So much has been made about Texas A&M's SEC opener surrounding the game that it's sometimes hard to remember that there will actually be a game played Saturday between the Aggies and Florida.
So what's it going to take for the Aggies to win their opener? And what about the Gators?
Here are three keys for each team to win the game at Kyle Field.
Texas A&M
1. Don't believe the hype – It's a big game for the Aggies but it's just one game to start a 12 game in 12-week stretch. The emotions will be running high certainly, but the Aggies won't be able to prove they belong in the SEC based on what they do Saturday. A&M has to take the emotion of the day out of the game and play it just like it's another game. The game is nationally televised and there's media from all across the country in College Station. The Aggies can't control that though. Saturday isn't about making an impression on the country, it's about beating a Florida team that struggled last week against Bowling Green.
2. Let Michael get going – Running back Christine Michael, who missed the end of last season with a torn left ACL, needs to have a big game. If Michael can find running room, that will take pressure off redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel. Manziel, who is making his first collegiate start, won the job in spring ball. But if the Aggies can get Michael going, Manziel's job will be easier as Michael showed flashes of what could be last year. He was on his way to a 1,000-year season before he got hurt and has a history of success against SEC teams. Last season, Michael ran for 230 yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas.
3. Rattle Driskel – While the Aggies are breaking in a new quarterback, Florida starter Jeff Driskel is a week removed from splitting time with Jacoby Brissett. The sophomore has only thrown 50 passes for the Gators and was 10 of 16 last week for 114 yards and a touchdown. It will be up to an Aggise defense to pressure Driskel. That shouldn't a problem for the likes of linebacker Sean Porter and defensive end Damontre Moore, who combined for 18 sacks last year. If the defense and the 12th man can rattle Driskel, it could be a good day for the Aggies.
FLORIDA
1. Slow the game down – The Gators have to try and prepare for the Aggies to try and snap the ball 100 times, which could make for a long day for the defense. The best way to stop that is to possess the ball. The Gators have the weapon to do that in senior running back Mike Gillislee, who rran for 148 yards and two touchdowns against Bowling Green last week. If the Gators can establish the run, it keeps the Aggies off the field and the defense rested in the Texas heat.
2. Take the next step – Coaches talk about the biggest improvement for teams coming between weeks 1 and 2. The Gators struggled against Bowling Green and didn't pull away for the 27-14 victory until the fourth quarter. Florida knows what it has to work on now and has a week to show that it's a better team than it was against Bowling Green. That might not be a good thing for the Aggies, who haven't played a game yet. The Gators kept things simple against Bowling Green but figure to open up things a little more against the Aggies under new offensive coordinator Brent Pease.
3. Take advantage of the secondary – Driskel doesn't have much experience, but the Gators know that the weakness of the Aggies last year was in the secondary. A&M allowed more than 275 yards a game through the air and have question marks again this season in the secondary as there are no returning starters back. Florida showed it could spread the ball around in the opener, with five receivers catching at least two passes. If the Gators can spread the ball around again Saturday, it could be a long day for the A&M secondary.
