Bama and Texas A&M Looking to Get a Leg Up in the SEC West
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — The Texas A&M Aggies insist that they are treating Saturday’s visit from No. 11 Alabama the same as any other game.
“What you’ve got to focus on is learning that you have to control yourself,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “There’s nothing we can do about Alabama. Alabama’s Alabama. They’re a great team. What we have to do is get prepared to play Alabama or whoever you’re playing, because each game is a big game … you prepare for them like you would anybody else.”
Even so, it’s impossible for the Aggies to ignore the fact that a win over the Crimson Tide would give them a big push as they aim for their first SEC West title since joining the league in 2012.
Alabama and Texas A&M are tied for first place in the West after both have opened their seasons 4-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Aggies have won three in a row, including SEC wins over Auburn and Arkansas, since a 48-33 loss at Miami.
The Crimson Tide also have a three-game winning streak with league wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi since a 34-24 loss to then-No. 11 Texas at home.
Texas A&M stunned top-ranked Alabama 41-38 on a last-second field goal in 2021 in the last meeting in College Station to snap a 19-game winning streak by the Crimson Tide.
Alabama coach Nick Saban was adamant that his team is not looking at or thinking about anything past this week’s game against Texas A&M.
“We’re trying to play one game at a time,” he said. “We’re trying to improve our team. I can’t tell you where we’re ranked. I can’t tell you what the standings are. I think everybody kind of realizes the importance of every game that we play. The whole focus is how can we play better. How can we play good? How can we improve not worrying about some outcome-oriented thing that may happen two months from now?”
JOHNSON VS. BAMA
Max Johnson has played Alabama twice before while at LSU. He hasn’t beaten the Tide yet.
In 2021, he completed 16 of 32 passes for 160 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while getting sacked five times in a 20-14 loss. A year earlier, he replaced TJ Finley in a 55-17 loss and went 11 of 17 for 110 yards.
Johnson will make his second start of the season Saturday after Conner Weigman sustained a season-ending foot injury against Auburn. Johnson threw for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in last week’s 34-22 win over Arkansas.
