The SEC’s Week 6 slate was small and relatively uninspiring. The conference’s Week 7 schedule, however, is full of intrigue.
Can Alabama defeat a third consecutive ranked foe in Missouri? Will Texas’s now longshot College Football Playoff hopes be fully expunged by Michael Hawkins — or John Mateer, possibly — and Oklahoma? Has Brian Kelly fixed LSU’s offense, with help from a bye, in advance of a matchup with South Carolina?
On the surface, each of those contests may seem more compelling than Florida’s pending battle against No. 5 Texas A&M. However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy believes the Gators-Aggies showdown is “fascinating” because of Billy Napier’s “resurgent” team.
McElroy dove into the weeds on the Florida-Texas A&M affair during an episode of the Always College Football podcast earlier this week. He said the performance of Florida’s secondary and offensive line versus an explosive Texas A&M passing attack and aggressive defensive front, respectively, will be their keys to victory.
On the other sideline, he believes the Aggies’ ability to contain the Gators’ strong pass rush and prevent wide receiver Dallas Wilson from making plays will dictate whether they win or lose.
In the end, McElroy’s biggest X-factor for this game is third down. Both teams are allowing opposing offenses to convert less than 32% of the time on third down. At the same time, their respective offenses are each converting fewer than 35% of their own chances. This, to him, is a recipe for a tight contest that the Aggies will ultimately win.
“I’d take the points in this game. I think Florida can kind of bloody Texas A&M’s nose, but A&M will hold up better in the trenches than Texas did,” McElroy said. “Aggies win, Florida covers in what I think will be a very physical football game.”
Florida and Texas A&M kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 11 (ESPN). The Aggies are a 7.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.
