Just four days after Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) lost its first game of the regular season on the road vs. rival Texas (9-3, 6-2 SEC) 27-17, and while this defeat wouldn’t keep the Aggies out of the College Football Playoff, it was assumed the Selection Committee would be somewhat harsh based on recency bias, knowing that head coach Mike Elko and his team had every chance to win that game in Austin.
Again, not to accuse the committee of anything, but after sitting at No. 3 for the last three weeks, Texas A&M dropped to No. 7 below the likes of No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 5 Oregon, who, are ranked lower in both strength of schedule and record, while also sustaining their only losses of the year to ranked opponents at home and on the road.
Texas A&M also ranks higher in SOS and SOR than Texas Tech. Still, due to the Red Raiders‘ dominant performance down the stretch of the season, including a 49-0 road win over West Virginia, which played in the committee’s favor, they likely view Texas Tech as a better and more complete team.
Still, while we have yet to hear head coach Mike Elko’s thoughts regarding the latest ranking, I’m most certain that he and his veteran team are eager to get back on the field to prove their worth after losing to the Longhorns, but is there a chance the Aggies don’t host a first-round game in Kyle Field?
For that to happen, Texas A&M would have to drop below the 8-seed, which is only possible if two scenarios come to fruition: If Texas Tech, who will be favored against BYU, loses in the Big 12 Championship Game, paired with a potential Alabama win against Georgia in the SEC Title Game, there is a chance the Aggies drop to No. 9 or 10, and would have to play on the road in the first-round.
Personally, I don’t see BYU defeating Texas Tech, even in a neutral-site game. Still, Alabama could easily pull off the upset over Georgia after beating the Bulldogs on the road earlier this year. Again, both of these outcomes likely need to occur for the Aggies to fall further than No. 7.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M could move down in CFP rankings if two scenarios occur
