Texas A&M is still undefeated after their road trip to Missouri, notching a 38-17 victory over a Tigers team that had only given up more than 30 points once on the year when Kansas scored 31. This was a thorough destruction on all fronts of a team that hadn't lost a game by more than a touchdown this season, and the Aggies did it on the road.
All of a sudden, not only does this Texas A&M pass the eye test in a huge way, they also have one of the best resumes in the sport. The Aggies have three ranked road wins this season— Ohio State and Indiana combine for only two. For as much as those squads and rival fanbases like to chirp about the Aggies' schedule, they bear the number one strength of record in the country for a reason.
Can Texas A&M leap Indiana in Week 11 AP poll and move to no. 2?
Considering the Hoosiers' lackluster performance against a 3-6 Penn State team, the Aggies could have a real shot to make a move here. Indiana has made a habit out of grinding lesser opponents into a fine powder— something far easier to do in the Big 10 than in the SEC— but they've struggled in some high-profile matchups, with this one being the latest.
This game fresh in the mind of AP voters, is it a possibility that the Aggies could capitalize? There are certainly a lot of people talking about it that way, which helps. But they have to have convinced enough of the voters, which is another task entirely.
The Aggies are less than 100 poll points behind the Hoosiers in last week's poll, so they are certainly within striking distance. The clear distance between themselves and Alabama at this point can only help the Aggies as well, as the stark contrast between A&M's 24-point win over LSU in Death Valley and Alabama's 11-points victory at home is pretty evident.
I'm not sure this gives the Aggies the boost they need, however. There was a lot of apologizing and explaining for Indiana's Happy Valley performance from the hoi polloi, so I think the average voter mindset ends up reflecting that. I think Texas A&M draws nearer, but stay at number 3.