Knoxville will test both Fisher's mettle and A&M's ability to rebound

Texas A&M’s run defense will be tested. Aggie quarterback Max Johnson will be tested. The secondary, again, will be tested.

Yet, the most challenging test regarding Texas A&M and its trip to face No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday falls on head coach Jimbo Fisher.

His mettle as a coach will be severely tested, but not necessarily by the Volunteers.

Fisher will again be tested by Alabama.

A time-worn warning repeated by college football coaches following defeat is to not let an opponent beat you twice. Translation: The Aggies cannot let last week’s painful loss to Alabama be a factor in the game against Tennessee.

That won’t be easy. The 26-20 loss to the Crimson Tide has seemingly knocked the wind out of all of College Station.

A breakthrough victory was undoubtedly within reach but remains out of reach. It has now become Fisher’s task to ensure that failure to break through doesn’t lead to a breakdown.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Making four appearances in the red zone against Alabama, the Aggies only punched in one touchdown in the 26-20 loss.

Fisher's power of motivation and ability to get a team to forget the past and focus on the present will be tested.

But Fisher appears to be as confident as a Rhodes Scholar taking an open book exam. He doesn’t anticipate an Alabama hangover will cause headaches in Tennessee.

He based that opinion on the Aggies’ immediate reaction to the loss.

“You saw a hurt locker room,” Fisher said. “You saw a disappointed locker room. You didn’t see a dejected or a quitting locker room.

“Our kids have character. They have heart. I think they’re going to play their tails off.”

They will need to play with the same intensity and passion they demonstrated against Alabama.

Tennessee may not be as strong as the Crimson Tide, but the Volunteers are well-rested following a bye week.

If that’s not ominous enough, consider that Tennessee leads the SEC in rushing offense. Vols wide receiver Squirrel White is a big-play threat, especially against A&M’s secondary, which is vulnerable to big plays.

Additionally, Tennessee has a pass rush that has produced 22 sacks. A&M allowed five sacks to Alabama. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s offensive line has excelled in pass protection. That’s a concern because A&M depends heavily on its pass rush.

A greater concern than the team from Knoxville may be Knoxville itself.

The Aggies are not “road” scholars. They haven’t won on an opponent’s field since beating Missouri in Columbia in 2021.

Since then, they’ve lost at Ole Miss, at LSU, at Mississippi State, at Alabama, at South Carolina, at Auburn and at Miami.

The Aggies now roll the dice with hopes they’re mature enough to avoid picking up a hard eight.

“Usually, on the road, what happens is mature teams play well on the road,” Fisher said. “Mature teams are confident and trust in things and believe in themselves. When you’re on the road, it’s hard. Tennessee is one of those hard places.

“Hopefully, your maturity and your leadership — we’re a little bit older this year — those things will help.

“We’re not blaming them. I blame myself.”

So do a lot of frustrated, disappointed Aggies.

That doesn’t include the Aggies on the football roster. Some blame themselves for missing assignments or making mistakes that contributed to the loss to Alabama.

“I had kids tell me, ‘Coach, it’s my fault. It’s not going to happen again,’” Fisher said. “No, it’s not your fault. You tried.”

Fisher said those misplaced feelings of guilt and contrition indicate the Aggies will be ready in Knoxville. He’s confident intensity won’t be an issue.

“There’s caring in there,” he said. “As long as there’s caring and there’s love for each other, you’re going to come back and play hard and do what you have to do.”

We’ll see.