Auburn vs. Texas A&M prediction: Aggies hold off 'hard-fought' effort from Tigers

For the second consecutive week, Hugh Freeze finds himself in a massive SEC game on the road. Auburn heads to College Station to face off against Texas A&M, the Aggies’ conference opener. Plenty will be on the line at Kyle Field Saturday afternoon.

If you had to argue which team needs the win more, Auburn is the likely answer. Already 0-1 in the SEC, there is going to be an extreme fight coming from the Tigers. And still, Josh Pate still does not believe the mentality will be enough to get them over the finish line.

“You think to yourself — Ultra talented, backs against the wall, wounded animal mode,” Pate said via Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “This is the kind of game where that kind of team shows up. Somehow, they find a way… That’s what my instincts tell me about this game. The problem is the dynamics as such — you could have a hard-fought game and it ends up being 30-20 because there’s a late touchdown.

“I’m going to take A&M to win and cover… If I’m right, that’s a tough spot for Auburn. You’re already down two conference games over this eight-day stretch here. That would be tough.”

Last Saturday’s loss in Norman was a tough pill to swallow for Freeze. He continues to be open about the frustrations when it comes to the game’s officiating. Plenty of tapes were sent to the SEC offices in Birmingham and Freeze even had a personal conversation with Commissioner Greg Sankey.

Now, a top-10 Texas A&M team lines up on the other side, fresh off a bye week, and over 100,000 people supporting them. Mike Elko took his team into South Bend a couple of weeks ago, coming out with a massive win for the program to jump-start what they hope to be a special season.

The “tough spot” Pate mentions is there because of what’s ahead of Auburn. Lose to Texas A&M for a 0-2 SEC record, while still having four teams currently ranked in the AP top 25 on the schedule. If there is any saving grace, three of those will be inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Freeze knows his team will need to play with an extra edge to avoid that spot. Even so, Pate does not believe the fight is enough to get Auburn over the finish line. He likes Texas A&M to win by at least a full score.