Tennessee football vs Texas A&M picks: Vols avoid letdown spot on the road

Tennessee football faces a tricky road trip at Texas A&M on Nov. 14 (3 p.m., ESPN).

Tennessee (7-2, 4-2 SEC) is coming off a stellar second half against Kentucky, turning a tight game into a route in the fourth quarter and a 34-6 win on Nov. 7.

The Aggies (4-5, 1-5) may be the most disappointing team in the SEC this year, but they have been competitive in recent road losses to Alabama and South Carolina.

The Vols were ranked No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings, with Alabama surprisingly remaining well out of grasp at No. 3 despite Tennessee's win over the Tide last month.

Here are Knox News' staff predictions for Tennessee-Texas A&M:

Tennessee-Texas A&M expert predictions

Adam Sparks, UT beat reporter: Tennessee 27, Texas A&M 17

The Vols need to win a road game after a big home win over a Top 10 opponent. That didn’t work out a few weeks ago, but Texas A&M doesn’t carry a UT curse like South Carolina does. This game will be decided inside the 20, where UT has the SEC’s best red-zone offense and Texas A&M has the SEC’s best red-zone defense. Look for George MacIntyre to hit some key passes to complement the ground game and dominant defense.

Emmett Siegel, UT beat reporter: Tennessee 30, Texas A&M 20

This is another chance for Tennessee to stumble on the road after an emotional win like it did at South Carolina, but that Gamecocks team is much more dangerous than this one at Texas A&M. The formula is simple for the Vols: avoid penalties and turnovers and hand the ball off to Bishop. That should be enough to get the job done.

Cora Hall, UT beat reporter: Tennessee 31, Texas A&M 14

The Vols will carry their momentum from a big win over Kentucky into a crucial win on the road. Regardless of who's at quarterback, no one has been able to slow DeSean Bishop down the last five games, and I don't see the Aggies being the ones to break that streak.

Stephen Thompson, UT beat reporter: Tennessee 24, Texas A&M 13

This Tennessee defense has contained far better offenses and should have little trouble with Marcel Reed and Co. It will be another tight game until the Vols running game and DeSean Bishop deliver enough body blows to break through for explosive plays in the fourth quarter.

Wynton Jackson, sports reporter: Tennessee 30, Texas A&M 15

The Vols have leaned fully into an identity of ball control football with a powerful run game and suffocating defense. It should carry them to another SEC win against an inconsistent Aggie offense that has struggled heavily in conference play.

JOHN ADAMS: CFP's ranking of Alabama, Tennessee still doesn't make sense

John Adams, columnist: Tennessee 24, Texas A&M 13

A dreadful Aggies season hasn’t been devoid of entertainment, provided you have a sense of humor.

In fact, I was chuckling at the Aggies’ expense while wondering if Texas A&M receivers were wearing mittens against South Carolina. They dropped so many passes I expected quarterback Marcel Reed to feign an injury to his throwing hand and head for the locker room.

However, Texas A&M receivers got upstaged by their defensive backs in the fourth quarter when injured South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers outran the Aggies secondary despite a significant limp.

Gentry Estes, Tennessean columnist: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 10

To anyone who believes a school can just buy its way to a college football title these days, I’d present these Aggies as a rebuttal.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football vs Texas A&M picks: Vols avoid letdown spot on the road