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Texas A&M had the statement win of the weekend on Saturday, shutting down No. 13 Auburn 20-3 at Kyle Field. That win, combined with losses from the likes of Baylor and Wake Forest, cleared the path for the Aggies to move up in the new College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night, and they did just that, moving from No. 14 to No. 11.
November 9️⃣ #CFBPlayoff Selection Committee Rankings
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 10, 2021
1️⃣1️⃣. Texas A&M // @AggieFootball
1️⃣2️⃣. Wake Forest // @WakeFB
1️⃣3️⃣. Baylor // @BUFootball
1️⃣4️⃣. BYU // @BYUfootball
1️⃣5️⃣. Mississippi // @OleMissFB
Interestingly, just a week after the Playoff committee had the Aggies lower than they were in the two major polls, they moved they up even with those polls (which also both have A&M at No. 11).
A&M will have another chance to prove their worth to the committee this weekend as they travel to Oxford to take on No. 15 Ole Miss in front of a national audience with College Gameday in town and a night game on ESPN. In fact, A&M/Ole Miss is one of only two matchups of top 15 teams this coming weekend (OU/Baylor being the other). Win that game, and a 10-win regular season - and a shot at the SEC West title should Alabama unexpectedly lose - is still on the table.
A few weeks ago I outlined a potential path for the Aggies to get back in the top 10 and, if everything broke perfectly, perhaps even the Playoff conversation. There’s a lot of chaos that would still need to happen, but we’re right on track with my scenario, and if there’s ever a year to count on some craziness happening, it seems to be this one.