Aggies a surprise pick
Texas A& M was ranked fourth behind Alabama, Clemson and Michigan in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season.
The Aggies ( 7- 1) surprisingly were a spot ahead of unbeaten Washington on Tuesday in the first of six selection- committee rankings. The Crimson Tide ( 80), Tigers ( 8- 0), Wolverines ( 8- 0) and Huskies ( 8- 0) are the only remaining undefeated teams from Power Five conferences and hold the top four spots in the latest Associated Press poll.
The 12- person committee, however, gave a nod to Texas A& M’s strength of schedule.
Ohio State was sixth and Louisville was seventh.
In the first two seasons of the College Football Playoff, only one team each season made the committee’s initial top four and the final four.
The final rankings will be released Dec. 4, with the top four teams moving on to the College Football Playoff semifinals Dec. 31 at the Fiesta and Peach bowls.
Selection committee chairman Kirby Hocutt, Texas Tech’s athletic director who is now in the role that Arkansas AD Jeff Long held the first two seasons of the CFP, made it clear that Texas A& M’s four victories against teams with winning records ( Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee and South Carolina — though it should be noted the Gamecocks are 4- 4) provided the margin over Washington. The Huskies have two such victories.
“We had a lengthy discussion on the spot,” Hocutt said. “Washington is a wellbalanced team, and they had a good win on the road againstUtah. But in the committee’s mind, Texas A& M has played a stronger schedule.”
The good news is there is room for the Huskies to grow. Washington still has USC and Washington State on its schedule and a possible Pac- 12 championship game, which could be against Utah ( 16th in the committee’s rankings), Colorado ( 15th) or USC, which would need a strong finish to get there. A big stretch run by Stanford also would help the Huskies.
Most important is this: The Huskies control their path to a conference title, and Texas A& M does not. The Aggies will need Alabama to lose at least a couple of times to reach the SEC championship game.