For the third time in five games, Auburn travels west of the Mississippi River, to the western side of the central time zone, to a former Big 12 university. Feels fair. Feels as fair as last week.
But whatever, Auburn is going to Kyle Field to play another Top 10 team. This one is called Texas A&M. They got the week off last week after beating Notre Dame by a missed extra point. This makes them really good.
Giving up 24 points to UTSA, who only scored 17 points against Colorado State doesn’t make them bad. It makes them good. Giving up 22 points to Utah State who scored 28 points on 1-3 UTEP doesn’t make them bad. It makes them good.
What would the narrative be about a 2-1 Texas A&M that “just couldn’t finish” at Notre Dame? A last second one-point touchdown over a team that misplayed a snap on an extra point has flipped the Aggies to Oklahoma levels of pregame hype. If the Aggies hadn’t held and scored on the last play, they’d be just another Texas A&M team, right?
So we’re to believe they are elite because they caught a pass on the last play. They are one play difference between elite and plain? That’s how they’d be treated at least.
Auburn has been in two hostile road environments. They won one, and should’ve won the other. Kyle Field is not what people think or want it be. Auburn is 4-2 at Kyle Field in College Station. A tall stadium full of people needing leadership from five guys who look like they’ve never changed the oil in anything doesn’t scare anybody.
After a week of being stuffed, the Auburn running game will return. This isn’t Oklahoma’s likely cheating in some way defensive line. It’s one of the worst rush defenses in the nation. That will give Jackson Arnold the time and opportunity to make the plays he has made before.
He’s been told all week that it’s okay to throw the ball when the guy isn’t wide open, especially to Cam Coleman. We will see Jackson Arnold dressed up as Bret Favre this week. You watch.
The Auburn defense found confidence last week. After being told they’d be scorched all week, they pretty much shut down a Heisman campaign.
It’s another tough week in the SEC. But this one should be easier than last week, and it comes with two weeks’ worth of road experience under the Tigers’ belts.
Jackson throws for two touchdowns, and runs for one. Jeremiah and Alston get one a piece. The defense has two picks. It’ll be close, but Auburn wins on the road. Next week, I hear they’ve been scheduled at Lambeau.
Auburn 35, Texas A&M 31
