Texas A&M will begin its SEC schedule against Auburn at Kyle Field, with this opener arriving under high stakes and a national spotlight. The ranked Aggies’ defense will be tested by the Tigers’ offense led by Jackson Arnold. Auburn will be looking to bounce back after a one-score loss to Oklahoma, where Arnold was sacked nine times. The pricing hovers around Texas A&M -6.5 with a moneyline near -240 to -260, but there is some news for the Aggies fans that will curb their excitement. A little bit at least. 

The pregame availability report shares that linebacker Scooby Williams will not be suiting up against Auburn after suffering an ankle injury in A&M’s last matchup against the Fighting Irish. During a play, Williams intercepted CJ Carr and then was seen limping off the field before missing the entire second half. Texas A&M confirmed his status in the SEC-mandated availability report 90 minutes before the kickoff and locked the next man up plan for their conference opener. 

ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported a ‘doubtful’ on Saturday morning’s report, which was a pivot from the ‘questionable’ that we’ve been hearing all week. But then came the final report that he won’t be dressing up against Auburn. Through three games, Williams had been an anchor for the defense with 12 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception. His versatility and range, combined with Taurean York’s instincts, have been a puzzle that opponents haven’t been able to solve yet. And that’s why his absence removes an ever-so-versatile piece from Mike Elko’s defense, particularly in screen/option fits that Auburn will be targeting.

In Williams’ position, the next man up is redshirt sophomore Daymion Sanford, who is expected to take on a larger role. Against Notre Dame, Sanford recorded one of the Aggies’ two sacks and also logged a breakout performance with seven tackles. Depth charts point to Sanford and Jordan Lockhart as the next men up, but most probably, it’s going to be Sanford starting, with Lockhart rotating.

Even without Williams, though, Texas A&M is still the favorite to win the game. His absence tightens the margins on some early downs and thirds, but Sanford has shown that he is more than capable of taking Williams’ load and then some. Moreover, the Aggies’ home advantage will likely play a bigger role in disrupting QB calls and more. Let’s not underestimate Auburn, though. They went down fighting against Oklahoma, and they will do the same against the Aggies. We never know what’s up their sleeve just yet.

Elko’s SEC reality check

It’s been a year since the Aggies went into a four-overtime play that destroyed their playoff dreams, but a year later, and they’re rolling into Jordan Hare with a 3-0 record and a coach who refuses to think that they’ve got everything figured out. Mike Eklo has gotten A&M up and running again, but he hasn’t let the locker room forget the grueling losses that they’ve had to endure to reach this position. 

On his weekly Aggie Football Hour, Eklo tipped his hat to the Tigers and reminded everyone what the SEC does to other teams. “Unbelievably talented team. The NFL tells you how talented these SEC teams are each year,” he said, before adding, “We beat each other up, so maybe all our records aren’t 10-2 or 11-1 like other leagues. You don’t play an SEC game and not feel it after. Their back is against the wall, so they’re going to come out fighting.” That’s the tone of a coach who has been building a program from the ground up. Never underestimating another team, especially if they have tigers in their name.