CFP committee addresses whether Texas A&M is in playoff as 4-loss SEC runner-up

Committee addresses whether Texas A&M football will be in playoff with win over Texas and loss in SEC championship... kind of

If there's one thing Texas A&M football fans have come away with from the last few years of the College Football Playoff selection process, it's that you really can't trust the selection committee with your fate. We all saw this in a pretty stark way last year with Florida State, but even dating back to 2020 when the Aggies were edged out by Notre Dame, there's a lot of suspicion on the part of Aggie fans.

That's why some are pretty down on the Aggies' chances to make the playoff if they lose in the SEC championship. That would mean that the Ags have a top-3 win, but that they fell to a top-6 Georgia squad in Atlanta after being forced to play an extra game.

A&M would then be 9-4, which isn't a record that, on its face, looks like one that belongs to a playoff participant. But the question is basically this: should that extra data point allow for a team to be penalized?

This question, with the specific case of the Aggies in mind, was put to Warde Manuel, the chair of the selection committee, last night.

Well, that's about as clear as mud.

We can still learn a couple of things. First, how the Aggies play in the game against Georgia matters—at least they say so. Remember, undefeated UGA lost by only three to Alabama and was kicked out of the field last year.

Then, it depends on who else may be moving up or down around the Aggies. That's pretty obvious, though.

I'm not sure that this is an answer that will assuage doubts for Aggie fans regarding the selection process. The Maroon and White faithful will have to be hoping for not only a win this weekend, but maximum carnage in the rankings around them.