So…you’re telling me there’s a chance? According to the worldwide leader in sports, there’s a possibility for Texas A&M to reach the College Football Playoff, albeit a small one.
According to ESPN’s FPI System, the Aggies hold an 0.4 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff, which gives them the 23rd-best percentage among the top 25 teams. The Maroon and White are just ahead of the Florida Gators, who register an 0.2 percent chance to make the CFP.
Well ahead of A&M are Ohio State (82.2%), Georgia (63.1%), Alabama (62.1%), Texas (34.2%), and Michigan (25.9%) as the teams with a top-five percentage. Among the programs rounding out the top-15 are USC (24.7%), Clemson (24.2%), LSU (23.7%), Notre Dame (15.8%), Oklahoma (10.7%), Penn State (10.7%), Oregon (4.9%), and Tennessee (2.5%).
The best chance to make the College Football Playoffs according to ESPN’s FPI System 🏈 pic.twitter.com/a882CriSuK
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) July 2, 2023
Recency bias definitely kicks in when considering the Aggies’ chances at the CFP, and even the 12th Man can’t deny that the questions surrounding this team are warranted. A&M is coming off a rough 5-7 season (2-6 SEC), and with Jimbo Fisher holding a 13-11 record over the last two seasons, there are increased expectations for a confident bounce-back season.
Even if a CFP berth is far-fetched for this Aggies team, a winning record and a bowl game appearance should be the standard for the talent level found in College Station. Still, Texas A&M is well-positioned to be a dark-horse candidate in the SEC this year, and as we’ve seen in recent memory, don’t rule out a surprise team defying the odds and punching their ticket to the postseason.
Ahead of the 2022 season, TCU held +23000 preseason odds to make the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs would finish 13-1, beat the Wolverines in the postseason, and reach the National Championship game against the Bulldogs. You can never say never when considering the college football season’s chaos.
Could the Aggies position themselves to be this season’s dark-horse candidate? A&M may hold near impossible odds today, but one thing is for certain: with a talent-laden defense and an offense ready to take a seismic leap with a new play-caller, it’s clear the Aggies will be a team to rise and make some noise this Fall.
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