Texas A&M football heads to Tuscaloosa Saturday facing a wounded Alabama team, but the bigger question may be whether Mike Elko's Aggies can finally get their struggling offense moving against legitimate SEC competition.

The Aggies are coming off a 41-0 victory over The Citadel, but nobody's confusing that performance with a breakthrough.

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Saturday's 2:30 p.m. CT showdown against No. 13 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium will provide a much tougher examination.

Texas A&M enters at 4-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, while Alabama is 5-2 following consecutive losses to Georgia and Tennessee.

For quarterback Marcel Reed, the stakes couldn't be much higher.

Reed completed eight of 13 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown against The Citadel, but consistency remains a major concern.

Against LSU and Missouri, the Aggies' offense struggled to sustain drives, exposing problems that won't disappear simply because of one comfortable win.

The injury situation isn't helping.

Wide receiver Mario Craver continues battling multiple injuries that have limited his effectiveness.

After catching 22 passes for 225 yards in September, Craver managed just two receptions for 16 yards during A&M's first two October games.

His availability against Alabama remains uncertain.

The Aggies are already without explosive receiver Terry Bussey and offensive lineman Blake Ivy for the remainder of the season.

Receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman also carries an uncertain status.

Alabama has significant injury concerns of its own.

Leading receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who has 23 catches for 415 yards and four touchdowns, missed the Tennessee game while dealing with knee and concussion issues. His availability Saturday remains uncertain.

Running back Ezavier Crowell and receiver Cederian Morgan are also dealing with injuries.

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell presents another major challenge.

The Duncanville product has thrown for more than 1,500 yards this season and possesses the mobility to punish defenses when plays break down.

Elko acknowledged the threat, calling Russell a "really special player" who can attack defenses in multiple ways.

Defensively, Texas A&M must generate pressure without surrendering explosive plays. Alabama's offensive line has shown vulnerabilities, particularly during its 26-10 loss at Tennessee.

The Aggies also need production from running backs KJ Edwards and Jamarion Morrow to keep Reed out of obvious passing situations against an Alabama defense that has already collected 10 interceptions.

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Saturday isn't necessarily Texas A&M's last opportunity to salvage its season, but another SEC loss would leave the Aggies scrambling simply to regain respectability.

Alabama is vulnerable. The question is whether Texas A&M has enough offensive firepower to take advantage.

Source: Yahoo Sports