Nick Saban pulls back curtain on Texas A&M's home-field advantage
On Saturday, Alabama will enter the belly of the beast. That beast’s name is College Station. During an appearance on ‘Hey Coach & the Nick Saban Show,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban broke down the power of Texas A&M’s home-field advantage.
“This is one of the toughest places we’ve ever had to play,” Saban said. “When we went over there two years ago and actually lost in a really close game, it was the loudest most difficult play place to play. They have great tradition. They have their military folks and all that and there’s great tradition in what they do.”
Tradition is synonymous with Texas A&M football. On game days, over 100,000 fans migrate toward Kyle Field like bees naturally drawn to their hive. They buzz, as well. From the “Aggie War Hymn” to the “Gig ‘Em” signal, Aggies fans are easy to spot.
After all, they put in practice to boast such successful weekends. On the night before home games, thousands of Aggie fans gather at Midnight Yell Practice. Texas A&M can expect a few additional visitors with Alabama coming to town.
Nick Saban doesn’t underestimate matchup
Saban isn’t oblivious to the importance of the game.
“The rivalry is because they have a good program and a good team, a good coach, a lot of good players and this game has always been sort of a pivotal game,” Saban said. “When you’re playing on the road, you know, that makes it even a greater challenge.
“We have rivalries with lots of people. Everybody knows about Auburn and Tennessee, but LSU has become one and A&M has become one. “These kinds of challenges, as I said before, they define you as a competitor.”
Alabama’s rivalry with Texas A&M is relatively new. The programs have only faced off 15 times, with Alabama leading the series 12-3. Most recently, Saban and Co. narrowly defeated the Aggies 24-20 in 2022. Alabama is 9-1 against the Aggies under Saban.
The 71-year-old head coach doesn’t take such pivotal matchups lightly.
“They define you as a person, in terms of how can you stay focused and keep your poise and be able to execute and control your emotions in the right direction, so that it helps lead you to successful behavior,” Saban said.
Saban hopes to experience that success first-hand this weekend. Alabama and Texas A&M will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on CBS.