Will post more on this game this week, as I am a STH at both schools, life-long Tide fan, A&M alum. Bama has more depth and is the overall better team but this is a very dangerous game for Alabama. Sumlin does not run a traditional "spread" offense, A&M seeks balance and runs the ball (all rushing TDs vs. Miss State). A&M defense is good against the run but lacks depth, and the DBs cover well but are very young and don't tackle well in space. A&M also has the best offensive line in the SEC not named Alabama.
You win and lose as a team but as for several games mentioned above: Florida - first game for freshman QB, new coaches, new schemes and game was still winnable. La. Tech - missing 4 defensive starters and A&M has no depth on D (for example up 38-7 vs. Miss. State A&M put in #2 DL and #2 DBs but kept the LB 1s in the game til the end), LSU - LSU has a good D and A&M had 4 TOs, but only 2 that were on Manziel. A&M still put up 410 yards of offense on LSU. Ole Miss, first true road game for Fr. QB, awful performance and A&M had SIX turnover - and still won the game.
A&M PK is terrible.
Bama 31-24.
A&M victory would not shock me, neither would a 41-17 Alabama win.
Mettenberger is NOT a good QB, at all. If the back end of Bama's defense doesn't play a lot better the Tide will be ripe for an upset. But when is the last time a Saban coached Bama defense had 2 bad games in a row? Never, that's when.
Bama will do it's thing, rush for 200+, contain Manziel, limit the big plays, and wear down the defense, and win.