First, I think they should leave it as is. It is working pretty well aside from a few controversies like last year. Yeah, I agree. A&M should have made it over Notre Dame. With that said, if they do change the format I would like to see them play the bowl games as they did in the past. After the bowl games are over, let the committee meet and pick the best 4 teams. 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. Winners meet for the NC game. That only adds a couple of extra games for 2 teams and keeps the bowls relevant. Best 4 teams regardless of conferences.

They did, but it is an oddity that we haven't seen in the A&M of the past. They had good players as starters but lacked depth. So when the players graduated there was a drop off the next 2 years. This go-around seems to be different. They have depth in nearly all positions but WR and LB. Case in point, they only had 3 games last year when a backup OL had to step in and play for any meaningful snaps. There was no drop off and the Robinson kid that came in at RG during the SC game crushed everyone in his way. I watched that game and couldn't for the life of me figure out why that kid wasn't the starter. SDS even had a little article on the Robinson kid after that game. The point is Jimbo has been recruiting a higher quality depth. The kids he has signed in top 10 classes are talented and he has another absolute 5 star beast OL stepping on campus this year, the Foster kid. If this group solidifies quickly, they may be even better than the group that just left. It reminds me of CNS's approach to OL recruiting and depth early on. So many people scoffed at A&M signing Jimbo. This is exactly what I was concerned with that hire. They have the money, the facilities, and the desire to be an elite program. They just lacked a coach to get it done. Jimbo will never be a CNS, but in the absence of CNS he may be the next best thing. Time will tell. The last point I would make in this long post. SDS was trying to make a point that A&M would be the best overall receiving core in the SEC. I don't see how. Other than Smith and the TE, they have no real star wideout and no depth. I didn't see any difference maker in their recruiting either. The kid who caught the ball against Florida went out injured and hasn't returned, but even that was just one game he shined. Of anything, I think the WR play will be A&M Achille's Heel this year and maybe LB play. Bama has the best depth at WR. Other teams my have a better "star" WR, but I'll take CNS and his depth at positions every time.

I have a good friend that is an A&M grad, or former student as they say, and he has graciously saved a ticket for me for several memorable games. I can honestly say you will never meet a more friendly football town in the south. Nebraska during the Osborne years was the only thing close to it. Midnight yell was amazing! Go see the Bush Library also.

My take on this type of list. 1. CNS skip 5 or 6 spots and make Dabo 2. the rest doesn't really matter. Although I think Jimbo, Ryan Day, Matt Campbell, Kirby, and Mack Brown are the cream of the next tier. Kelly at ND has never impressed me.

Uh, no. My A&M friends were more excited than ever at the end of last season. A great recruiting class and they were making progress despite playing a brutal schedule. I'm not sure where you got that information, but I wouldn't use that source anymore.

Well said.

Jimbo was just being himself. A booster asked a question and Jimbo gave a reply a booster wants to hear. If you listened to the full audio, Jimbo makes his booster-bolstering reply and then spends the next several minutes praising CNS and the entire Alabama program. The few times I've heard Jimbo speak about CNS, it has been a few quips about how they are getting ready to beat Bama and then he spends the next few minutes praising the man and the program. Last year in Dallas they asked him a question about what CNS has done for College football in general. Jimbo replied that CNS elevated the level of play not only in all of college football, but especially in the SEC. He sets the standard to which all must aim to play in this conference. I thought that was very powerful for another high caliber coach to say. I don't think worse of Jimbo for saying it. I'd rather have a coach that had some fight in them to claw and scratch their way up to compete with the greatest college football program and coach of all time. With that said, I don't think Jimbo will ever have the success of CNS or the Alabama program, but if there was one program out there right now in the SEC that is building a program to compete year in and out with Bama it is A&M. I don't mean that as a slight against Georgia or LSU. They are great programs with tradition. However, the money being poured into the program at A&M is nearly unbelievable. Kyle Field is a great venue. The athletic department is state of the art even down to the food service for athletes. These things are showing up in their recruiting hauls. They are building a program for the long term. But at the end of the day, CNS is the GOAT and Bama is the best program in the land. We will see how far A&M has advanced, if at all, from last year to this year.

I see ESPN once again found a way to limp Texas into the Top 25 based on market value alone. Okie ahead of Bama???? No. Just no. I think CNS pays them to do such things so he can get the team fired up about something from day 1. Georgia is top 5. I think UNC is about right too. I'm still out on Iowa State. The 2 games I watched last year just didn't impress me although I think Matt Campbell has them on the right track. A&M may be a little high due to no established QB, rebuilding the OL, and spotty wideout play. That defense should be salty though. The rest is about right, maybe Florida a little higher. LSU was finding their way at the end of season. I think they will be much improved this year. LSU has too much talent and a new DC that seems to be fired up to flounder again this year. It's still a fun topic for the offseason. I don't blame ESPN as it will generate some web traffic.

