The Aggies did what was expected of them Saturday night.
They easily handled the Aggies.
Texas A&M rolled past New Mexico State, 52-10. Christian Kirk provided plenty of help. He became the first player in school history to return two punts for touchdowns in a single game.
A&M now looks to a November they hope is remembered.
No sense in dissecting this victory…let's look forward with them.
So, what does it all add up to?
A rare--and special--opportunity.
Texas A&M is a College Football Playoff contender in the final month of the regular season.
The Aggies enter November ranked 7th in the country (AP).
It's the 11th time an A&M squad was in the AP Top 10 heading into the all-important month.
This program ranked 5th when the calendar turned for three straight years in 1939, 1940 and 1941.Â
John David Crow and Bear Bryant had the Aggies among the best at the end of October in back-to-back seasons. A&M was No. 5 in 1956, and started November of '57 as the top-ranked team in the nation.
Back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975 saw the Aggies do it again. The '75 team was fourth the day after Halloween, and climbed all the way to second before a nightmarish loss to Arkansas closed the regular season.
In 1986, A&M was 10th to begin November. In '92? Fifth. 1998? Seventh.
None of those previous teams had the chance to be a part of a four-team playoff to decide the national title.
These 2016 Aggies do. The selection committee will release its first rankings this season on Tuesday night.
It means the 12th Man will now consume itself with everything on the Saturday menu. Aggies will watch the Maroon and White, and should they win, turn to every other color playing in hopes of a better picture painted for their team.
This Saturday is perfect for that. If A&M can defeat Mississippi State in Starkville, the rest of the day of college football remains. The 12th Man might as well wave its towels for Syracuse (at Clemson) and California (hosting Washington). During commercial breaks of the Aggies and Bulldogs, the previous channel button will work overtime--hoping Boston College's Eagles soar past Louisville's Cardinals (also an 11am kick).
All is predicated on winning though. One loss? And poof! It all goes up in smoke.
From now until early December everything will gear towards the playoff. Pundits will have opinions, and resumes will be compared.
Opinions will lead to debate. Some will concur, others will refute. But resumes can at least provide some factual evidence.
Some metrics use figures, not feelings, to find the best. Let AfterMath offer one.
Beat a Power 5 team? You get one point for each of its wins. Lose to a Power 5? You get docked one point for each of its losses.
Beat a Group of 5 team? You get half a point for each of its wins. Lose to a Group of 5? You are docked two points for each of its losses.
You earn zero points for wins over FCS teams.
The Aggies would get 6 points for beating Auburn (6-2), 5 for Arkansas (5-3), 5 for Tennessee (5-3), 4 for South Carolina (4-4), 3 for UCLA (3-5), 1 for New Mexico State (2-6) and none for Prairie View.
A&M loses 0 points for falling at Alabama (8-0).
Complicated? Yes. But here's how this week's AP Top 15 would re-order using this method:
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This is one way. Not the only way. Several factors will be considered by the selection committee when compiling their rankings.
Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies have no need to worry about any of them.
Sumlin has stuck with the 'It's About Us' creed since his arrival. It may be more important than ever right now.
The Aggies need to only focus on themselves, and today. Do that, and this opportunity will keep knocking. Lose that focus, and start crunching numbers and looking ahead, and they'll get locked out of the playoff scenario faster than the turn of a key.
A&M got back to being 1-0 on Saturday.
The Aggies are now 0-0 with a trip to Mississippi State looming. The last time A&M went to Starkville ranked in the top 10? 2014. They got blasted by the Bulldogs, 48-31.
If the focus is not on themselves, and on the day-to-day, the Aggies will flirt with the same fate.
Allow that to happen again, and, well…
Poof!
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They easily handled the Aggies.
Texas A&M rolled past New Mexico State, 52-10. Christian Kirk provided plenty of help. He became the first player in school history to return two punts for touchdowns in a single game.
A&M now looks to a November they hope is remembered.
No sense in dissecting this victory…let's look forward with them.
So, what does it all add up to?
