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Texas A&M’s top rival in SEC West? Aggies believe it’s Alabama
By Jake Rill
Published:
The SEC West is a challenging division, and if Texas A&M wants to be successful, it has to beat out a host of formidable opponents, including Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State.
Under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide have been the top team in the division far more often than not. Because of their success, other teams in the conference can typically find more motivation when playing them, hoping to take down the national powerhouse.
At SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Monday, Texas A&M defensive lineman Kingsley Keke told AL.com’s Joseph Goodman that Aggies players consider Alabama their top rival in the SEC West. And the main reason for that is because of the Tide’s elite coach in Saban.
Some may not consider Texas A&M-Alabama one of the most heated rivalries in the SEC. The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series, 8-2. And since the two schools began playing every year in 2012, the Aggies have won just one meeting between the two schools — a 29-24 victory in 2012.
Alabama beat Texas A&M in each of the past five seasons.
It’s also interesting to consider that the Crimson Tide certainly don’t consider the Aggies one of their top rivals, even in their own division. Alabama has longtime rivalries with Auburn and LSU that are much more storied and rich in tradition.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
