College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 8
By Zach Bigalke
Trevor Knight and the Aggies kept things close in the first half in Tuscaloosa and actually took a 14-13 lead on the opening drive of the second half. But then the Alabama shifted into another gear, scoring 20 straight and shutting out the Aggies the rest of the way to deal Texas A&M its first loss of the season. Once Alabama started controlling the clock, there was little that the Aggies could do to regain momentum. A loss to the Tide certainly hurts from a conference standpoint, but it won’t likely hurt A&M much on a national level.
The Aggies should be able to rebound quickly, and will probably drop only four or five spots in this week’s AP Top 25. Next week Texas A&M plays New Mexico State at home, then opens November with the last road game of the season at Mississippi State. The three-game home slate to end the season features Ole Miss, UT-San Antonio, and a Thanksgiving day duel with LSU. While it is unlikely that Alabama will slip up twice and open the door for the Aggies to play in the SEC championship game, a New Year’s Six berth in the Sugar Bowl is still within reach for Kevin Sumlin’s squad.