Tennessee will take on Texas A&M Saturday afternoon, and it will be the first time since 2016 that the two will meet in College Station. There will be a lot of storylines in this matchup, and here are three you should know.

DeSean Bishop Has a Chance to Cement His Name Among the Heisman Favorites

DeSean Bishop has been one of, if not the best, running backs in the entire country this season. Despite this, he has never been a “favorite” for the Heisman. On3 had Bishop at Eighth in their favorites to win the Heisman for two weeks, but he dropped out of the top 10 in their last release. He is also a long shot to win, with +35000 odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

This feels very disrespectful to Bishop, who is top 10 in the country in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns while playing in the SEC for a College Football Playoff contender. 

However, with all of the chaos in college football this season, there is no runaway favorite to win the award like in years past. Bishop can still put his name in the hat with more star performances down the stretch.

The Texas A&M game presents a great opportunity to do this since they are one of the biggest brands in the country, and even though the Aggies are having a rough year, a good performance from Bishop, and he could gain national attention.

Tennessee Native Marcel Reed Takes on Home State Team

Texas A&M starting quarterback Marcel Reed took over as the starter for the Aggies midway through the 2024-25 season, led the Aggies to the playoffs just last season, and was in the Heisman conversation at times throughout last season.

This season, Reed has struggled at times, throwing for eight touchdowns to eight interceptions this season thus far.

Going back to his roots, Reed is originally from Nashville, Tennessee, and played for Montgomery Bell Academy. He was ranked a four-star recruit by Rivals Industry rankings, being the seventh-ranked recruit in the state of Tennessee in the class of 2023.

Now Reed will get a chance to take on his home state’s flagship program. 

This Game Feels Like a Must-Win for Both Teams, but For Very Different Reasons

Texas A&M has lost its last three SEC games and six of its last seven SEC games, dating back to last season. This is unacceptable to a lot of Aggie fans, and now pressure seems to be mounting on head coach Mike Elko's job.

This game now seems like a must-win for Elko and company, of course, nothing being confirmed, but it will be no easy contest.

As for Tennessee, this game feels like a must-win for Tennessee, with the Vols being in the College Football Playoff race. Tennessee has already lost two games this season, and losing a third could put them out of the College Football Playoff.

Every game from here on out will be crucial if Tennessee is to make the playoffs.

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