SEC Pole Position up for Grabs, Previewing Week 9 vs. Texas A&M

10/24/2024

Photo By: Terrill Weil

Da Boot Sports
10/25/2024
By: Jason Watson Jr.

COLLEGE STATION, TX- Sole possession of first place in the SEC is up for grabs Saturday when #8 LSU battles #14 Texas A&M on the gridiron. The Week 9 matchup pits the only remaining undefeated in conference opponents against one another in a game that should have big plays galore. College football playoff implications rest heavily on the pendulum that is the final result.

Last Week (W8):
The Tigers played arguably their best and most complete football of the season last
weekend versus the Arkansas Razorbacks. In what many thought would be a potential trap game for 8th-ranked LSU, Brian Kelly’s group rose to the occasion and silenced some doubters with a thumping of the Hogs, on their homecoming of all nights. LSU 34- Arkansas 10

Texas A&M traveled to Starkville for a date with the Mississippi State Bulldogs last Saturday. The Aggies pulled away late in the contest, but never really looked like the lesser of the two teams. The win marked the sixth straight for A&M since losing its opener against Notre Dame. Texas A&M 34- Mississippi State 24

Series History:
Although losing the all-time series 36-23-3, Texas A&M suffered defeat in the most recent matchup of Aggies and Tigers. LSU won the 2023 meeting in Baton Rouge by a final score of 42-30. Even though the Tigers have dominated since the Aggies joined SEC play with nine wins to three, the last six years have looked more like a back-and-forth affair. LSU has not had back-to-back victories over A&M since 2016-17. The most memorable game between the two happened back in 2018 in a wild 74-72 shootout that took seven overtime periods to decide before Texas A&M were the victors.

Injury Report:
LSU’s Chris Hilton Jr. has yet to play in a game this season for the Tigers. Although he has been listed as day-to-day and probable before, he remains questionable to make his debut on the road against the Aggies.
Texas A&M is not currently dealing with many injuries for active players on the roster.

Keys to Victory:

* Do Not Beat Yourself
LSU had an astounding seven penalties in the first half alone versus Arkansas. If you thought Razorback Stadium was rowdy and had a factor in the game, certainly a bigger test awaits in Kyle Field. An A&M crowd is almost always raucous, but a big top-15 ranked contest is no doubt going to be rocking. You cannot blame almost double-digit false start penalties solely on crowd noise, so there are plenty of mental mistakes to clean up ahead of Week 9.

* Manifest your Destiny
The Tigers have an unbelievably good opportunity ahead of them. Georgia knocked Texas down a notch on the SEC totem pole last weekend, leaving A&M and LSU as the lone unbeatens in conference play. With divisions no longer being a factor, the top two teams make the trip to Atlanta for the conference championship week. If the Tigers can somehow escape College Station without an SEC loss, they’d be in outstanding shape to make it that far with just four games remaining. A loss does not completely lock you out, but it makes the path to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the College Football playoff that much harder.

* Protect the Football
LSU won the turnover battle at Arkansas 3-0. The Tigers play good football offensively when they take care of the football. While the defense has been good at forcing opposing offenses into hurried mistakes as well as taking advantage of timely opportunistic plays, it will be equally important for the Tigers to be mentally sharp against a stingy Aggie defense.

Where to Watch:
Fans can watch LSU v. Texas A&M live on ABC or stream from ESPN+ when the game kicks off from Kyle Field at 6:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

Predictions and Final Thoughts:
This game will be blood pumping, adrenaline rushing, and all-around great football to watch
for any fan. LSU and Texas A&M are two programs consistently improving as the season progresses, and I expect to see a clash of those results during Saturday night’s bout. Expect emotional play from both sides. Although the Aggies are favored slightly at home, I’ve got to trust coach Kelly and the Tigers to pull out a must-win in a close affair. I’ll take LSU, 33-27.

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