NCAA Football Week 11: No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide

Date/Time: Sat, Nov 10 / 03:35:00 PM ET, Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0 in SEC) skipped a major upset in its national title defense after overcoming a 4^th quarter deficit to defeat the No. 5 LSU Tigers 21-14 in Baton Rouge. Now the Crimson Tide heads home for a three-game homestand to close out the regular season, which is set to start this weekend with the game against 15th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (7-2, 4-2 in SEC).

The game marks just the fifth time these two teams meet and the first since 1988, when Alabama defeated the Texas A&M 30-10. Currently the Crimson tide holds a 3-1 advantage over the Aggies; although Saturday’s game represents A&M's first-ever trip to Tuscaloosa.

Alabama is without any doubt the best team in the NCAA Football. But not all has been easy for the Crimson Tide. Last week, the team showed a vulnerable side for the first time this season. After winning its first eight games by an average of 32.5 points, Alabama was on the verge of losing its first game of the season. The team needed a late touchdown pass from A.J. McCarron to pull out a 21-17 come-from-behind victory at the Tiger Stadium. The game against LSU was definitely the toughest test of the season for the Crimson Tide, but the coming game vs. Texas A&M is likely to be equally difficult for Alabama.

So far this season, the Aggies have surprised its rivals and proved they can compete with the SEC's strongest teams in their first year in the league. Their only two losses of the year came to No.6 Florida Gators and No. 7 LSU by a combined eight points. The team, which is fresh from a 38-13 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, has averaged 559.6 total yards, which is close to break the SEC record of Alabama Crimson Tide helmet534.4 set by Florida in 1995. Additionally, the Aggies rank fifth in the NCAA in total offense and fourth in scoring (44.67), 19th in passing, 10th in rushing, and 4th in scoring offense. The Aggies’ record is also their best after nine games since 2006, and the team has a chance to set a winning record in conference play for second time in six years.

Game Odds:
Texas A&M Aggies: +13.5-110, ML +425
Alabama Crimson Tide: -13.5-110, ML -550
Game Total: 56.5, o/u -110

For the Crimson Tide, who has two national championships and a 45-4 record dating back to 2009, every game is vital. Losing a game means dropping the chance to play the BCS game, and after their last minute win over LSU, Alabama needs to score a victory this Saturday to battle for the SEC West title. If they lose to the Aggies, the Tide would have beat Western Carolina and Auburn to secure an SEC Championship berth.

On the other hand, a victory for the Aggies will consolidate the team among the best squads in the nation. If they win, they will jump into the top ten by the Week 11 and increase their chances to play a Bowl game. While the Aggies have no chances to make it to the 2012 BCS Championship game, the team still has a shot at one of the SEC’s second-tier bowl games such as the Cotton Bowl, Capital One Bowl or Outback Bowl.

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