Two teams desperate for a bounce-back result will square off in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, as Alabama will welcome Texas A&M for a game both sides can ill-afford to lose.
For the hosting Crimson Tide, their College Football Playoff fate likely rests in the balance with a trip to Death Valley looming down the line.
Meanwhile, the Aggies entered this season with CFP expectations of their own, but a loss Saturday would drop them to .500 and firmly put a nail in the coffin of this campaign.
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Ahead of the pressure-packed matchup, ESPN’s Greg McElroy made his game selections on his “Always College Football” show, and he sided with his alma mater to get it done at home.
“I’m gonna take the Alabama Crimson Tide to win this game, 27-16,” McElroy said. “They win because they have the big-play offense, and that’s something that A&M has not found an answer for yet.”
McElroy went on to talk at length about how Texas A&M’s offense can hit a handful of field goals to keep the team within striking distance, but he doesn’t believe the unit has enough of an identity to pull the outright upset.
“The look-ahead line from a million weeks ago was Alabama -2.5, now it’s 2 touchdowns,” McElroy said. “And the Aggies’ offense struggles at times, that’s the reason the line has flipped as much as it has.”
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
