Texas A&M ranked No. 14 in first round of College Football Playoff rankings
Texas A&M (6-2) is ranked 14th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on ESPN Tuesday evening. The Aggies are one of seven SEC teams in the top 25, including Georgia (8-0) and Alabama (7-1) in the top two spots.
A top ten team entering the season, the Aggies struggled early following the loss of starting quarterback Haynes King and with a largely inexperienced offensive line still finding its way.
However, as quarterback Zach Calzada has settled in and the front five has found a rhythm, Texas A&M has started to look more like the team many expected. The Aggies knocked off Alabama, then the top-ranked team in the country, on October 9. That seemed to spark Jimbo Fisher’s squad, who rolled over Missouri and South Carolina in dominant wins the next two weeks.
Texas A&M is the only team with a win over a team in the top two of the rankings. The Aggies’ next two opponents are also ranked inside the top 20: Auburn is No. 13 and Ole Miss is No. 16. Rounding out the ranked SEC teams are Mississippi State at No. 17 and Kentucky at ranked No. 18.
There was no doubt Georgia would sit atop the first set of rankings, as the Bulldogs have been dominant through eight games. Uncertainty has marked speculation about the other top spots.
Michigan State seemed to solidify its spot at No. 2 by beating previously undefeated Michigan on Saturday. Group of Five contender Cincinnati is 8-0 with a win over Notre Dame. Oklahoma is also undefeated but hasn't been impressive, barely scraping out wins over inferior opponents. Despite the loss to the Aggies, Alabama is widely considered one of the best four in the country.
Wake Forest is also undefeated but playing in a weakened ACC. Notre Dame and six other Power 5 teams enter November with only one loss: Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma State and Baylor.
CFP Rankings - November 2
1. Georgia (8-0)
2. Alabama (7-1)
3. Michigan State (8-0)
4. Oregon (7-1)
5. Ohio State (7-1)
6. Cincinnati (8-0)
7. Michigan (7-1)
8. Oklahoma (9-0)
9. Wake Forest (8-0)
10. Notre Dame (7-1)
11. Oklahoma State (7-1)
12. Baylor (7-1)
13. Auburn (6-2)
14. Texas A&M (6-2)
15. BYU (7-2)
16. Ole Miss (6-2)
17. Mississippi State (5-3)
18. Kentucky (6-2)
19. North Carolina State (6-2)
20. Minnesota (6-2)
21. Wisconsin (5-3)
22. Iowa (6-2)
23. Fresno State (7-2)
24. San Diego State (7-1)
25. Pittsburgh (6-2)