Toughest stretch: Oct. 17-Nov. 7 (vs. Alabama, at Ole Miss, vs. South Carolina, vs. Auburn)

Why: This four-week stretch, which comes without a week off in between, has the Aggies facing two teams that will likely be picked at the top of the SEC West – Alabama and Auburn.

The Alabama game was an embarrassment for Texas A&M last season, with the Aggies falling 59-0 in Tuscaloosa. There's no doubt that the Aggies will be chomping at the bit for that one, but as soon as the Crimson Tide leave town, the Aggies have to go to Oxford, Mississippi, to face Ole Miss. That's a place that was tough to win -- even when Johnny Manziel was around -- though the Aggies did win there in both 2012 and 2013. Last season Ole Miss got redemption with a decisive 35-20 win in College Station

It's hard to know what to expect from South Carolina this season after what transpired last year, when the Gamecocks were a preseason top-10 team and wound up going 7-6. Steve Spurrier is optimistic about an improved defense but there are questions at quarterback. Still, it's an SEC opponent and you can bet the Gamecocks will have on their minds last year's 52-28 thrashing handed to them by the Aggies when they come to Kyle Field.

Auburn travels to Aggieland to conclude that stretch and that's a team the Aggies have gone 12 rounds with each of the last two seasons, with both games being decided in the final minute and by fewer than five points.