Paul Finebaum Not Satisfied by Texas A&M’s Initial College Football Playoff Ranking

The initial College Football Playoff ranking is officially out.

To no one’s surprise, there is plenty of controversy surrounding where teams fell, who would be in and who would not and even who should be No. 1.

With Texas A&M coming in at the No. 3 spot, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum was not pleased with where the Aggies wound up and aired his grievances on a recent episode of Get Up. Despite the Aggies being projected a first-round bye, Finebaum thinks the Aggies may have been sold short.

Paul Finebaum’s Qualms

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) celebrates with wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman (3) after a play during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

When asked about his opinion on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s initial rankings, Finebaum did not hold back his thoughts.

“I don’t have a lot, because let’s remember, this is Week 1, and by the end of it, it doesn’t matter a whole lot,” Finebaum said. “But I do have one, if I could share that, and that’s Texas A&M. In many ways, I think they probably have the best résumé in the country. The metrics favor them.

The Aggies have been nothing short of impressive this season, posting a perfect 8-0 record despite having the 15th hardest schedule, leading the Fightin’ Farmers to the No. 1 strength of record, according to ESPN’s FPI.

“To me, what A&M has had to do is a lot more accomplished than Indiana,” he said. “A&M has gone to Notre Dame and beaten a really good team there. They’ve gone on the road and beaten other teams. To me, they should be No. 2 now. Sue me if you’re Indiana.”

Texas A&M has a chance to go on the road and beat a ranked team once again when the Aggies make the trip to Columbia to take on the No.19 Missouri Tigers on Saturday. One more win over a ranked team could be what it takes to push the Aggies over the Tigers, and maybe even into the No. 1 spot over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Aggies’ last game should strike some fear into the Missouri hopeful. The Aggies marched into a hostile Tiger Stadium and destroyed the LSU Tigers after an impressive second half. If the Maroon and White can carry that momentum into Saturday, Indiana may be dropping to No. 3 and Missouri will likely fall out of the rankings for good.

Texas A&M and Missouri is set to kickoff at 2:30pm CT on Saturday at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.