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SEC Football: 5 teams who can dethrone Alabama in 2017

By Jerran Anderson

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Deondre Francois #12 of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates their 33 to 32 win over the Michigan Wolverines during the Capitol One Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on December 30, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Deondre Francois #12 of the Florida State Seminoles celebrates their 33 to 32 win over the Michigan Wolverines during the Capitol One Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on December 30, 2016 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /
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SEC Football
STARKVILLE, MS – NOVEMBER 5: Head coach Kevin Sumlin of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts to a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /

3. @ Texas A&M Aggies – October 7

The Texas A&M Aggies were 4-0 in the SEC last season before facing the Alabama Crimson Tide. With graduate transfer Trevor Knight at quarterback, they fell 33-14 on the road.

The Aggies will need to find a starting quarterback again and only return five starters on offense. However, with seven starters returning on defense, including safety Armani Watts, they’re sure to be a challenge for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In nine meetings against the Aggies, the Alabama Crimson Tide are 7-2 with their last loss coming in 2012 back when Johnny Manziel was quarterback. Texas A&M is 1-4 against the Tide since joining the SEC.

The battle for the starting quarterback job could go well into the fall but having dual-threat freshman quarterback Kellen Mond on the roster could prove to be useful. Mond turned heads in the Under Armour All-American game with 90 passing yards and 84 rushing yards.

Dual-threat quarterbacks have generally worked well under Sumlin and Mond serves as another potential successor to quarterback Trevor Knight. Knight led the Aggies to an 8-5 record in 2016, throwing for 2,432 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also rushed for 614 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Aggies also return Trayveon Williams, who ran for 1,057 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman. With a lot of experience returning on the defensive side of the ball, the Aggies hope it will carry them to an upset victory in 2017.

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