When the teams last met, a Danuel House-less Texas A&M team began its roll with a 61-60 victory in Starkville. On Wednesday Mississippi State comes to Reed Arena on a roll of its own, but the Aggies are at full strength and broken out of their mid-season slump.

College GameDay is in the house for a matchup between the SEC's top team and one of its closest challengers, and the stakes are appropriately high. The key to Texas A&M scoring an essential upset at home is in how it combats Kentucky's unique attack.

In the throes of a dangerous losing streak, Texas A&M returns home just in time to welcome one of the conference's very best players — Stefan Moody — to Reed Arena. However, the key to stopping Ole Miss likely lies in stopping those around Moody.

When Texas A&M and LSU last met, the Aggies were rolling and the Tigers hadn't found themselves. The script will be flipped when the teams clash in Baton Rouge on Saturday. The key to a key road win lies in following the formula that won A&M the first meeting.

Wednesday's will be the truest of tests for No. 15 Texas A&M: the Aggies against themselves. After all, A&M will head into Alabama's Coleman Coliseum riding a three-game conference losing streak — and facing a Crimson Tide team whose strength is suddenly A&M's weakness.

Perhaps more than in any other contest this season, the name of the game for Texas A&M on Saturday will be 'toughness.' Frank Martin's South Carolina Gamecocks will invade Reed Arena with a unique strategy but a time-tested identity — and the Aggies must match.

Texas A&M has struggled on the road at times this year, and now it's headed to one of the SEC's more difficult gyms to win in. The key to the Aggies maintaining their lead in the conference race lies within — the paint, that is.

Since Texas A&M routed Arkansas by 23 points to open conference play, little has changed — the Aggies have yet to lose and the Razorbacks have struggled. However, Bud Walton Arena is a different animal. A&M must focus in on a few keys in order to keep its win streak intact.

Will Texas A&M extend its nine-game winning streak and its first place lead in the SEC against Missouri? A victory over the struggling Tigers will be determined by the focus and preparation on this game — not glancing to future battles.

For SEC-leading Texas A&M, defending LSU is about more than stopping Ben Simmons. Or, is it? While that's up to Billy Kennedy to decide, the Aggies' ability to take a two-game lead in the conference standings depends on a few select factors.

Seeking its eighth straight win and an early stranglehold on the SEC race, Texas A&M heads to Athens. The hosting Georgia Bulldogs have straddled the median outside of one bad loss, but the challenge they pose on their home court is significant.

A thrilling 2-0 week has Texas A&M returning home on a roll, but Florida provides a new type of test. While the Gators are still trying to find their stride under new coach Mike White, they've found their identity: defense. The keys for the Aggies are simple.

Was Texas A&M's showing in Starkville merely the result of a bad shooting night or Danuel House's absence, or a sign of a 'road problem'? The Aggies may find out against Rick Barnes and Tennessee — fresh off an axing of Florida — and the Vol's unique lineup.

A 1-0 start to SEC play is all well and good, but now the Aggies take the show on the road. Waiting is Ben Howland's Mississippi State Bulldogs, who have the talent — though perhaps not the depth — to make Texas A&M work for a win.

For the first time as members of the SEC, Texas A&M appears to have a serious chance to win it. The quest begins Saturday with the opening of conference play and a visit from the rapidly improving Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Bulldogs represent a unique opponent, and a potentially challenging one for the Aggies. Still, the path to victory in Monday's game could be a clear one with disciplined effort in a few simple areas.

The two teams' first meeting was a thriller decided at the last second. Billy Donovan's Gators will be a different squad on their home floor and with a key potential lineup addition — but the strategy is the same.

The Tigers are a team smaller than the sum of their parts, but the options on the roster present an inherent danger. Despite A&M's comfortable win in the teams' first meeting, defeating the Tigers a second time will require adjustments.