Who needs to win more: Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M or Gus Malzahn and Auburn?

The Auburn Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies face off in a crucial SEC showdown but does Jimbo Fisher or Gus Malzahn’s team need the win more?

Jimbo Fisher and Gus Malzahn found themselves on opposite sidelines for the 2014 BCS National Championship Game. The former was at the helm of the Florida State Seminoles, the latter coaching the Auburn Tigers in his first year. And the result of the final BCS game was an instant classic.

Then-redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston guided Florida State up against Nick Marshall and Auburn. In that matchup, Marshall and the Tigers got out to a 21-3 lead in the first half, though the Seminoles closed the gap before halftime with a Devonta Freeman rushing touchdown. An unanswered field goal and Winston passing touchdown in the third quarter made it 21-20 in favor of Auburn, setting up a dramatic finish.

Malzahn’s team increased their lead with a field goal but FSU answered immediately with a 100-yard kickoff return to pull ahead. But Auburn seemed to get the last laugh with a 37-yard touchdown by Tre Mason. Winston had other plans, though, as he found Kelvin Benjamin for a two-yard touchdown with just 19 seconds left, ultimately securing the title for Fisher and the Noles.

Over five years later, Fisher and Malzahn are set to meet once again, though things have changed a bit since then. While Malzahn remains coaching the No. 8 ranked Tigers, Fisher is now with the No. 17 ranked Texas A&M Aggies. And while a National Championship doesn’t hang in the balance, there are still major implications for this game.

Fisher’s Texas A&M squad already has one loss on the year, falling to Clemson in the second week of the season. As for Auburn, they’ll enter this Week 4 matchup with a 3-0 record, though they should probably be 2-1 like the Aggies if not for an improbable, unlikely and the-other-team-might-have-just-blown-that-for-them comeback in Week 1 against Oregon.

Unlike when Fisher and Malzahn met for the title in 2014, the former has a veteran quarterback leading the way. Junior Kellen Mond may not be the most consistent hand to put under center. However, he’s proven to be a dynamic playmaker more than capable of leading his team and stepping up when the lights shine the brightest.

In fact, it’s Malzahn that is largely working with the unproven commodity at quarterback. Freshman Bo Nix won the starting job this offseason and has come through already in a big moment, specifically in Week 1. However, it’s fair to say that the young signal-caller hasn’t been overly impressive, completing just over 50 percent of his passes for 545 yards, four scores and two interceptions on the year.

Nix could very well be one of the largest the x-factors in the matchup on Saturday at Kyle Field. While Texas A&M has not been effective in getting to the quarterback consistently, they have the horses up front to test Auburn’s offensive line. If they can pressure an already inaccurate Nix when he drops back, that can force some errors from the young quarterback. On top of that, Nix hasn’t played in a road environment as he’ll see in College Station.

What could really put Nix in the spotlight, though, is Texas A&M’s run defense. Clemson has been an elite rushing team this year but was limited to only 121 yards against the Aggies. With Nix at the helm of Auburn, the run game has been their bread and butter. However, if they can’t do so effectively against the Aggies’ front seven, that will put all the pressure on the freshman.

Mond will also play a factor in this game, though. The Aggies quarterback looked rattled under pressure against Clemson and the Tigers have a fearsome defensive front more than capable of rattling him again. He was quite pedestrian against Auburn in 2018 and that can’t happen on Saturday if Fisher’s team is going to get the victory.

In truth, this game will likely wind up being a slugfest. As much talent as each of these offenses has, they are also flawed. Furthermore, the opposing defenses are set up to stop what the opposing offenses do best.

At the end of 60 minutes, the winner may well be determined by who limits their mistakes the most. With Malzahn having a freshman starting at quarterback, it may seem like his Tigers are more likely to falter. But at the same time, the pressure that Derrick Brown and the Auburn defense can bring after Mond can’t be forgotten as that’s a recipe for turnovers and miscues as well.

What’s more fascinating, though, is the long-term implications of this matchup for Fisher at A&M and Malzahn with the Tigers.

In the case of Texas A&M, this team is clearly one of the more talented teams in the country. However, everyone around the country is expecting them to wind up with a slightly above-average record given their brutal schedule. Getting a win against Auburn, though, is crucial. Of the tough games on their 2019 slate, having the Tigers come to Kyle Field gives them a big advantage against a relatively equal opponent.

As for Auburn, Malzahn entered the 2019 season knowing that he is likely coaching for his job. And while a win over Oregon is a great start to remaining safely at his post, faltering in SEC play would nullify any good done by the season-opening win. Whereas going on the road to a tough environment and knocking off a ranked Texas A&M team would only bolster his case to remain with the Tigers.

Put simply, there is a lot on the line in a crucial SEC matchup on Saturday at College Station. Both Fisher and Malzahn are looking to prove themselves and their respective teams are seemingly terrifically matched to stop what makes the other team successful. And the result should be a classic battle at Kyle Field.