<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2OmxiI_0vmKw2oH00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2OmxiI_0vmKw2oH00" width="1280" height="720" ><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1zl5Vo_0vmKw2oH00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1zl5Vo_0vmKw2oH00" width="805" height="1618" >Arkansas has been Texas A&amp;M’s punching bag since it joined the Southeastern Conference, and the Aggies need that trend to continue Saturday in the final installment of the Southwest Classic at AT&amp;T Stadium.This starts a five-game stretch for the Aggies that will determine how successful the season could be. The 24th-ranked Aggies are the lowest of nine SEC ranked teams, but A&amp;M will play only three of the other ranked teams this season. If the Aggies could win one or two of those games and beat the teams they’re expected to, it’ll be a good season. But it must beat Arkansas, which has been pretty much a given with the Aggies in recent years, winning 11 of the last 12 games.No team has been better for Texas A&amp;M’s ego. The Aggies are a respectable 53-42 in SEC play since joining the country’s best conference, but other than manhandling Arkansas, the Aggies’ SEC record against everyone else is 41-44. So A&amp;M is averaging just over an SEC victory per year compliments to its former Southwest Conference rival. The 11-1 edge indicates the Razorbacks have been a pushover, but that’s far from the case. Six of A&amp;M’s victories have been by a score or less with three decided in overtime. Only one of A&amp;M’s victories has been by more than 12 points. It’s a great rivalry for A&amp;M because Arkansas gives its best effort time after time, and time after time, the Aggies find a way to prevail. A&amp;M has come home from JerryWorld ready to tackle the world, time after time. Life is great when you beat a rival.The Aggies are hopeful Arkansas provides some more magic elixir. A&amp;M is 3-1, which is what most forecast. The start has been highlighted by a hard-fought loss to eighth-ranked Notre Dame and a dominating 33-20 victory at Florida to open league play. Texas A&amp;M might be a pretty good team, then again, it might be pretty average.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=32RerR_0vmKw2oH00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=32RerR_0vmKw2oH00" width="1609" height="1287" ><figcaption>Marcel Reed has won both his starts. MEREDITH SEAVER, THE EAGLE</figcaption></figure>The effort against Notre Dame lost its luster when Notre Dame fell in its home opener to Northern Illinois, which entered the top 25 rankings and stayed there a week thanks to a bye, only to disappoint the hometown fans the next time out in a 23-20 loss to Buffalo — the Mid-American Conference Bulls, not the NFL’s Bills. The same Bulls who lost 38-0 at Missouri. So how good is Notre Dame? We don’t know. The Irish are living off reputation and potential, as they often do.Many were concerned Florida would be a tough game, but the Aggies dominated play. It’s hard to glean anything from the effort though, considering the Gators allowed 529 yards in a 41-17 loss to Miami and gave up 480 yards in a 45-28 victory over Mississippi State. Still, it was Florida in The Swamp, and you shouldn’t nitpick any SEC road victory. But A&amp;M got plenty of demerits during last week’s 26-20 victory over Bowling Green at Kyle Field. It wasn’t a bad effort; it just wasn’t what you’d expect from a top-25 team. But then who is?It’s all about beating teams you should. A win over Arkansas will give A&amp;M a modest four-game winning streak, its longest since the middle of the 2021 season. It would give A&amp;M much-needed momentum heading into next week’s Missouri game. Win or lose against Arkansas, the Aggies will probably be favored over Missouri. It’s very conceivable A&amp;M could take a five-game winning streak into its first bye week. A&amp;M travels to hapless Mississippi State on Oct. 19. A&amp;M is almost a lock to have a modest two-game road winning streak on the heels of snapping a 10-game road losing streak at Florida. The Oct. 26 game against LSU at Kyle Field looks more winnable after the Tigers lost defensive end Harold Perkins to a season-ending injury. Besides, A&amp;M always beats at LSU at home, right? At least the last three times.A&amp;M does have two tough road games left against South Carolina (Nov. 2) and Auburn (Nov. 23). South Carolina plays sixth-ranked Ole Miss, fourth-ranked Alabama and 21st-ranked Oklahoma right before the Aggies. The Gamecocks might be pretty beat up by then. Auburn already also has lost its league opener and must play Oklahoma, second-ranked Georgia, 11th-ranked Missouri, Kentucky and a vastly improved Vanderbilt before taking on the Aggies. Auburn already has lost at home to California and Arkansas.This might be the easiest SEC schedule the Aggies get in decades. It’s very manageable if it beats Arkansas. Sometimes, all it takes is one victory and the other dominos will follow. Just look at Missouri (4-0), which comes to Kyle Field next week. The Tigers the last two weeks eked by Boston College 27-21 and Vanderbilt 30-27 in two overtimes. A&amp;M will be Missouri’s first game away from home. The Tigers have arguably an easier schedule than A&amp;M. Missouri’s remaining games against ranked teams after A&amp;M are Oklahoma at home and at Alabama. Missouri’s remaining home games are Auburn and Arkansas with road trips to South Carolina, Mississippi State and UMass. The Tigers could go 10-2 and be rather average, and if that ends up being the case, give them credit for beating the teams they should. Missouri was one of the nation’s surprise teams last season, going 11-2. The Tigers won four games by one score, three of them to unranked teams — Middle Tennessee (23-19), Memphis (34-27) and Florida (33-31). Lose those games and they would have been 8-5, a record A&amp;M fans understand. That’s not a successful season.A&amp;M’s last three nine-win seasons included victories over Arkansas. A&amp;M’s last eight-win season included a loss to Arkansas.Enough said.</div></body>

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Cessna: Aggies need Razorbacks to be their friend one more time

Arkansas has been Texas A&M’s punching bag since it joined the Southeastern Conference, and the Aggies need that trend to continue Saturday in the final installment of the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium. This starts a five-game stretch for the Aggies that will determine how successful the season could...