Texas A&M’s playoff path just got a lot narrower.
The Aggies had no margin for error after last season’s late collapse, and a 31-21 home loss to Kentucky on Saturday only made the climb steeper. In the 12-team era, one defeat won’t knock an SEC team out of the College Football Playoff race. But this was not the kind of loss Texas A&M could afford to shrug off.
The problem is the road ahead. Mike Elko’s team still has LSU, Alabama and Texas on the schedule, and there are plenty of other tests tucked into the grind of SEC play. That means the Aggies are already staring at a season where another slip could do real damage.
Texas A&M’s remaining slate includes a trip to LSU on Sept. 26, a home game against Arkansas on Oct. 3, a road date at Missouri on Oct. 10 and a matchup with Citadel on Oct. 17.
After that comes a trip to Alabama on Oct. 24, then games at South Carolina on Nov. 7, at home against Tennessee on Nov. 14, at Oklahoma on Nov. 21 and finally Texas at home on Nov. 28.
The challenge is obvious: with a loss already on the board, the Aggies probably can’t absorb two more unless they pile up a serious collection of quality wins. Even then, nothing will come easy. Last season showed that even a strong record in this league doesn’t automatically secure a playoff berth.
That’s the tightrope Texas A&M now has to walk. Vanderbilt missed the playoff at 10-2 last season, while Texas missed at 9-3.
One more loss could start to raise questions about whether the Aggies belong in the conversation at all. Two more, and the door may be shut.
The SEC still has the kind of schedule that can rescue a team as much as it can sink one. That matters for Texas A&M, because signature wins are now the only real way back into the picture.
Five SEC teams reached the College Football Playoff last season: Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Alabama. Entering Week 3, SN’s Bill Bender had five SEC teams in his projected playoff bracket: Texas, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama, with Texas A&M on the outside-looking-in.
After the Kentucky loss, the Aggies are going to need to prove they belong with the league’s best. And that proof has to come against the very kind of opponents still waiting on the schedule.
In Other News...
LSU Fans Have One More Reason To Hate This Ole Miss Loss
Ole Miss 32-24 win over LSU was already frustrating enough for Tigers fans, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss putting together a big day through the air and on the ground in a game that helped the Rebels leave with a rivalry win. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, added another score rushing and had just one interception, giving Ole Miss plenty to celebrate after the final whistle.
For LSU fans, though, the irritation did not end with the scoreboard. Chambliss postgame interview with ESPNs Holly Rowe added one more layer to the loss when he let an expletive slip while delivering the Ole Miss cheer Hotty Toddy, a moment that will only sharpen how this result is remembered in Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffins Family Is Forcing Ole Miss Fans To Confront Something Ugly
As LSU and Ole Miss prepare for a high-profile matchup Saturday night, the attention around Lane Kiffin has spilled far beyond the sideline. His family, including daughter Landry, has been hit with inappropriate jokes on social media, a reminder of how quickly rivalry week can turn ugly when football noise bleeds into personal attacks.
Layla Kiffin, Lanes ex-wife, posted a message calling for kindness, and Landry publicly addressed the offensive comments as well. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and will air on ABC, but the lead-up has already shown how much harder it can be for families attached to a marquee SEC game to stay out of the crossfire. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Trey'Dez Green Concern It Can't Ignore
TreyDez Green gave LSU a lift against Ole Miss before the fourth quarter turned troubling, and the Tigers immediately had to adjust to life without their tight end. Green hauled in a 19-yard reception before suffering an apparent right leg injury, then was evaluated on the field by medical staff as the LSU sideline watched a key pass-catching option go down.
By the time he was carted to the locker room, the LSU Football Radio Broadcast had ruled him doubtful to return, leaving the Tigers with a real concern in the passing game. Green had been LSUs leading receiver at the time of his exit with four catches for 60 yards, a reminder of how much the offense had already leaned on him before the injury interrupted the night. [Read more 🡒]