Lane Kiffin Defends Texas A&M, Questions Their Non-Top Ranking

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Lane Kiffin Defends Texas A&M, Questions Their Non-Top Ranking

Lane Kiffin, head coach of Ole Miss, voiced strong opinions regarding the recent College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. Released on November 4, these rankings sparked a debate about the positioning of Texas A&M among top teams.

Kiffin Questions Texas A&M’s Ranking

Kiffin expressed mixed feelings about Texas A&M being ranked third. “What more do you want them to do to be No. 1?” he questioned, highlighting their impressive track record. He cited A&M’s victory over then-No. 8 Notre Dame as significant, emphasizing that such wins should merit higher rankings.

Texas A&M’s Season Performance

Record: 9-0 overall, 6-0 in SEC play
Notable Wins: Victories against then-No. 20 LSU and then-No. 22 Missouri
Recent Upset: 41-40 victory over Notre Dame

Kiffin’s remarks come as the CFP selection committee aims to reward strong scheduling and performance. They modified their evaluation criteria to give more weight to strength of schedule and added a record strength metric for assessing teams against their schedules.

Current Rankings and Metrics

Despite Texas A&M’s solid metrics, they sit behind two Big Ten teams: Ohio State (ranked No. 1) and Indiana (No. 2). This year, Ohio State holds a 9-0 record and Indiana is at 10-0, both of which have faced ranked opponents.

Statistics reveal that Texas A&M averages 37.8 points per game, outperforming Ohio State’s 36.3 but trailing Indiana’s 44.5. In total yardage, A&M also leads with 459.8 yards per game compared to Ohio State’s 441.4, but falls short of Indiana’s 487 yards.

Remaining Key Matchups

Looking ahead, both Texas A&M and Ohio State will face ranked opponents in their season finales. A&M is set to play Texas, currently ranked No. 11, while Ohio State will take on Michigan, ranked No. 21. These matchups could potentially shift the rankings as the season draws to a close.