Josh Pate previews CFB's Week 5 as No. 9 Texas A&M hosts Auburn

Key notes from Josh Pate interview

• Auburn vs. Oklahoma played out how I expected. You have to be careful in college football pigeon-holing or defining a team in the first quarter of the season. Some teams get into ascension mode. That is every team’s goal. Auburn can do that. For the Oklahoma game, they lacked a rhythmic nature. They had to develop a ground game, but didn’t really do so in the game. Brent Venables didn’t really allow the quarterback runs, which they did so well against Baylor. Auburn lost a game they could’ve won. If they lose to A&M this weekend, they start 0-2 in the conference right off the bat. The desperation mode they are in, a back-to-back road spot... It was always a talking point to me. The Oklahoma game is such a hinge game. If they had won, they’d be in a really good spot. But now they didn’t, and this week they need this one.
   
• These seasons with two bye weeks can help a team that is still trying to define itself. The bye for A&M is really advantageous for them. They can enjoy the big victory against Notre Dame. You have time to point out the mistakes, correct them and have 13 days to do it. If we see on Saturday that A&M has a hangover, it is possible. Auburn can win. It is possible. I don’t think it’ll happen because of the Notre Dame game.
   
• Offensively, A&M has the upper hand against Auburn. They won’t need to score 40 to win. Another scenario, maybe Jackson Arnold has developed more, and A&M has to put up a big score again. We need to pay attention to the wide receiver matchups for both sides. We’ve seen it from both teams so far. A&M has more ways to dictate the way and the pace of the game. I feel the same way about the Notre Dame game. Like a 20-19 win. I could see a low-scoring or a high-scoring profile. I am comfortable with A&M playing in both styles of the game.
   
• Every time I see an emphatic statline result, like Oklahoma getting into Auburn’s backfield... When you see something in the previous week, you think it is the norm. That is not the case, but that is where the focus is all week. Sometimes it leads to an opposite result the next week. Here is the problem with that: If someone sacks you 10 times, most of the time, there is an explanation for that. A bad offensive line or a quarterback who held the ball too long. That is not the case in that game. There were times when I saw both at fault. I just don’t think Arnold can work past his first progression. I wonder if Venables wasn’t good enough to take that first progression away, and Arnold could not get through his other progressions before we get to him. A&M has the exact same ability as Oklahoma does. Especially if Auburn can’t get a good ground game going, I don’t expect them to completely fix that in seven days.
   
• As best we can tell, there is a brilliant side or treachery by Lane Kiffin’s daughter. She posts the week of their game she’s dating Whit Weeks. It could be daddy issues or brilliantly-played chess. I know Thanksgiving is coming. Eventually, there is a family get-together, and the conversation over this game has to happen. I’d pay to see that.
   
• I am excited to see LSU take on a good passing attack. It doesn’t matter which quarterback for Ole Miss. What happens in college football a lot of times is that a defense gets a good reputation. Sometimes it is valid, other times it means they just haven’t played anybody. That is not LSU. They are ultra-athletic. Ole Miss can score 27. If they do, is Garrett Nussmeier 100 percent? Can the LSU offense score 30 on the road? They didn’t against Clemson or Florida. If they can get Trinidad Chambliss to throw five picks, they will be in a good spot. Ole Miss hasn’t faced a good pass rush either. This game is one of the toughest to get a read on. Both have two very good attacks, one defensively, one offensively. But neither of them has been tested.
   
• Vanderbilt is the best story in the SEC. Their games are selling out. They’ve never done that. They only had one if Georgia came to town. It was most of the time dominated by road fans showing up. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Diego Pavia is not an NFL guy, solely a college player. This is a college football story. You have a head coach in Clark Lea, who would be wanted by any coaching vacancy, except his representation won’t float his name because he doesn't want to leave. Vanderbilt has never been relevant for this long, ever. Lea is not looking to leave because he loves this program.
   
• If we were to remove Vanderbilt from its own shelf, Missouri is a great story, too. I really think people are underrating what they are. No one will watch them until they play Alabama. They went and got Beau Pribula. Now, Penn State folks are looking at Pribula play well and thinking if they let go of the wrong quarterback. Pribula has looked good and is a perfect fit. Suppose Ahmad Hardy were on Texas, Oklahoma, or USC. He would be a top Heisman candidate. They hit in the portal at linebacker. They look good and are significantly better than I expected them to be.
   
• Miami has exceeded my expectations. However, let’s also say the same thing we said against LSU. I want to see Miami against a potent passing attack. We haven't seen that either. They beat Notre Dame, Florida and South Florida. Those are good opponents, but we need to make sure. It is a case-by-case thing in college football. Another thing about Miami’s dynamic, they go to Tallahassee next week. That’ll be a war. After that, they will probably be double-digit favorites the rest of the way. My concern about that is that no one is going to test them.
   
• Now, for Georgia, I wouldn’t be worried because we know what they can do, the standard. Miami doesn’t have guys who have been there. You can go down the list of the games for Miami. They can win the rest of those games playing at a B level. Bad habits can be allowed to creep in. They won’t bite you in the regular season. But in the playoffs, they will play against Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia. They aren’t dropping the ball or letting the rope fall. The defense is legit. They are the best team I’ve seen so far. Ohio State won last year, losing two games.