After one of the most chaotic college football Saturdays of all-time, which featured five of the nation's top seven teams in the AP Top 25 fall, the schedule for Week 8 eases up slightly with only two ranked vs. ranked matchups.
The Alabama Crimson Tide host the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the first meeting between the former SEC West division rivals since 2023, when Nick Saban's final team went into College Station and came away with a hard-fought 26-20 win over Jimbo Fisher's Aggies.
Alabama (5-2, 3-2 overall) is No. 13 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25 after an uninspiring 26-10 loss to Tennessee in the Third Saturday in October rivalry at Neyland Stadium. Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3) is unranked following double-digit
losses earlier in the season to Kentucky, LSU and Missouri.
Ryan Grubb's offense struggled for all four quarters in Knoxville as the Crimson Tide and quarterback Keelon Russell committed three turnovers and managed a season-low 201 yards of total offense. Tennessee's defense was suffocating, holding Alabama to 2-of-13 on third downs and getting two critical fourth-down stops.
The Tide suffered back-to-back regular-season losses for the first time since 2007 when Saban's first Alabama team closed with four straight losses before a win over Colorado in the Independence Bowl on the eve of the Saban dynasty in Tuscaloosa.
Texas A&M is coming off a 41-0 win over The Citadel, but the Aggies were outscored by a combined 50 points in losses at LSU in Week 4 and at Missouri in Week 6. Quarterback Marcel Reed has struggled this season under first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins. He enters Week 8 with seven touchdowns to six interceptions and is 14th in passing yards among the 16 SEC starters.
Will Alabama get back on track against the Aggies?
Former Alabama transfer among Aggies to know vs. Texas A&M in Week 8
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 21, 2026
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Will Alabama football beat Texas A&M? USA TODAY Sports' pick, prediction
USA TODAY Sports' panel of college football experts unveiled their weekly picks and predictions for every top-25 team in Week 8, including No. 13 Alabama's homecoming matchup against Texas A&M.
The seven-member panel, featuring Paul Myerberg, Matt Hayes, Eddie Timanus, John Brice, Jordan Mendoza and others all see the Crimson Tide winning Saturday's game at Bryant-Denny. All seven incorrectly predicted Alabama would be Tennessee in Week 7.
Of the seven prognosticators, Mendoza has the best record with picks, correctly predicting 89 of 107 games this season. Hayes, Myerberg and Timanus have the second-best record with 87 of 107 games correctly predicted.
Oddsmakers have Alabama as a 14.5-point favorite over Texas A&M, while ESPN's popular SP+ metrics from Bill Connelly and its FPI ratings see the Crimson Tide beating the Aggies, as well.
'College GameDay' announces Week 8 location, making unusual decision
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 21, 2026
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Alabama football history vs. Texas A&M: who leads all-time series?
Alabama leads the all-time series vs. Texas A&M, 13-3, on the field. The Crimson Tide are 10-2 against the Aggies since A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
Here are game by game results for Alabama-Texas A&M through the years:
- Oct. 7, 2023: Alabama 26, Texas A&M 20 (College Station)
- Oct. 8, 2022: Alabama 24, Texas A&M 20 (Tuscaloosa)
- Oct. 9, 2021: Texas A&M 41, Alabama 38 (College Station)
- Oct. 3, 2020: Alabama 52, Texas A&M 24 (Tuscaloosa)
- Oct. 12, 2019: Alabama 47, Texas A&M 28 (College Station)
- Sept. 22, 2018: Alabama 45, Texas A&M 23 (Tuscaloosa)
- Oct. 7, 2017: Alabama 27, Texas A&M 19 (College Station)
- Oct. 22, 2016: Alabama 33, Texas A&M 14 (Tuscaloosa)
- Oct. 17, 2015: Alabama 41, Texas A&M 23 (College Station)
- Oct. 18, 2014: Alabama 59, Texas A&M 0 (Tuscaloosa)
- Sept. 14, 2013: Alabama 49, Texas A&M 42 (College Station)
- Nov. 10, 2012: Texas A&M 29, Alabama 24 (Tuscaloosa)
- Dec. 1, 1988: Alabama 30, Texas A&M 10 (College Station)
- Sept. 14, 1985: Alabama 23, Texas A&M 10 (Birmingham)
- Jan. 1, 1968: Texas A&M 20, Alabama 16 (Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
- Jan. 1, 1942: Alabama 29, Texas A&M 21 (Cotton Bowl)
All-time vs. opponent: 13-3.
Alabama football schedule 2026
Kickoff for Alabama-Texas A&M in Week 8 of the 2026 college football season is 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game can be seen on ABC. Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer will have the call of the game. Kris Budden will report from the sidelines.
Additionally, the Crimson Tide Sports Network feed of the game featuring Alabama radio voice Chris Stewart and Tyler Watts can be heard on SiriusXM channel 84 and The Varsity App.
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers (L, 26-10)
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-2 overall, 3-2.
ESPN SP+ predicts the final score of Alabama football vs Texas A&M
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 22, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: USA TODAY Sports picks, predictions for Alabama football vs. Texas A&M
