Texas A&M will take the field Saturday (and for the rest of the season) with a lot to prove.

The Aggies are trying to show they belong in the College Football Playoff after coming in at No. 5 in the latest ranking. They’ll get a shot when they face Auburn at noon ET on Saturday.

The Tigers (5-3) are likely the best team A&M (6-1) will face the rest of the way.

Auburn enters this contest winners of 3 of their past 4 games. However, a 42-13 loss in the Iron Bowl has many questioning just how good this team is. Because of last week’s result, a convincing win would go a long way for A&M in their quest to make the Playoff.

The Aggies returned to the field for the 1st time in 3 weeks last weekend and defeated LSU, 20-7.

The defense didn’t miss a beat, nearly pitching a shutout before the Tigers scored with a little more than 30 seconds to go. The Aggies had a pair of interceptions, including a pick-6, and 3 sacks. The offense looked a bit out of sorts though, scoring just 1 touchdown.

Kellen Mond in particular had an off game.

The senior finished just 11-of-34 for 105 yards and no touchdowns. His delivery was askew all game, as he didn’t find the same connections he was having before the postponements. In the 2 games prior to LSU, he had a combined completion percentage of 71.2.

The underwhelming offensive performance could have been part of the reason the Aggies stayed at No. 5 in the Playoff ranking, even though No. 4 Ohio State had their game canceled.

Either way, people are expecting this to be a close game. The Aggies are just 6-point favorites on the road.

The A&M defense looks to continue its recent dominance. It still ranks as the best unit in the SEC in yards allowed per game, and it is averaging 3.5 sacks per game over its past 4 games. The Aggies are giving up 13.8 points per game over that span, and anyone who has watched them can attest that the majority of the touchdowns they’ve allowed have come late, with the games already decided.

Both teams are fairly balanced in their offensive attack.

Auburn’s Bo Nix has been pretty average in his sophomore season, throwing for 1,854 yards, 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Perhaps he can take advantage of a secondary that is probably the weakest part of this defense, but he will have to avoid a fearsome pass rush to do so.

Tank Bigsby is the Tigers’ go-to runner, but he is unlikely to get much going against a run defense that is giving up less than 100 yards per game.

The key will likely be how Mond and the offense respond. It helps that they face an Auburn defense that ranks in the bottom half of the SEC.

Still, the Aggies are likely to look to Isaiah Spiller first and foremost. The sophomore running back is 3rd in the SEC with 784 yards and has scored 6 touchdowns. The offense runs through him and the offensive line, but the need for a good game from Mond is still there.

A&M is fighting for a spot in the Playoff, and they need to show that they can dominate this game and are on at least a similar level to Alabama. That only happens if both the run and pass are clicking.

Was the rust last week simply from the lost practice and playing time?

I think so, and I expect the Aggies to return to form this week. That said, I also think Auburn could have a lot to prove after last week, and that fight will show in the Tigers. This is also a home game for them.

In the end, though, I don’t think their offense will be able to put up enough points on the Aggies. That will be the difference as A&M prevails in this one.

FEARLESS PREDICTION: Texas A&M 38, Auburn 14