Texas A&M Prepping For "One-Game Season" Vs. Ole Miss
COLLEGE STATION -- It's the final countdown. Is Texas A&M ready?
The No. 14 Aggies (7-2, 4-2 SEC) have come a long way from the September matchup in Arlington against Arkansas. They've come even further from the showdown upset against Mississippi State.
Timing means everything for A&M. It's a good thing No. 16 Ole Miss comes a precise moment. Facing them in say Week 4 or 5 when the Aggies were trying to find their whits could have been a disaster in the making.
“Those two losses definitely showed a lot,” A&M defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal said Saturday. “They showed we weren’t playing as a team. We talked about it, we came together in practice, and each week we’ve gotten better."
A&M is now playing as a unit. Offensively, quarterback Zach Calzada is making better decisions. The team is trusting its 1-2 combination of Devon Achane and Isaiah Spiller as the go-to options to move the ball and keep drives alive.
It's the defense that continues to be the saving grace. It was in a 20-3 victory over No. 13 Auburn Saturday. The Aggies combined for five sacks, two turnovers, and a 30-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by defensive end Micheal Clemons in the fourth quarter.
Both sides will be asked to step up again, this time in Oxford against the Rebels (7-2, 3-2 SEC) led by Lane Kiffin. A&M isn't looking towards Atlanta or the College Football Playoff just yet.
“You’ve got three one-game seasons,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “When you get to November and you’re relevant, it’s a playoff. You forget about everything else. One week at a time, one day at a time, one practice at a time, one play at a time. It’s that simple — don’t worry about anything else.”
In the back of their minds, players must know what remains at stake. Should A&M win out, plus No. 2 Alabama suffers a loss, they would represent the west in the SEC championship. A win over No. 1 Georgia there would likely cement the final case to make the CFP as the FBS' first two-loss team.
They first, however, must get past the Rebels, who are coming off a win over Liberty. Don't let Kiffin's west coast passing attack offense fool you, they can move the ball on the ground with ease led by Jerrion Ealy.
"They're very well-balanced," Fisher said. "The scheme and schematics from their coaches, they know how to call it. They do a great job."
Alabama will close out its season with games against New Mexico State and Arkansas before traveling to The Plains for the Iron Bowl. A&M's best chance to take control of the West would come with a Tigers win as they currently hold the tiebreaker.
Of course, none of that matters if the Rebels walk all over A&M. And let's not forget about a season finale road trip to the swamp to face LSU in what will be Ed Orgeron's final game as the Tigers' head coach.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t play well against Prairie View or don’t play well at LSU. And if I worry about it, it ain’t gonna help nothing. What’s going to help is focusing on playing well on Saturday and then going on to the next week. That’s my sole focus.”
A&M has come miles from its losing streak in early October. A win against either the Hogs or Bulldogs would have ended the conversation on whether the Aggies were top SEC material, but all that remains in the past.
The Aggies still can control their destiny. The best-case scenario is a chance at the CFP or New Year's Six bowl game. At worst, eight or nine wins still remains one of the better records in the conference.
Fisher and the players aren't focused on records or bowl games. Their goal? Approach a series with massive implications the way they know best.
One day at a time.
"There's no room for error in the SEC," wide receiver Ainias Smith said. "Anything can happen. You always got to bring your a-game."
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the All Aggies message board community today!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want More Aggies News? Check Out The Latest In Texas A&M News Here