That completion % had me curious as well. Others are reporting it was a rash of drops more than the QBS.

I would be willing to see the Power 5 Champions, the best of the non power 5, and 2 at large. 8 team format

I agree on Pittman. When he was announced as the Hawg's coach I thought then this was the best move Arkansas had made in quite a while. I also agree on Smart. I think the Dawg's job is his as long as he wants to keep it.

Remembering Leach's offense at Tech, the RBs were a huge part of their game. Leach's offense always worked best when his RBs were successful.

The Robinson kid is a beast. I watched the South Carolina game. He came into the game after an injury took out the starter. That kid absolutely destroyed the DL. I counted 3 pancakes blocks. One of the most impressive freshmen guards I have seen in a long while. Texas A&M has plenty of quality depth at OL. Cole Cubelic even did a segment on Robinson after the game. Very Impressive.

I got to see Haynes King in the Elite challenge videos. He was lights out good. He won many of the competitions the 2 days I got to see. I think A&M got the QB they have been needing. My only knock on him was his size. Plenty tall but needs to add some size for SEC durability.

I think Tennessee should go after Mark Richt. He knows how to win and recruit in the SEC, and he knows how to keep the program out of trouble.

Pretty sure his breakout year was 2020. Dude was a beast.

A&M had that kid Robinson come into the SC game at Guard due to an injury. That kid was a freaking beast and a freshman. I remember thinking if this is the level of depth on the OL at A&M they are set for several years. Cole Cubelic labeled him a War Daddy after that game. I'm interested to see this kid play in the future.

What OldAg81 said.

Yet ND had a lopsided loss yet they are in the playoffs so your argument makes no sense. I can at least understand the A&M loss as being early in the season. ND's loss was essentially a playoff game late in the year for a conference championship. Don't want to A&M in the CFP that's fine. Giving the shot to Cincy would have made more sense. If Florida would have won, I would have given them the shot and put them in at 4 with Bama at 3. But Florida laid an egg at LSU. No 3 loss team deserves it either.

Tidefan8X5, I do remember how bad they were and I'd still take Auburn over ND as they have struggled with teams with a good pass rush.

A&M, Florida, Georgia, Auburn > ND.

I slightly disagree. Outside of laying an egg against LSU, Florida was considered in that top 3-7 teams. They just gave Bama a great game. Matchups matter. Clemson isn't nearly as good on defense as they once were. Bama is vulnerable against a team that can sling it around. That said, they are still easily the two best teams right now. But I think Florida can beat Clemson especially how they played last night. A&M beats OSU and ND by grinding out the win like they have all year. Bama beats A&M. Clemson and A&M comes down to Aggie DBs with Clemson WRs having the advantage, but the A&M D line can give Pantene fits. In essence we saw two playoff games yesterday. Bama eliminated Florida. Clemson eliminated ND. I would have really liked to have seen OSU vs A&M and Cincy vs best P5 available to settle the final 4. But I also think Florida, Georgia, and Auburn all beat OSU and ND. Honestly, OSU hasn't impressed me at all and ND doesn't have the O-line to stand up to an SEC pass rush; they have too many starters out this year. Their QB was running for his life with a decent Clemson D-Line. The top 5 SEC D-lines are better than Clemson. And debating this stuff is fun.

1. Bama 2. Clemson 3. A&M 4. Cincy OSU hasn’t looked good all year. We keep hearing about all this talent, but other than one RB they haven’t impressed me yet. ND has a weak schedule propping them up. They barely beat Clemson without the Pantene model playing & looked good against UNC. The rest of their schedule is against weak teams with decent records against other weak teams. The SEC top 6 would run through that schedule like a buzz saw other than the Clemson game. Their SoS shows it. A&M is playing like a real SEC contender. Nothing flashy. Ball control, good defense, and moving the chains. They have dominated teams even if the final score doesn’t reflect that fact. For years we’ve been griping that outside of an explosive offense at times, they haven’t looked like an SEC school. Now they do and everyone discounts that they look like a SEC school of old. 2019 LSU and 2020 Bama are the new measuring stick I guess. CNS won championships with ball control, good defense, and moving the chains. A&M doesn’t have the overall talent of Bama, but they do have real talent and are recruiting well. I don’t think Cincy is all that great, but I’d rather see them than OSU or ND.