the No. 2 Crimson Tide downed the No. 13 Aggies 52-24 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium last October. While running back Brian Robinson Jr. led Alabama with 62 rushing yards, fellow running back Najee Harris snagged the only two rushing touchdowns of the day.
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