Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) went on the road and defeated Mississippi State 34-24 behind an impressive second-half defensive effort while starting quarterback Conner Weigman and the offense did just enough to keep the Bulldogs at bay.
Head coach Mike Elko. DC Jay Bateman made defensive adjustments after half-time, neutralizing Bulldogs freshman QB Michael Van Buren, who shredded the Aggie secondary for two passing touchdowns in the first half. However, Weigman’s two costly interceptions provided the home team with one of their three touchdowns.
A win is a win, and the Aggies have shifted their focus to the 8th-ranked LSU Tigers for a primetime showdown inside what could be a sold-out Kyle Field next Saturday night. Even after the tough win in Starkville, ESPN’s updated FPI rankings saw the Aggies fall two spots, which is somewhat surprising.
Texas A&M football’s FPI ranking, rating
According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Texas A&M dropped to No. 14 after defeating Mississippi State with a 15.7 FPI rating, the seventh-highest among SEC teams. The Aggies are projected to win 9.1 games and have a 1.7% chance of winning out. Sitting at 6-1 and 4-0, A&M currently has a 33% chance to make the playoffs and a 3.7% chance to make the National Championship game.
SEC team in FPI
The top-ranked SEC teams in the upper echelon of the rankings include the Texas Longhorns (27.2), followed by Alabama (3rd, 23.2), Georgia (4th, 22.9), the Ole Miss Rebels (5th, 22.1), and Tennessee (21.0) came in 7th.
LSU (16.9) moved up two spots after defeating Arkansas, and the Missouri Tigers (20th, 12.2) dropped one spot after defeating Auburn to finish the Top 20. Here are the rest of the SEC teams in the rankings:
- Florida (22nd, 11.3)
- South Carolina (23rd, 11.1)
- Arkansas (31st, 7.7)
- Auburn (32nd, 7.4)
- Vanderbilt (42nd, 5.4)
- Mississippi State (60th, 2.0)
Texas A&M will host LSU at home on Saturday, Oct. 26th, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.
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