ESPN analyst takes issue with Ole Miss being ranked ahead of Texas A&M
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The Ole Miss Rebels and Texas A&M Aggies finished with identical records (11-1, 7-1 SEC) this season. Their College Football Playoff resumes were both highlighted by a major road win (at Oklahoma and at Notre Dame, respectively). They both reached the CFP without much resistance, but the Rebels earned a better seed (No. 6) than the Aggies (No. 7).
In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal. But ESPN’s Steve Coughlin — more commonly known as “Stanford Steve” — is confused as to how Ole Miss finished ahead of Texas A&M in the CFP rankings. He made his stance clear on the latest episode of the SV Pod.
“The idea that Ole Miss is ranked higher than [Texas] A&M, I have a serious problem with,” he said. “When you look at resumes, strength of record or strength of schedule, Ole Miss is in the forties! Also… you got a rematch in Oxford. So just make A&M [No.] 6… they’re more deserving, in my opinion.”
The Aggies may have had better metrics on their sheet, but they lacked a major win beyond their triumph over Notre Dame. The Rebels’ victory at Oklahoma — who made the CFP over the Fighting Irish — was supported by a home thrashing of Tulane, another CFP bid winner. Meanwhile, Texas A&M did not have a win over a second CFP Top 25 team. The Aggies and Rebels both make their CFP debuts on Saturday, Dec. 20.
