The Auburn Tigers are attempting to get back on the horse this week after a heartbreaking and somewhat controversial defeat against Oklahoma last week in Norman.
While the good news of course is that Auburn hung right in there with a ranked team on the road despite not even playing all that well, the bad news is they face an even tougher test this week in College Station with a Texas A&M squad that is firing on all cylinders right now.
Environment wise, the Aggies are always one of the most difficult teams in the SEC to have to face on the road, but this team is also pretty scary looking in year two under Mike Elko.
Texas A&M is fresh off a bye week after earning a signature win for Elko two weeks ago on the road against Notre Dame by a score of 41-40. The Aggies had a rock solid defense last season, but the offense struggled all year. Now, all of the sudden as Marcel Reed has taken the next steps, it looks like they have one of the better offenses in the conference.
Now ranked No. 9 in the country, this presents another measuring stick to see if Texas A&M is for real, however for Auburn, it’s a test not only of football, but of character as well.
After losing a game you had every chance to win and starting conference play off 0-1, how does Hugh Freeze’s team respond to that adversity and show their class against another team they are good enough to beat.
Jackson Arnold was sacked 10 times last week. Does he play scared and anxious this week against one of the loudest crowds in the country, or does he make quicker decisions, get the ball out to his talented receivers and let them go make plays?
Do the Tigers wilt under the pressure of the Kyle Field noise, or do they embrace it and find a way to take a victory into the bye week before they host Georgia in two weeks?
This game for Auburn could go a long way towards determining what kind of season they go on to have. Earning a win on the road against one of the better teams in conference ahead of what will be a much lighter stretch after Georgia would set things up perfectly, while a second loss before October puts them in a really tough spot.
It would be the first victory for the Tigers at Kyle Field since 2019, but beyond slaying the Aggie dragon in their own building, a win here would make a statement from Freeze, Arnold, and the whole team that this Auburn team is for real.
It should be a great one in College Station on Saturday afternoon.
