Where Texas A&M Sits In CBS Sports' Way-Too-Early CFP Rankings

The Texas A&M Aggies may not have accomplished their ultimate goal of a national championship in their second season under head coach Mike Elko, but the seeds have definitely been planted for success for the program's future.

With quarterback Marcel Reed and wide receiver Mario Craver set to make their returns to College Station, and Alabama transfer wideout Isaiah Horton coming to add some more speed to Texas A&M's offense, as well as the defense still maintaining its well-rounded build, the Aggies have an opportunity to be a real problem in the 2026 season.

But the real question is, how would it translate over to the College Football Playoff?

Texas A&M Heading to the Pacific Northwest For the CFP?

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) eludes the tackle of Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor (3) during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

According to CBS Sports' way-too-early bracket projections for the 2026 College Football Playoff, the road for the Maroon and White doesn't begin in College Station as it did in 2025.

Instead, the projected No. 10 Ags would be taking a trip up to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for a showdown with Dan Lanning and the No. 7 Oregon Ducks, with the victor taking on the No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The four teams predicted to receive first-round byes in order are the Miami Hurricanes, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns, and the current national champions, Indiana Hoosiers.

Elsewhere, the prediction sees the No. 9 LSU Tigers heading to Columbus for a star-studded showdown with the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes.

The No. 11 Memphis Tigers from the AAC would travel to Athens, Georgia for a meeting with the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs, who sit at No. 6.

And rounding out the first-round matchups, the Big 10 meets the Big 12 as the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines would be heading to the Texas Panhandle for a matchup with the No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Safe to say, it's a lot of the usual suspects in this projection, with the Fighting Irish, Longhorns, and Wolverines getting back in the national championship mix after just finishing below the cut line in 2025, and the Memphis Tigers serving as the Group of Six school getting a shot at winning it all.

The Tigers will be in their first season under new head coach Charles Huff, who was an assistant head coach at Alabama during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, winning a national championship in the latter year when the Tide defeated Ohio State 52-24.

Of course, the real season doesn't start for another seven months, and the CFP even farther out, but it's fun to imagine, isn't it?