Aggies 5th in first CFP poll
They're number five -- for now.
Texas A&M is ranked fifth in the initial College Football Playoff poll, putting them on the cusp of the CFP with four games remaining to play. The Aggies are the second-highest ranked one-loss team and trail only Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Clemson in the poll.
After losing their second game of the season, the Aggies (5-1) have run off four straight wins, culminating in a 48-3 demolition of South Carolina before COVID-19 contract tracing issues forced a pair of postponements. One of those wins was a 41-38 victory over Florida, who is ranked sixth in the initial CFP poll.
The No. 5 ranking is the highest the Aggies have been in the CFP poll and the second-highest in program history. A&M was ranked fourth in the CFP poll on Nov. 1, 2016, and then promptly lost to Mississippi State.
The Aggies have one remaining ranked opponent left: No. 22 Auburn, who may well be unranked after their Iron Bowl matchup with Alabama this weekend. The Aggies also play LSU (3-3), Ole Miss (3-4) and Tennessee (2-5) to close out their schedule. A 9-1 record is attainable for the Aggies, and they'll need to win out in order to make the CFP's final four.
The full CFP poll
1. Alabama (7-0)
2. Notre Dame (8-0)
3. Clemson (7-1)
4. Ohio State (4-0)
5. Texas A&M (5-1)
6. Florida (6-1)
7. Cincinnati (8-0)
8. Northwestern (5-0)
9. Georgia (5-2)
10. Miami (7-1)
11. Oklahoma (6-2)
12. Indiana (4-1)
13. Iowa State (6-2)
14. BYU (9-0)
15. Oregon (3-0)
16. Wisconsin (2-1)
17. Texas (5-2)
18. USC (3-0)
19. UNC (6-2)
20. Coastal Carolina (8-0)
21. Marshall (7-0)
22. Auburn (5-2)
23. Oklahoma State (5-2)
24. Iowa (3-2)
25. Tulsa (5-1)