Auburn Football: 2017 Game-by-game predictions
This is one of the more bizarre non-rivalry rivalries that has developed since the SEC expanded in 2012. The Aggies and the Tigers have met five times, and the home team in the series is a shocking 0-5. This year’s game is in College Station. Tradition, which the Aggies are all about, dictates the Tigers will come out on top.
Outside of home field advantage (or disadvantage in this case) the Tigers seem to stack up favorably across the board. The most curious cross field comparison comes at the quarterback position. Texas A&M was considered by most to be the most likely final destination of new Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The Baylor transfer wound up at Auburn, but only after interest from the Aggies all but dissipated over night.
More: 2017 game by game predictions for Texas A&M football
Aggie head coach Kevin Sumlin is squarely on the hot seat. He knows that one of the biggest deficiencies of his tenure at Texas A&M, outside of the November swoons, has been his staff’s inability to coach up a quarterback.
Sumlin road Manziel for two seasons, then experimented with the mess that was the Kenny Hill, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray fiasco before moving on to stopgap transfer quarterback Trevor Knight. Whomever it is under center on November 4, this could be a make or break game for the Aggies. A win here might be the biggest home victory of Sumlin’s Aggie tenure and could save his job. It’s just too much to ask. Auburn takes an early lead and holds off the Aggies down the stretch.