Alabama, Texas A&M in showdown
No. 1 Crimson Tide, No. 6 Aggies are SEC’s last unbeaten teams
Kevin Sumlin and Texas A&M have celebrated a colossal win and endured a humiliating loss at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium. Now, they’re back. The sixth-ranked Aggies return Saturday to face No. 1 Alabama in a matchup of the Southeastern Conference’s last unbeaten teams and a game that’s every bit as important as any previous meeting.
It’s even more intriguing with the Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) having edged closer to the Texas A&M style of speedy tempo and quarterback runs. The Aggies (60, 4-0) haven’t abandoned that formula by any stretch but have taken over the role of the SEC’s top running team that would seem more Alabama’s domain traditionally.
No wonder Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said “we’re full of challenges for this week.”
“This is one of those season-defining games for us,” Saban said.
For both teams.
It’s the second time in four seasons that the SEC West showdown has featured No. 1 vs. No. 6 and the third Top 10 matchup in that span. The budding rivalry has produced classics such as the Johnny Manziel-led 2012 upset by the Aggies in Tuscaloosa and Alabama’s 49-42 win a year later. It’s also supplied Alabama’s biggest beatdown against a ranked team, a 59-0 win on the Aggies’ last visit two seasons ago.
Such a one-sided outcome seems unlikely this time but Alabama is a whopping favorite, 18 points on some lines, coming off dominating performances against Tennessee and Arkansas.
Brett Rypien threw for 442 yards and three touchdowns as No. 14 Boise State overcame five turnovers to hold off visiting BYU (4-4) 28-27 late Thursday night. The Broncos (7-0), who won their 23rd straight nonconference home game, needed a stout defensive performance and a blocked field goal to secure the win.
The run that No. 5 Washington has been on for most of this season, surging in the polls and into the discussion for the College Football Playoff, is rooted in what happened at the end of 2015. And it all started with a trip to Oregon State. Last November, Washington was floundering, not flourishing. The Huskies had lost four of five and were coming off a fourth-quarter meltdown in a loss at Arizona State. Washington needed wins in its final two games to become bowl eligible and started the surge that has carried into this season with a 52-7 blowout of the Beavers.
Now Oregon State comes around again Saturday, with the Huskies (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) on a nine-game winning streak.
Washington State coach Mike Leach told the Pac-12 to look at whether Arizona State stole signs last season, joining a chorus of teams accusing the Sun Devils. Leach has taken it too far this season, according to the Pac-12.
The conference fined Leach $10,000 and officially reprimanded him Thursday, adding a layer of intrigue before the Cougars travel to the desert to face the Sun Devils.
Leach is not the only person to accuse the Sun Devils of stealing signs. Utah’s players said Arizona State stole signs during a game last year and Oregon and Washington took the extra step of putting up sheets to block the Sun Devils’ view from the other sideline.