Texas A&M has moved up one spot to number 9 in the AP Poll after week two of college football action, nudging them back one spot closer to where they began the year. The Aggies inexplicably fell two spots last week after a resounding win over Missouri State, even while other teams who opened the year with lower-level teams stayed put.
The Aggies' rise is mostly due to the fact that Oregon's loss to Oklahoma State dropped them down out of the top 10, while A&M notched a near-30-point victory over another Big 12 team in Arizona State. That's not to say it wasn't well-earned— the Aggies have done more to this point than, say, Indiana, who is in the top 5, but the indecision on the part of AP voters as to whether this poll is supposed to reward the most deserving teams or the best teams continues to plague the choices that are made.
Texas A&M rises in week 2 AP Poll as intimidating schedule looms
The Aggies will welcome in Kentucky this upcoming week in what is looking to be an increasingly rare game for A&M against an unranked opponent. After that, they will be traveling to LSU for what should be a top-10 matchup if the no. 7 Tigers are able to take care of business at no. 8 Ole Miss on Saturday.
If the Tigers fall, it won't be by much— so the game in Death Valley will be ranked nonetheless. The Aggies then get to face off with Arkansas at home before going back on the road to face no. 20 Missouri, who will also be ranked barring a loss to Mississippi State or Florida (both of which are receiving votes this week).
A&M gets a one-week respite with a game against the Citadel after they face Missouri, and then they are rewarded with a trip to Tuscaloosa to face the 10th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (who could be in trouble rankings-wise if they are unable to weather the stretch of Tennessee and Georgia directly beforehand).
After a bye week, the Aggies travel to South Carolina (also receiving votes right now) before closing the year against Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas. There will obviously be some changes in the rankings before that point, so it may not shake out looking exactly like this, but as things stand, the Aggies have 7 of their remaining 10 games against teams that are either ranked or receiving votes right now.
As if that wasn't enough, four of those are going to come on the road. The Aggies certainly have quite a tough row to hoe ahead of them, but you can bet that Mike Elko is getting his team ready for the challenge even as we speak.
It's the LSU matchup on the 26th that is drawing most of the Aggie attention right now, and for good reason. Win that one, and a trip to the CFP looks a lot more likely— lose, and the margin for error quickly disappears.
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