Auburn Football: Texas A&M at #3 Auburn Preview and Predictions

Oct 19, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver Ricardo Louis (5) is tackled by Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Darian Claiborne (48) during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Who: Texas A&M Aggies (6-3, 2-3 SEC) at #3 Auburn Tigers (7-1, 4-1 SEC)

When: 2:30 p.m. C.T. (CBS)

Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama

All-Time Series Record: Texas A&M leads 3-1

Most Recent Meeting: Auburn 45, Texas A&M 41 (2013)

The date is September 27, 2014. The 6th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, led by Heisman contender starting QB Kenny Hill, had just survived a stiff test from Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium 34-28 in overtime. Life was good for the Aggies, who were 5-0 and very much in the thick of the playoff race.

After the game, head coach Kevin Sumlin cheerfully boasted in the locker room, “It took offense! It took special teams! It took defense!”, leading to a frenzy of student-athletes jumping around, dancing and spraying bottled water all over the place.

Since then, however, that proclamation by Sumlin in the locker room has taken on a new meaning. A rough three-game stretch against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama have taken A&M’s offense, taken A&M’s special teams and, most notably, taken A&M’s defense completely out of their rhythm.

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After the suspension of Kenny Hill and an ugly debut by freshman QB Kyle Allen in a 21-16 win over UL-Monroe, the once-contending Aggies enter Jordan-Hare on Saturday as a 22-point underdog.

That tends to happen when you’ve been outscored by your SEC West competition 170-85 this season.

The Auburn football team, meanwhile, is starting to roll on all cylinders offensively, cranking out 507 yards and five touchdowns on the road against an Ole Miss defense that had allowed eight touchdowns all year going in.

Auburn’s defense has struggled in the last three games, so A&M will look to capitalize on that, but will the Aggies have enough in the tank to keep pace with the powerful Tigers?

Next: Texas A&M's Keys to Victory