And to answer the question... still don't know.

A&M sat in 3 down bringing at most an extra linebacker against Tyler Van Dyke and Miami. The Canes have a good to very good line and handled it well. TVD had time to throw all game and hit his passes.

In the past 2 games, albeit against poorer OLs than Miami, a QB catastrophe at Auburn, and a QB at Arkansas that has talent but doesn't look comfortable when in the pocket, Durkin has dialed up the pressure. A lot more 4 down, and bringing 5 or 6 rushers most of the game. When you have a blitzing nickel, or two blitzing LBs, it has given the DL more opportunities to really show what they can do. The young talent has started to show on the DL and Shemar Turner has been mentioned by a few national talking heads as one of the most impactful and best hand on the ground DL in the nation.

IF A&M can continue to dial up pressure and get home without getting torched by screens or blitz pickups with a ball over the top, it can be a good to great defense.

If they can't, well it'll be the Miami game all over again.

Seems to be a high risk, high reward scenario. Some weeks it will work and you'll look dominant. Others, especially others with a good OL and good QB, it wont.

Against Ole Miss, South Carolina, and LSU all have good QBs. Could be a recipe for disasters. I'd have added Mississippi St having a good QB, but that OL is swiss cheese right now.

Bama will be interesting. As will Tennessee.

Cupcake of Abeliene Christian is the only one that looks for sure to be a cake walk the rest of the way.

This team could very well go 5-7 again. Or they could end up 10-2. We'll learn a lot more this weekend.

This post was edited on 10/3/23 at 2:24 pm