First Glance: Alabama Crimson Tide

Another #1.

By whoopy Oct 7, 2019, 8:15am CDT

What You Need to Know:

Alabama is the number one ranked team in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll with a 5-0 record.
Alabama is averaging 51.8 points a game while only giving up an average of 14.8 points.
Texas A&M will be the first ranked team Alabama has faced this season.
Alabama will be the second number one team, and third top ten team that Texas A&M has faced this season.
Alabama’s SBNation site is Roll Bama Roll, if you’d like additional information on the Crimson Tide.

Alabama is an -18.5 point favorite.
Alabama is 2-3 against the spread while Texas A&M is 3-2 against the spread.
I will be taking A&M to cover. Just a Fool’s hope. I am 4-1 picking A&M lines on this season.

Alabama leads the all-time series 9-2.
Alabama is on a 6 game winning streak against the Aggies.
The Aggies last win came in 2012 via a 29-24 upset in Tuscaloosa.
There are many player/coaching connections between these two programs. Paul “Bear” Bryant coached at Texas A&M from 1954 to 1957, and then was head coach at Alabama from 1957-1983. Gene Stallings played for Bryant at A&M before serving as a head coach for the Aggies from 1965-1971; and then coached at Alabama from 1990-1996. Jackie Sherrill played for Bryant at Alabama from 1963-1965 and served as head coach at A&M from 1982-1988. John David Crow was the 1957 Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M and an assistant coach at Alabama from 1969-1971. He later served as Athletic Director at Texas A&M. Then there is every Aggie’s favorite, Dennis Franchione, who was the head coach at both schools, coaching the Crimson Tide in 2001-2002 before taking over as head coach at A&M from 2003-2007.
Famous Alumni include Jackie Sherrill, Dabo Swinney, Harper Lee, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Rece Davis, and Julio Jones.

Tua Tagovailoa - QB - The Heisman hopeful has thrown for 1,781 yards with 23 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He has a 76% completion percentage. Tua threw for 6 touchdowns in his last outing against Ole Miss. The Alabama defense has been banged up all season, but it hasn’t mattered as Tua has been dominant.
A running game... Alabama is currently the 44th best defense against the run allowing and average of 135 rushing yards per game. Ole Miss was able to put up 279 rushing yards on the ground and was the first team to have a rushing touchdown against Alabama. This is not the invincible Tide defenses we are used to; however, it will still be a big test for the sputtering run game of A&M. Alabama is not the team you want to try to fix something against.

Kellen Mond had two passing touchdowns against Arkansas which put him at 41 for his career. He is the eighth Aggie quarterback to throw for over 40 touchdowns.