Popular Categories


Will the Texas Aggies be shut out of playoffs?


Will the Texas Aggies be shut out of NCAA football’s final four?

One week from today, the four teams for the College Football Playoff will be announced.

In the most recent reveal, it was announced that the top four teams, at present, include Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State.

Now, I have no problem with the two of the undefeated teams, Alabama and Notre Dame.

Going into action this weekend, Alabama was ranked number one.

The Crimson Tide was to play on the road against 3-6 Arkansas yesterday.

Alabama still has to play Florida in the SEC title game scheduled for next Saturday night.

Assuming they win those two games, they will be the top-seed in the football final four.

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, ranked number two, will face a rematch against the Clemson Tigers as the two teams will play in the ACC title game next Saturday afternoon.

Earlier this season, the Irish topped the Tigers in a 47-40 thriller, but Clemson played without the services of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Win or lose, both teams will likely hold on to a spot in the final four.

So, that bring us to the other playoff berth.

The Ohio State Buckeyes currently are ranked number four.

Despite the fact that they have played only five games, the Buckeyes are ranked ahead of Texas A&M, Florida, Iowa State, and Cincinnati.

With their game against Michigan canceled because of COVID-19, the Bucks have only the Big Ten championship game against the Northwestern Wildcats left on their slate.

That game is scheduled for next Saturday and Ohio State will be favored to beat Northwestern.

If they win, the Buckeyes will make it to the final four. But, should they?

The Texas Aggies have lost one game. They lost a lopsided decision to Alabama on the road, but that game was played early in the season.

Since then, the Aggies have won six games, including a victory over the then-ranked-number-four Florida Gators.

Ohio State has wins over Indiana and Penn State, but they have played only five games.

Because they play in the SEC West, the Aggies cannot play Alabama for the title.

If the Aggies were in the SEC East, they would be facing Alabama in a rematch, kind of like Clemson playing Notre Dame for a second time.

Early in the season only three of the so-called Power Five conferences chose to start the season.

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 first voted not to play this season, but later changed their mind and got off to a late start.

That late start and games lost to coronavirus concerns are the reason Ohio State has played only five games.

But should the Buckeyes, 6-0 if they beat Northwestern, be given the nod over the Texas Aggies, 8-1 if they down Tennessee next Saturday?

I think the Aggies have a solid case for being in the final four, but if Ohio State tops Northwestern, the Buckeyes will go.

Of course, none of this would be a problem, if the NCAA used an eight-team format that would call for the winner of each of the Power Five conferences and three at-large teams.

If that plan were in place, both Ohio State and Texas A&M would advance, along with Alabama, Clemson, and Notre Dame.

The other two entries would be the Iowa State-Oklahoma winner and the Pac-12 champion.

The pandemic will likely be blamed for whichever team gets shut out from the final four, but I see it as a flawed playoff format.

We need an eight-team playoff plan to assure that most of the teams get a shot at winning the national championship.