Alabama's Loss to Tennessee Exposed an Opening Texas A&M Must Investigate

If Texas A&M wants to secure the upset in Tuscaloosa this weekend, this recent lowlight for the Alabama Crimson Tide could be their way to do it.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks on the field prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas A&M Aggies travel east of the Mississippi River for the second time this season as they gear up for action against the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Mike Elko and Kalen DeBoer's teams will do battle for the first time since 2023, when a Nick Saban-led Tide team narrowly escaped College Station with a 26-20 win over a Jimbo Fisher-manned Aggie squad at Kyle Field, denying A&M their third win over the team since joining the SEC in 2012.

This season, though, as the Tide enter the stadium in danger of suffering their third straight loss on the year, Texas A&M has a chance to use the team's vulnerability against them, especially after seeing what Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers were able to put together during their win last week in Knoxville.

The Blueprint Is Laid Out For Texas A&M to Beat Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Alabama's 26-10 loss at Neyland Stadium last Saturday, the most alarming stat during the course of the game was Alabama's lackluster production during the later downs, only converting two of 13 third downs, and one of three on fourth downs.

Texas A&M hasn't exactly shown the same ability to shut down opposing offenses on third down like they did last season, as they are currently allowing 15 first downs per game at this moment in time, but the Aggies definitely have the personnel and the pressure to flip the script.

It worked for the Volunteers, and even though the Aggies are the visiting team this Saturday, it isn't impossible.

They only allowed four third-down conversions to the LSU Tigers on 12 opportunities during their forgetful trip to Death Valley, and Missouri was six of 16 on third down against the A&M defense.

Another tactic that will help the Aggies is to get the running game going early and often. Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop put up 159 yards and two scores during their win over the Tide, which helped them both put points on the board and gave Alabama less time to respond with their own.

True freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker, as well as veterans Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow, have more than enough potential to put up those same stats, though, like the defense, a stellar showing would serve as an outlier performance for the team.

Then again, a win over the Tide would be history on its own for the Aggies, as they would be the first unranked opponents to beat 'Bama at home since the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks achieved the feat all the way back in November of 2007, in the early stages of the Nick Saban era.

Texas A&M and Alabama kick off from Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday at 2:30 PM on ABC.

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