No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0 SEC) will host Samford (1-10) during the Week 13 slate, just a week after the Aggies’ historic 27-point comeback over South Carolina, defeating the Gamecocks 31-30 after trailing 30-3 at halftime, shocking the college football landscape, and staying at No. 3 in the latest CFP rankings.
Facing a Samford team that has fired its head coach, something the Aggies are used to this season after Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, and Florida have all moved on from their head coaches this season, which has become a running joke for rival fan bases. For the first time this season, Texas A&M is not on upset alert, as the Bulldogs are one of the worst teams in the FCS, allowing over 50 sacks, while allowing nearly 450 yards per game.
The Aggies are poised to produce their largest point total of the season, and could easily remove every starter before halftime. This game also serves as Senior Day, as head coach Mike Elko and his staff will honor 30-plus seniors who will likely all see the field at some point. On paper, I can easily see the Aggies scoring 50-plus points, and once the final whistle blows, the Aggies will set their sights on the Texas Longhorns.
Compared to No. 2 Indiana, which will face Purdue, and No. 1 Ohio State, which will host Rutgers, the Aggies won’t be tested this weekend but will be paying close attention to every team in the top 10 of the CFP rankings after hosting Samford. On Friday, USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg discussed the “nightmare scenario” for every CFP contender, including Texas A&M.
Missing the SEC championship game entirely. That would entail a painful stumble to a three-loss Texas team with really nothing to play for other than non-playoff bowl positioning. A&M has never lost to an opponent from the Championship Subdivision, so don’t look for any issues this weekend against Samford.
Now, what is the best-case scenario for the Aggies? Simple. Beat the Texas Longhorns by two scores in Austin in front of an already disappointed fan base who are already preparing for a potential 8-4 finish. If Texas A&M can send a message in DKR, they won’t only earn a spot in the SEC Championship Game, but also finish as a top 4 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Embarrass the Longhorns, win the SEC and earn an opening-round bye, though earning the top seed would require some help in the Big Ten.
Texas A&M will host Samford at 11:00 a.m. CT. The game will be available to stream on SEC Network+.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: USA TODAY Sports reveals Texas A&M’s ‘nightmare scenario’ in Week 13
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
