Texas A&M's Journey Through the AP Rankings in the 2025 Season

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Texas A&M fans, you may now exhale. The regular season has come and gone, and there is plenty to be proud about after the 11-1 season.
The Aggies may have ended said regular season with a loss in Austin to the Texas Longhorns, but for a team that has been chasing playoff glory for decades now, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
The 11 wins that the team notched are the highest since their 11-win season back in 2012, Johnny Manziel's Heisman Trophy-winning campaign.
A&M Through the Ranks
With their success, the Aggies were a force to be reckoned with in the weekly AP Top 25 polls, reaching their highest rank since the 2020 season that saw them at No. 4.

Preseason: No. 19
The Aggies started the season ranked at No. 19 after the 8-5 season they had in Mike Elko's first year as head coach, though the addition of wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver kept them in contention as one of the best in college football.
The Aggies were predicted to finish eighth of 16 SEC teams in the SEC media poll.
Week 3: No. 16
The A&M offense was as advertised through their first two games, with wins of 42-24 and 44-22 over the UTSA Roadrunners and Utah State Aggies, respectively, boosting them three spots.
Week 4: No. 10
Defeating a top 10 team will definitely get you props from the Associated Press, and the Aggies found themselves in the top 10 for the second straight season after their 41-40 win over No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend.
Week 5: No. 9
The Aggies didn't even have to play during Week 4 to move up one spot, as then-No. 9 Illinois took a massive loss to Indiana, plummeting them and moving A&M up one during their bye week.
Week 6: No. 6
Texas A&M held off a late charge by the Auburn Tigers in their conference opener to take a 16-10 win, and losses by Florida State, Penn State, and LSU, who were all ranked above them, shot the Aggies up to the doorstep of the top 5.
Week 7: No. 5
A 31-9 pummeling of the Mississippi State Bulldogs was enough for Texas A&M to overtake the Oklahoma Sooners in the ranks, despite Oklahoma defeating Kent State 44-0.
Week 8: No. 4
The Aggies defeated the Florida Gators with a sound 24-17 score, and after the Ole Miss Rebels suffered a near loss to Washington State, the Maroon and White were promoted one spot on the AP list.
Week 9: No. 3
The Ags marched into Baton Rouge and annihilated the LSU Tigers 49-25, and after the Miami Hurricanes' loss to the Louisville Cardinals, A&M moved up to their highest ranking since the 1995 season, when R.C. Slocum was still calling the shots.
Week 15: No. 7
Mike Elko's team stayed in third behind the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, continuing their perfect season, which included their comeback win over the South Carolina Gamecocks until they finally tasted defeat at the hands of the Longhorns in the regular season finale, 27-17, dropping them down to No. 7 and out of the SEC Championship game.
The Aggies will now wait to see who the College Football Playoff gives them in the first round, as they will likely host an opponent at Kyle Field.

Aaron Raley is a credentialed writer covering the Texas A&M Aggies for On SI, joining the team on May 27, 2024. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron earned a degree from Texas A&M University in journalism, with minors in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.
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