The best college football game for each week in October

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide on the line of scrimmage during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide on the line of scrimmage during the first half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Oct 8, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart (1) carries the ball against Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Evan Stewart (1) carries the ball against Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

Week 6: Alabama at Texas A&M (Oct. 7)

This one certainly seems like a weak start to the list at face value, as it involves a team that was widely regarded as the most disappointing of 2022. But, to anyone who is aware of the beef that these two SEC powers have shared in recent memory, this matchup was always a clear favorite to win the title of “Week 6’s Best Game.”

To truly grasp what all is playing into this affair though, we need to approach it from the perspectives of both teams involved.

Giving Alabama credit where it’s due, the Nick Saban dynasty has typically avoided defeat in its “upset alert” situations. When combining that with just how sorry of a note that Texas A&M is entering this season on, it’d normally be hard not to pencil this game into the false hope category. But is the hope really so false this time?

Despite sucking last year, the Aggies were just one play away from topping the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. The year before that, they actually did so successfully in College Station—where this upcoming meeting will be taking place.

Oh, and it also feels important to acknowledge that this installment will not feature quarterback Bryce Young, who was Bama’s savior in their most recent close calls (of which there have been several). Yikes.

While nothing discussed here can promise a result as exciting as the previous couple, this game’s characteristics equate to a valid cause for concern in the Crimson Tide’s eyes, and that’s enough to cement its spot on this list.