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The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Alabama football Week 6 bold predictions. The No. 1 Crimson Tide will be hosting the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday for an SEC showdown. This should be one of the most anticipated games of the 2022 college football season.
Alabama is coming off a strong 49-26 win versus then-No. 20 Arkansas. It was enough to take the team back to first in the rankings, the first time since Week 2. With a perfect 5-0 record, the Crimson Tide are on pace for another conference title and College Football Playoff bid. However, if there is one team that can challenge them, it is Texas A&M.
Last season, the Aggies won on a walk-off field goal, delivering Alabama's only loss in the regular season. Because of that, head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide probably have this game marked on their calendars.
With that being said, here are some bold college football predictions for Alabama’s Week 6 home game against Texas A&M.
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3. Crimson Tide's defense holds Aggies to less than 100 rushing yards
Perhaps Texas A&M's biggest threat is its running offense. The team currently averages 129.6 rushing yards per game with six total touchdowns. On the other hand, the passing offense does not even crack the top 100 in the nation, with 205.4 yards for also six scores but four interceptions.
Most of it is due to the change of quarterbacks early in the year. Max Johnson took over after poor games by Haynes King. While he is 2-1 as a starter, Johnson has just one 200-yard game and no multiple-touchdown performance.
Because of that, the run game became more important for the Aggies. However, they will have a huge challenge on Saturday. Alabama is No. 10 in rushing defense in the nation, allowing just 87.4 yards per game. This is mostly due to Heisman contender Will Anderson Jr. The linebacker has nine tackles for loss, while also sacking opponents five times.
If Anderson and the defensive line for Alabama are on a good day, they could hold the Aggies to under 100 rushing yards.
2. Bryce Young plays but has a slow start due to shoulder injury
One of the biggest questions surrounding this SEC clash is whether or not Bryce Young will play for Alabama. The quarterback came out during the game versus Arkansas due to a shoulder injury, limiting his performance to just 7-of-13 passing for 173 yards and one touchdown against one pick.
The Crimson Tide didn't do much through the air the rest of the game, adding just 65 passing yards after his injury. Even though the running game managed to secure the victory, playing against some stronger defensive lines could become a problem without Young under center.
Saban recently said the reigning Heisman winner is day-to-day. He also said Young is practicing, but no final decision has been made on his status against Texas A&M.
With such a tough game ahead, the bold prediction is that Young will start for the Crimson Tide on Saturday. However, due to his recovery, things will start a bit slow in the passing game. To avoid using too much of his shoulder, Alabama will lean on the running game early on.
If he is fully healthy, Young will probably pick up where he left off after some rushing plays by Alabama and below-average throws for his standards.
1. Nick Saban gets the last laugh over Jimbo Fisher
Even though a matchup involving two SEC teams and multiple Heisman candidates is worth a watch, the biggest storyline is probably on the sidelines.
In May, Alabama head coach Nick Saban suggested that the Texas A&M football program and head coach Jimbo Fisher were “buying” players during the recruiting process under the new NIL rules. Fisher later criticized Saban, saying those comments were “despicable.” He also said he would not work with Saban again nor be associated with him.
“Some people think they’re God. Go dig into how ‘God’ did his deal and you may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past or anybody who’s ever coached with him. You can find out anything you want to find out about what he does and how he does it. It’s despicable, it really is.”
While Fisher has since said he has no problem with Saban, the beef was already installed. On Saturday, the head coaches will face each other for the first time since those comments.
The Aggies are having a season way below expectations. After starting the year with CFP hopes, the team now finds itself unranked. On the other side of the game, Alabama is undefeated and No. 1 in the country. All things considered, the Crimson Tide enter the game as favorites and have a good chance of going 6-0, giving Saban the last laugh on the controversy.
