Texas A&M moved up 6 spots from No. 14 to No. 8 in the latest ESPN power rankings, which were unveiled on Monday morning.
The move comes after the Aggies defeated Arizona State 48-20 on Saturday behind a brilliant defensive performance that included a pair of late pick-6 touchdowns.
Texas A&M‘s 6-spot jump in ESPN’s power rankings was the biggest leap forward for any team in the top 25 this week. Here’s an excerpt of analysis from ESPN’s Dave Wilson:
After ASU moved the ball well in the first half, A&M coach Mike Elko said his team adjusted to an almost completely different defense in the second half and dominated, shutting out the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter. Elko praised A&M’s emphasis on “winning football,” with the takeaways, lack of penalties and red zone defense, while also acknowledging there’s still a lot of work to do.
Texas A&M’s offense had more than its fair share of struggles in the first half vs. Arizona State, though Marcel Reed played better after halftime. Reed finished with 163 passing yards and 3 touchdowns on the night.
Tougher tests are coming for Texas A&M in SEC play, but the Aggies are off to a 2-0 start and are now a consensus top 10 team in the nation entering Week 3. The Aggies landed at No. 9 in this week’s AP Top 25.
Texas A&M will host Kentucky in Week 3.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
