Jimbo Fisher Off To OK Start In Do-Or-Fired Season, But If He Beats Alabama, He's Back

With just one win Saturday, Texas A&M coach Jimbo "In Limbo" Fisher can complete a tide-turning trifecta against the Crimson Tide (3:30 p.m., CBS):

1. The Aggies (4-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) can take over first place in the SEC West by beating No. 11 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC). Last year, Texas A&M finished 5-7 and 2-6 in the West for last place. It tied Auburn at 2-6, but Auburn beat the Aggies head-to-head.

2. Fisher can become the first assistant of Alabama head coach Nick Saban ever to beat him twice as a head coach. Fisher was the first Saban pupil to beat him back in 2021. Then Georgia coach Kirby Smart did it in the '21 season in the national championship game. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian also has a win over his teacher this season, but that was his first one. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is still looking. So is Florida coach Billy Napier, who lost to him as Louisiana's coach, as are several others.

3. And most important, Fisher will save his job. Fisher was basically told to give the offense over to a new coordinator after last season. And he did that with former Louisville, Arkansas and Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino. He was seen as one of the best offensive coaches in the college game not long ago. Fisher was also told this will be his last season he didn't improve significantly on 5-7.

A win over Alabama will be bigger for Fisher than the watershed, 41-38 win over the No. 1 Tide on Oct. 9, 2021, in College Station. Because it will get the do-or-die aspect of this season off his back. It could climb back on his back if he and the Aggies have a total collapse over their next six games. But that is not likely.

Texas A&M Win Over Alabama Will Save Jimbo Fisher

After Alabama, the Aggies could drop one at Tennessee the next week. But the schedule is favorable after that. And we told you in August, A&M would be much improved.

A win over the Tide will put A&M at 5-1 and equal its win total from last season. In this scenario, the Aggies will be favored over South Carolina at home on Oct. 28, Mississippi State on Nov. 11 and Abilene Christian on Nov. 18. That's 8-4 right there with losses at Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU. And all three of those are winnable. Remember, Tennessee lost to Florida.

A 9-3 or 10-2 finish would be more likely as the Aggies could get one or two out of the three against that trio.

Should A&M lose to Alabama, Fisher still will have a strong chance of winning eight or nine and keeping his job, but that will be with the do-or-die pressure remaining on his back.

Nick Saban Does Not Have Same Type Alabama Team

Alabama is only a 2.5-point favorite and it is clearly not the Alabama of recent years, or even last year. The Tide only lost twice last year and nearly made the College Football Playoff. And the Aggies, as bad as they were, still came within a questionable call in the end zone of winning in Tuscaloosa. Alabama was fortunate to win 24-20.

Texas A&M has the bad, 48-33 loss to Miami on Sept. 9, but it has straightened itself out on both sides of the field. And the Hurricanes are 4-0 and ranked No. 17. The Aggies do not have a signature victory yet, but they did handle average to below-average Auburn and Arkansas without any problems - 27-10 and 34-22. Texas A&M obviously had much less trouble with Auburn than No. 1 Georgia did.

The Aggies defense will give Alabama and quarterback Jalen Milroe and a so-so offensive line a lot of problems. Coordinator D.J. Durkin's unit is No. 2 in the nation with 20 sacks after logging seven against Auburn last week. A&M is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally in total defense (253.8 yards a game), second and ninth in passing defense (157.6 yards a game) and third and 20th against the run (96.2 yards).

Jimbo Fisher Could Control His SEC Destiny

Texas A&M's offense is vastly improved over the mess last season. Petrino is not setting the world ablaze, but the Aggies are playing well to their defense. Max Johnson is a solid, veteran quarterback, which is more than Alabama has. Johnson will continue to fill in well for original starter Conner Weigman, who was lost for the season against Arkansas with a broken foot two weeks ago.

The Aggies are No. 34 nationally in total yards a game with 443.4 and sixth in the SEC. Last year? Try No. 92 in the nation and last in the SEC with 361 yards a game.

If A&M doesn't choke and let Alabama be Alabama, it will win.

"Guys are always in the right place, the right time, with the right leverage, in the right situation," said Fisher, who wasn't close in his first three losses to Saban at A&M from 2018-20. "Don't give things away, because as soon as you do, they capitalize on it."

Aggies Can Decide Their Future Now

Texas A&M will have wide receiver/kick returner Ainias Smith for Alabama this year. He missed the 2022 game because he broke his leg against Arkansas and was lost for the season. Smith returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown last week against the Razorbacks and caught four passes for 72 yards.

"It's not that we're looking at Alabama as, 'Oh, it's Bama.' It's just another week to us," Smith said.

Uh, no it's not, and you know that, Ainias.

Senior tight end Max Wright put it in better perspective.

"There's always like three or four games that kind of decide which way the SEC is going to go," he said. "Every game can be a game that decides the future of the year for any team."

If he wins it, that's this game for Jimbo Fisher. If he doesn't, he'll have more chances, but none will satisfy the powers that be more than beating Bama.