Analyzing Texas A&M's 2015 schedule

Like every team in the SEC West, Texas A&M’s conference slate is loaded with teams likely to spend time in the Top 25.

But the Aggies did catch some breaks. Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn all visit College Station this fall, leaving Kevin Sumlin’s team with a manageable road slate.

The Aggies also drew South Carolina and Vanderbilt from the SEC East, adding a pair of winnable games to their conference schedule. A&M balances that with an opening-week game against a solid Arizona State team in Houston.

Among the other non-conference games, Western Carolina has the look of a November cakewalk. Ball State and Nevada represent mid-major opponents that have fallen on hard times after once being known for giving big-name programs a challenge.

Texas A&M should be heading toward a winning record in 2015, but doing much better than that might require an upset or two.

Analyzing Texas A&M’s 2015 schedule, here’s a closer look:

FAVORABLE MATCHUPS

Outside of the Sun Devils, the non-conference schedule is weak. The Aggies are bound to be the betting favorite against a few conference opponents as well. Vanderbilt looks like a good opportunity to pick up an SEC road win. A home game against Dak Prescott and Mississippi State will be much easier to manage than a trip to Starkville.

vs. Ball State, Sept. 12
vs. Nevada, Sept. 19
vs. Mississippi State, Oct. 3
vs. South Carolina, Oct. 31
vs. Western Carolina, Nov. 14
at Vanderbilt, Nov. 21

BIGGEST GAMES

A “neutral-field” game against the Sun Devils in Houston should set the tone for the Aggies and also serve as a reputation-builder for the SEC. Another neutral-site game against Arkansas in Arlington, Texas, is huge as both teams look to establish themselves in the top half of the SEC West.

vs. Arizona State, Sept. 6
vs. Arkansas, Sept. 26

ROUGH PATCH

Playing perhaps the two most talented teams in the SEC in back-to-back weeks qualifies as a challenge. A road upset of the Crimson Tide in 2012 made Sumlin a household name, but repeating that feat won’t be easy. Ole Miss has stars on defense who figure to make it tough on sophomore quarterback Kyle Allen.

vs. Alabama, Oct.17
at Ole Miss, Oct. 24

TOUGHEST TILT

It’s difficult to pick one game as the toughest, but it’s possible the visit to Kyle Field by the Auburn Tigers takes the honor. A preseason Top 10 team in most polls, the Tigers are good and should be motivated to avenge last year’s loss to the Aggies.

vs. Auburn, Nov. 7

SEASON-DEFINING STRETCH

Nov. 14-Nov. 28

The final three games of the regular season include Western Carolina, Vanderbilt and a Nov. 28 finale at LSU. The Aggies can’t afford any slip ups against WCU or Vandy and might be looking for their signature win when they head to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers. Depending on how A&M does against the rest of the SEC West, this stretch to close out the season will determine what kind of bowl game Aggies fans look forward to. Or perhaps if they catch some bad breaks, whether they even go bowling at all. This fourth season could be key for Sumlin and fans may begin to grumble if the Aggies stumble in the final weeks.