My confidence in Texas A&M is very, very high heading into the final 5 weeks of the regular season.

The Aggies are first place in the SEC and have nothing but green grass ahead of them on the journey to the College Football Playoff. Win or lose against Texas at the end of the year, the Aggies should be in the Field of 12.

It’s been my opinion that LSU would join the Aggies in the playoff at the 11-seed, but a few things happened this weekend that forced Notre Dame’s entry. Confidence in the Tigers has fallen dramatically as Notre Dame’s stock continues to rise.

The Irish handled Navy with almost zero issues. Army’s execution in the run game has been superior compared to Navy, but the framework for victory is similar for Notre Dame. Control the option with athleticism, win the turnover battle and play a clean football game. The last point, admittedly, might be tough for Marcus Freeman’s squad.

Not to mention, the Irish’s win over Texas A&M continues to look better and better. I’ve avoided it for long enough for the sake of historical trends, but it’s time to face reality: Notre Dame is very likely going to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Quick aside. Isn’t it nice that we have this much competition at this point in the season? Tennessee, LSU, Indiana, Alabama, Kansas State, Pitt, SMU and even Ole Miss are all still hopeful to snag a spot in the playoff as of October 28.

On to the rest of the bowls. Tennessee, LSU and Alabama are all in a heat for the Citrus Bowl, but Tennessee has the best odds thanks to a massive fanbase and its win over the Tide. LSU was not impressive against the Aggies, especially in the second half when Marcel Reed entered. That effort won’t beat Alabama, which just pummeled a battered Mizzou squad. I gave LSU the advantage on Nov. 9 in Baton Rouge last week, but Alabama now has the momentum heading into the bye.

The teams projected to reach a bowl stayed the same from last week. As of the conclusion of Week 9 there will be at least 8 SEC teams playing during bowl season, with Arkansas and Vanderbilt right on the doorstep at 5-3. Alabama and Ole Miss clinched win No. 6 on Saturday.

South Carolina should grab a win against Wofford and would need a victory over one of Vanderbilt, Mizzou, Texas A&M or Clemson to reach 6. The Gamecocks could realistically beat either of the Commodores or Tigers, especially the latter. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, needs one win out of the following: South Carolina, at Auburn, Tennessee and at LSU. It could get dicey, but they should both be in good shape to snag at least one more.

As stated last week, Florida has a chance to go bowling with APR (Academic Progress Rate) at 5-7. For that reason, they’re one of the 82 teams currently projected for action during bowl season.

Until next week, college football.

College Football Playoff

Sugar Bowl: Oregon vs. 8/9 winner

Rose Bowl: Georgia vs. 7/10 winner

Peach Bowl: Miami vs. 6/11 winner

Fiesta Bowl: BYU vs. 5/12 winner

First Round

From Columbus, Ohio: No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Boise State

From College Station, Texas: No. 6 Texas A&M vs. No. 11 Iowa State

From State College, Pennsylvania: No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 10 Notre Dame

From Austin, Texas: No. 8 Texas vs. No. 9 Clemson

The Rest

Citrus Bowl: Tennessee vs. Indiana

ReliaQuest Bowl: Alabama vs. Nebraska

Music City Bowl: LSU vs. Iowa

Las Vegas Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Colorado

Texas Bowl: Arkansas vs. Texas Tech

Gator Bowl: Mizzou vs. Duke

Liberty Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. TCU

Birmingham Bowl: South Carolina vs. Wake Forest

Gasparilla Bowl: Florida vs. Boston College