Tide buzz: A look at key matchups, factors for Alabama-Texas A&M

The details:

What: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 6 Texas A&M
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium
Line: Alabama is an 18-point favorite, according to Vegas Insider

This game will determine...

Whichever team wins this game will be the clear favorite to win the SEC West, especially since neither team will face another opponent currently ranked in the top-20. A win would put Alabama one step closer to winning the SEC and securing a berth in the College Football Playoff. If Texas A&M wins, it puts itself legitimately in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Three things to look for:

1. Jalen Hurts' passing: Hurts has been great as a runner. Last week was the latest example of that, when he ran for 132 yards and three touchdowns in helping Alabama beat Tennessee, 49-10. But Tide coaches are looking for Hurts to continue growing as a passer. He was just 6 of 16 with no touchdowns and an interception last week on passes that weren't jet sweeps or screens.

2Alabama defensive line: An Alabama defense that ranks first nationally in both sacks and run defense will be facing a Texas A&M offensive line that's allowed just one sack per game while paving the way for the Aggies to rush for an SEC-best 274 yards per game. That's seventh-best nationally.

3Alabama secondary: Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs only threw for 92 yards against Alabama last week, but Ole Miss' Chad Kelly and Arkansas' Austin Allen both threw for 400 yards against the Tide. This will be another test for the secondary. Texas A&M has arguably the most talented wide receiver group in the country, led by star sophomore Christian Kirk and senior Josh Reynolds. Kirk leads the SEC with an average of 6.7 catches per game. Reynolds ranks second in the SEC in receiving yards with 488 and with an average of 19.5 yards per catch.

Key matchup:

Alabama offensive line vs. Texas A&M defensive line. The defensive line is the strength of Texas A&M's defense. Defensive end Myles Garrett is arguably the best defensive player in the country, and many NFL draft analysts are projecting him to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft. Fellow defensive end Daeshon Hall is also being projected to go at some point during the first three rounds of next year's draft. Led by Garrett and Hall, Texas A&M ranks 13th nationally with an average of 3.33 sacks per game.

By the numbers:

77

Alabama has a three-game winning streak over Texas A&M. It has won the last two games by a combined 77 points. The Tide won, 59-0, in Tuscaloosa in 2014 and 41-23 in College Station last year.

Texas A&M player to watch: Freshman running back Trayveon Williams

Hurts won't be the only talented, promising true freshman from the Houston area in this game. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound Williams leads the SEC with an average of 117 rushing yards per game. He ranks second in the conference with an average of 8.6 yards per carry. Williams has run for an average of 149 yards per game against SEC opponents.

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