Paul Finebaum Believes Texas A&M Could be Auburn's 'Waterloo' Battle

After a close loss at Oklahoma, the Auburn Tigers travel to the Texas A&M Aggies, desperate for a pivotal win. Therefore, Paul Finebaum warns of what a loss to coach Mike Elko's squad could mean for Auburn going forward.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

While Texas A&M football was enjoying a bye week, the Auburn Tigers were in a shootout with new Southeastern Conference opponent, Oklahoma. The fight was a close one, with the Sooners coming out on top after a go-ahead touchdown in the late moments of the contest.

A controversial call that was later addressed by the league as what should have been an unsportsmanlike penalty helped grab Oklahoma's foothold over Auburn, however it wasn't like the Tigers were able to get much going offensively anyway, after conceding nine sacks in Norman.

Now faced with a revitalized Aggies squad, the Tigers are asked the near-impossible on the road yet again. Therefore, SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum warned of what could be Auburn's 'Waterloo' moment against A&M, according to On3 Sports.

Beginning of the End?

Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Heading into a hostile Kyle Field environment as already a tall task for most to get the job done, but for the Tigers, the stakes are even higher after suffering a loss to Oklahoma to begin conference play. Moreover, the stretch of games ahead for coach Hugh Freeze will only continue to get more difficult.

“I think Texas A&M is a top-ten team, and this could be the Waterloo for Auburn,” Finebaum said. “You can’t go on the road and lose both of these games, because they still have Georgia in three weeks and Alabama after that.

Winning in the SEC is a uphill battle no matter who is opposite the line of scrimmage, something that Elko has hammered into his players since arriving in College Station a season ago. With such a long rest time given after such a monumental win against Notre Dame, the Tigers should be expecting the Aggies best come game time on Saturday.

“There’s a lot left for them to deal with, and what was otherwise a fair schedule looks a lot tougher," Finebaum went on to say. "They also have Vanderbilt, which we can talk about another time, but they’ve looked really good, so that’s a big game.”

The Aggies have been used to seeing teams play in desperation mode already so early in the season, as the Fighting Irish fought tooth and nail to the end before falling short in the final seconds of the game. Having already lost to Miami to kick off the season, Notre Dame was making its best effort to stay alive in the race to the College Football Playoff.

Auburn will be attempting the same, though time will tell if this battle with A&M will already be the door closing on its postseason dreams.