Texas A&M
If Auburn loses to Clemson as many think they will, and then beat Arkansas State, then the Texas A&M game becomes very crucial for the 2016 season.
If the Tigers were to lose this game they would then have to face LSU the following week with a losing record and the possibility of starting the season 1-3, which would most certainly have Gus Malzahn in hot water.
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The Aggies had two quarterbacks transfer to other schools during the offseason, making head coach Kevin Sumlin’s seat even hotter. They did get a transfer of their own in Trevor Knight from Oklahoma.
They return six starters on offense, but lost their top running back from a year ago in Tra Carson who ran for 1,165 yards and 7 touchdowns. Their top two receivers from a year ago return in Christian Kirk (1,009 yards and 7 touchdowns) and Josh Reynolds (907 yards and 5 touchdowns).
The Aggies return seven starters on defense, including defensive end Myles Garrett who had 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss.
This is certainly the first swing game for Auburn in the season as it will dictate how the next few weeks will go. If they win they start 1-0 in the SEC and have a little more confidence going into the LSU matchup.
This is a home game that Auburn fans are expecting Gus Malzahn and the Tigers to win, so a loss to Texas A&M could send this season into a tailspin and have Auburn fans with a “here we go again” kind of attitude.
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