The Crimson Tide began the year as the No. 2 ranked team behind Clemson but has since overtaken the Tigers in both the Associated Press and the coaches’ poll.

Alabama is 5-0 and 2-0 in SEC play and takes its number one status to College Station, Texas, determined to strengthen its playoffs bid.

The meeting between the No. 24 ranked Aggies and the Crimson Tide is one of the four top-25 ranked matchups of the weekend, but is also the more lopsided of the quartet.

After losing the national title game to Clemson in January, Alabama has looked a team on a mission this season.

Tua Tagovailoa is playing like the Heisman Trophy favorite that he is, throwing for 1,718 passing yards and 23 touchdowns without an interception so far.

The Crimson Tide signal caller has been helped by a receiving corps stacked with talent. Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III have combined for 1,386 receiving yards so far this season, consistently providing Tagovailoa with different options and providing a major headache for defenses across the nation.

Alabama has converted 90 percent of its red-zone trips into points, with 15 touchdowns in 20 attempts, and the same degree of efficiency could be crucial on Saturday, as Texas A&M has allowed just 12 red-zone opportunities this season.

The Crimson Tide is 4-0 at Kyle Field, which is expected to be at its raucous best on Saturday afternoon.

Tagovailoa, however, wasn’t concerned by the prospect of playing in a very loud stadium.

“I’ve had experience going to a place like Texas A&M, and then prior to the LSU game [last year] we played at Tennessee, and Tennessee was actually pretty loud,” he was quoted as saying by Sports Illustrated. “I feel like you’ve kind of seen it all. So you’ve just got to adjust on the fly in environments like this.”

The Aggies, who like Alabama come off a bye, may need more than vocal support to beat the Crimson Tide. The program has faced a brutal schedule this season, playing then-No. 1 ranked Clemson and Auburn, with Georgia and LSU still to come.

Texas A&M’s defense has been good so far this season, allowing just 191.4 yards per game against the pass and 108.4 yards per game against the run, but it will have to be even better on Saturday.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Aggies need Kellen Mond to step up. The quarterback went 55-of-91 for 571 yards in the losses to Clemson and Auburn, rushing for just 27 yards in the two games combined.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Saturday.

When and where is the game?

The Texas A&M Aggies host Alabama at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, October 12.

Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.

TV coverage

The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.

Live stream

A live stream will be available via CBS’s digital platforms and via fuboTV.

Series record

The two programs have met 11 times, with Alabama winning on nine occasions and Texas A&M recording just two wins.

The Crimson tide has won the last six games against the Aggies, the most of recent of which ended in a 45-23 home win for Nick Saban’s team in September last year. Alabama also won on its last visit to College Station, defeating the Aggies 27-19 in October 2017.

Odds

According to BetOnline, Alabama is a 17-point favorite and is 91/100 to win and cover the spread, while Texas A&M is a 6/1 underdog and the over/under bar in terms of points scored is set at 59.5.