Death Valley will certainly feature a highly anticipated matchup between two SEC teams that have turned rivals in recent years. The ninth-ranked Texas AM Aggies enter into Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers who took a week off after losing to the top-ranked Crimson Tide. On paper, the matchup looks every bit of a high-scoring showdown.
Despite having Johnny Football, LSU opens as a four-point favorite, mainly because the game is at home and Death Valley is one of the hardest places to play in college football. LSU will have their hands full despite having the home crowd advantage. Their defense has struggled against the run. Alabama was able to put together three-straight touchdown drives against the Tigers, something Texas a&M was certainly watching.
Manziel is ready to put together another Heisman moment to secure his trip to New York City. In 10-straight starts, the quarterback is averaging 300-plus total yards. Against the Alabama defense, he put together 500-plus yards of total offense. He is keeping the Aggies rolling despite their defensive woes, putting up an average of 49.2 points per game.
LSU plans on getting creative against the Aggies. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger is no slouch himself and with wide receiver Odell Beckham running the sidelines, the two can put up big numbers. Alabama managed to shutdown the top receiver, but the Aggies may not be as lucky. Pair that with running back Jeremy Hill could be the x-factor in today's game.
Manziel is well-aware at this point that the Aggies are likely not going to the National Championship game. They also are not guaranteed a trip to Atlanta, leaving the Heisman all that is left to top off Manziel's college career. He will be ready for a big game.