Now comes another type of test for No. 1 Alabama.
After last Saturday's come-from-behind victory over LSU at Baton Rouge, the Crimson Tide will have to deal with a possible letdown when No. 15 Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa (game time: 3:30 p.m., CBS).
The game carries huge implications for the SEC. Alabama (6-0 in SEC) still must win Saturday and later this year vs. Auburn to be assured of the SEC West title. An A&M win Saturday and later vs. Missouri could give the SEC West title to the Aggies (4-2 in SEC).
This week, Alabama will have to deal with an A&M spread offense that is averaging 251 yards rushing (first in SEC) and 308 yards per game (second in SEC) passing. Also, the Aggies are averaging scoring 44 points per game.
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That will be quite a matchup for the Alabama defense, which is yielding an average of just 9 points per game.
Alabama coach Nick Saban feels that his team will have to prepare well in the film room, and then execute well on the field vs. Texas A&M.
"I think players having a good understanding of what they have to defend by how they study and how they prepare mentally in terms of what the other team does and then having a good understanding of what we're trying to do whether it's offense, defense, special teams, it doesn't really matter," Saban told al.com.
"Then taking it to the field and being able to execute physically with the technique, discipline, eye control, whatever you want to call the fundamentals of it to be able to go into the game and have the best opportunity to do it against a really good player."
In other SEC action on November 10 (all times Eastern):
Arkansas at South Carolina, noon, CBS.
Missouri at Tennessee, 12:21 p.m., SEC network.
Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida, 12:21 p.m., SEC network.
Georgia at Auburn, 7 p.m, ESPN2
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Mississippi State at LSU, 7 p.m., ESPN.
-- Material from the SEC office was used in this report.
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