Alabama’s gridiron clash with Texas A&M becomes a dud

It was dubbed essentially the most anticipated faculty soccer sport of the season. The narrative of a School Soccer Playoff-ready Texas A&M invading Tuscaloosa to actually see how sturdy its armor was in opposition to the impenetrable fortress of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama held up its finish of the discount. The Crimson Tide are undefeated, ranked No. 1 within the nation and outdoors of a stumble in opposition to Texas, has appeared dominant this season with final week’s 23-point street win in opposition to Arkansas sending the Razorbacks out of the nationwide rankings.

Texas A&M’s half of the main-event prize combat by no means confirmed up. The Aggies have achieved the naked minimal to look spectacular or misplaced within the 4 weeks since a season-opening victory over FCS-level Sam Houston State. They’re not ranked. They’re out of the dialogue for the New Yr’s Six. A loss provides them a .500 report for the second time this season. And now A&M limps in to face Alabama with nobody pondering it could actually win for good motive.

As energy shifts within the Southeastern Convention have surrounded Alabama relinquishing management and rapidly getting it again — take a look at Joe Burrow-led LSU successful a title, adopted up by a dominant Crimson Tide workforce successful a championship — Jimbo Fisher’s squad was thought to have a shot at knocking Alabama off its crown. Sure, Georgia is the defending nationwide champion. But, the Bulldogs did go 1-1 throughout the season in opposition to Alabama. I wouldn’t name beating the nationwide champions a month earlier than Georgia lifted the crown abdicating an influence place.

Particularly after final weekend, when Georgia was fortunate to not be defeated by Missouri regardless of being a more-than-four-touchdown favourite, the mountaintop of the very best convention in America belongs to Alabama. It’s predictable, boring, and loathsome to see Nick Saban preserve successful and at all times have one hand on an SEC Championship. I’d like to see somebody take the Crimson Tide down so as to add extra parity to school soccer. There are additionally a number of the explanation why Alabama has turn out to be so dominant, most boiling right down to its higher at virtually every thing than virtually everybody virtually daily. Saban’s decide of the litter from recruiting and the switch portal ensures the method has the very best likelihood to proceed.

As A&M’s likelihood fades, little paths to CFP resistance exist for the Crimson Tide outdoors of Georgia. Ole Miss received’t get it achieved, and nobody else within the SEC West is price mentioning. The SEC East’s crew of nice, not superb, groups to problem Georgia has been one of the vital underrated tales in faculty soccer over the previous few years. Because the Bulldogs dominated Michigan within the nationwide semifinals, the one workforce to maintain a sport in opposition to Georgia shut — outdoors of Alabama — was Kentucky, and the Wildcats did it between the hedges. In 2018, a Kentucky win would’ve despatched it to the SEC Championship sport and never the Bulldogs.

The most important challenger within the SEC East this season is Tennessee. I perceive the hesitation in giving that distinction to these in Knoxville, however denying it disregards the information. Below coach Josh Heupel, who’s confirmed himself as an offensive guru all through his profession, has proved to unleash the very best of Tennessee’s offense. It destroyed Ball State and Akron, because it ought to, after which the Volunteers did sufficient defensively to carry off Pittsburgh and Florida. The Vols started their assassin’s row of six opponents two weeks in the past with that five-point win over the Gators. As we speak is a street sport in opposition to LSU, which can be an important preview of how authentic Tennessee’s menace stage is. And who do the Vols play subsequent week? Alabama. It’s exhausting to select Tennessee to win that matchup even when it seems to be sturdy in opposition to LSU this weekend.

It’s been a gripe amongst Tennessee followers for years with how the SEC schedules video games. The Vols are the one SEC East workforce beneath the present mannequin that should play Alabama yearly. UT hasn’t overwhelmed Saban’s Alabama, having final taken down the Crimson Tide in 2006 (beneath Mike Shula). That’s 15 wins in a row for Alabama over the Vols. And now that gripe could flip into the most important sport Tennessee has performed in Knoxville because the flip of the century. Think about the chance the Volunteers must welcome the Crimson Tide into their 100,000-plus-seat stadium. It’s a silver-platter likelihood for Alabama’s maintain on the SEC to splinter. Or it may very well be one other reminder of how mighty Alabama is.