College Football Playoff: Texas A&M projections, Week 10 games Aggies fans should watch

Posted by Admin October 31, 2024 Football

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Texas A&M is 11th in the US LBM Coaches Poll as the CFP selection committee prepares to release its first rankings.

Texas A&M football catapulted itself to 11th in the US LBM Coaches Poll and 10th in the AP Poll with a statement win over LSU last Saturday. Soon enough, though, they’ll get a real idea of where they sit in the College Football Playoff race.

The CFP selection committee will release its first round of rankings Nov. 5. That list will determine to select the 12-team field at the end of the season.

The Aggies are atop of the Southeastern Conference with a chance to earn a first-round bye — as long as they win the SEC Championship Game. Texas A&M is currently undefeated in league play with four one-loss conference teams chasing them. The Aggies currently don’t have a top 25 matchup left on their schedule until they face Texas at the end of the season.

In Week 10, they get a sneaky-tough game against South Carolina. The Gamecocks, 2-3 in conference play, received preseason votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll. They’re 4-3 record may not leap out at you, but they lost to LSU, at home, and Alabama, one road, by just one possession each this season.

Here’s a look at the latest projections for Texas A&M:

Texas A&M Aggies College Football Playoff projections

In ESPN’s All-State CFP predictor, the Aggies chance of making the final field rose about 14% following the win versus LSU. Last week’s edition had the Aggies’ probability of making the 12-team field at 33%. Sunday’s update places A&M at 47%, the fifth-best chances of any SEC team.

Duo of Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have the Aggies missing out on the first-round bye, ESPN. Bonagura projects 10th-seeded Texas A&M to face off with seventh-seeded Ohio State while Schlabach predicts that 10th-seeded Texas A&M will play seventh-seeded Texas for the second time in less than a month.

Action Network’s Brett McMurphy has sixth-seeded Texas A&M hosting the 11th-seeded BYU in College Station. The Cougars hold a 2-1 series lead over the Aggies, though the two teams have not faced each other since 1996.

Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports has seventh-seeded Penn State hosting 10th-seeded Texas A&M in Beaver Stadium. The Aggies have a 3-1 series deficit vs. the Nittany Lions and have not beaten them since 1979.

Texas A&M football CFP outlook: Games to watch in Week 10

Ohio State at Penn State: A second Ohio State loss would put the Buckeyes‘ CFP candidacy on the brink. But a Buckeye win crowds the field as each team would have just one loss in a Big Ten expected to produce multiple playoff teams.

Indiana at Michigan State: Texas A&M has better wins than Indiana, but as long as the 8-0 Hoosiers remain unbeaten, they’re a threat.

LSU vs. Alabama: The Tigers grabbing a top-25 win over the Crimson Tide would add weight to the Aggies strength of schedule. An Alabama win gives the Tide one of the country’s best resumes and knocks LSU out of the realm of one-loss conference teams tight on A&M’s trail.

Florida vs. Georgia: Georgia losing would remove a competitor from the SEC title game race.

Kentucky at Tennessee: A Volunteers loss would remove a competitor from the SEC title game race.

Notre Dame vs. Florida State: It would make Texas A&M’s only loss look worse, but unranked Florida State winning would eliminate Notre Dame from the CFP conversation.

Kansas State at Houston: Kansas State’s CFP hopes are not too far from A&M’s thanks to a 4-1 Big 12 record and a win over Colorado. Those odds shrink mightily if they can’t beat Houston.

Duke at Miami: The unbeaten Hurricanes have survived several close calls. Former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy and former Miami coach Manny Diaz have a chance to help Duke give “the U” its first blemish and help the Aggies in the process.

Louisville at Clemson: A second Clemson loss might make the ACC title game the only path back to the CFP for the Tigers.

Pitt at SMU: SMU has the only loss between these two surprise teams. A second defeat would probably put them out of the running for an at-large CFP bid and juice Pitt’s odds ahead of a Nov. 16 clash with Clemson.

Iowa State vs. Texas Tech: A Red Raiders win would put a damper on the undefeated Cyclones and their CFP chances, which, according to the ESPN predictor, are nearly identical to Texas A&M’s.