A rare--and special--opportunity.
Texas A&M is a College Football Playoff contender in the final month of the regular season.
The Aggies enter November ranked 7th in the country (AP).
It's the 11th time an A&M squad was in the AP Top 10 heading into the all-important month.
This program ranked 5th when the calendar turned for three straight years in 1939, 1940 and 1941.Â
John David Crow and Bear Bryant had the Aggies among the best at the end of October in back-to-back seasons. A&M was No. 5 in 1956, and started November of '57 as the top-ranked team in the nation.
Back-to-back years in 1974 and 1975 saw the Aggies do it again. The '75 team was fourth the day after Halloween, and climbed all the way to second before a nightmarish loss to Arkansas closed the regular season.
In 1986, A&M was 10th to begin November. In '92? Fifth. 1998? Seventh.
None of those previous teams had the chance to be a part of a four-team playoff to decide the national title.
These 2016 Aggies do. The selection committee will release its first rankings this season on Tuesday night.
It means the 12th Man will now consume itself with everything on the Saturday menu. Aggies will watch the Maroon and White, and should they win, turn to every other color playing in hopes of a better picture painted for their team.
This Saturday is perfect for that. If A&M can defeat Mississippi State in Starkville, the rest of the day of college football remains. The 12th Man might as well wave its towels for Syracuse (at Clemson) and California (hosting Washington). During commercial breaks of the Aggies and Bulldogs, the previous channel button will work overtime--hoping Boston College's Eagles soar past Louisville's Cardinals (also an 11am kick).
All is predicated on winning though. One loss? And poof! It all goes up in smoke.
From now until early December everything will gear towards the playoff. Pundits will have opinions, and resumes will be compared.
Opinions will lead to debate. Some will concur, others will refute. But resumes can at least provide some factual evidence.
Some metrics use figures, not feelings, to find the best. Let AfterMath offer one.
Beat a Power 5 team? You get one point for each of its wins. Lose to a Power 5? You get docked one point for each of its losses.
Beat a Group of 5 team? You get half a point for each of its wins. Lose to a Group of 5? You are docked two points for each of its losses.
You earn zero points for wins over FCS teams.
The Aggies would get 6 points for beating Auburn (6-2), 5 for Arkansas (5-3), 5 for Tennessee (5-3), 4 for South Carolina (4-4), 3 for UCLA (3-5), 1 for New Mexico State (2-6) and none for Prairie View.
A&M loses 0 points for falling at Alabama (8-0).
Complicated? Yes. But here's how this week's AP Top 15 would re-order using this method:
Â
| AP Rank | Team | Points |
| 1. | Alabama | 34.5 |
| 3. | Clemson | 34 |
| 2. | Michigan | 28 |
| 7. | Texas A&M | 24 |
| 6. | Ohio State | 23.5 |
| 4. | Washington | 23 |
| 8. | Wisconsin | 21.5 |
| 5. | Louisville | 20.5 |
| 11. | Auburn | 17.5 |
| 9. | Nebraska | 17.5 |
| 14. | West Virginia | 17 |
| 10. | Florida | 15 |
| 12. | Oklahoma | 14 |
| 15. | LSU | 6.5 |
| 13. | Baylor | 6.5 |
This is one way. Not the only way. Several factors will be considered by the selection committee when compiling their rankings.
Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies have no need to worry about any of them.
Sumlin has stuck with the 'It's About Us' creed since his arrival. It may be more important than ever right now.
The Aggies need to only focus on themselves, and today. Do that, and this opportunity will keep knocking. Lose that focus, and start crunching numbers and looking ahead, and they'll get locked out of the playoff scenario faster than the turn of a key.
A&M got back to being 1-0 on Saturday.
The Aggies are now 0-0 with a trip to Mississippi State looming. The last time A&M went to Starkville ranked in the top 10? 2014. They got blasted by the Bulldogs, 48-31.
If the focus is not on themselves, and on the day-to-day, the Aggies will flirt with the same fate.
Allow that to happen again, and, well…
Poof!
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