College Football Playoff Rankings, Week 10: 5 top 10 teams with no chance
By John Buhler
The first College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled on November 1st. There’s a big shocker at No. 4. Which five, Top 10 teams have no shot at it?
November 1st saw the first unveiling of the 2017 College Football rankings. The four teams in this week were the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, the No. 2 Clemson Tigers, the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines, and the big shocker at No. 4 in the Texas A&M Aggies.
The first two out this week were the No. 5 Washington Huskies and the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes. Rounding out the Top 10 were the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, the No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers, the No. 9 Auburn Tigers, and the No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Only four are getting in and these five in the Top 10 don’t have much of a shot.
5. No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies: 7-1 (4-1)
The Texas A&M Aggies shocked the College Football Playoff world on November 1st by getting the projected No. 4 seed in the initial Selection Committee poll over the undefeated Washington Huskies at No. 5.
Texas A&M is absolutely good enough to get a New Year’s Six Bowl, but are not likely to get into the 2017 College Football Playoff. The reason for this is that they have a head-to-head loss with the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide already on their résumé.
The Aggies lost in Tuscaloosa, 33-14 on October 22nd. They kept it close with the Crimson Tide until about halfway through the third quarter before imploding. Texas A&M would have to win out and see Alabama lose twice the rest of the way.
Is it possible for the Aggies to get in by winning the SEC? Absolutely, but it’s very slim for the Aggies to even get to Atlanta this year to have a shot at making the 2017 College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M’s best win is against No. 9 Auburn on the road on September 17th, 29-16. That is a great resume win for now for the Aggies. The problem is that they only have one more resume booster left on the regular season schedule against No. 13 LSU at the end of the year.
To make the College Football Playoff, Texas A&M has to win out by finishing 11-1 (7-1) this regular season, beat the SEC East Champion at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and see Alabama lose two of these three SEC games: at LSU, vs. Mississippi State, and vs. Auburn. Losses to LSU and Auburn are possible for Alabama, but it’s still not likely Texas A&M wins the SEC to get in.