Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State: How Bulldogs' Win Reshapes Playoff Picture

In what was supposed to be an epic battle between two of the best teams in the SEC, Mississippi State solidified its standing as one of the best teams in the country and a true threat for the College Football Playoff with a dominating victory over Texas A&M that wasn't as close as the 48-31 score indicates. 

The Aggies high-powered offensive attack was held in check all day by a swarming Bulldogs defense that got helped out by a lot of drops by Texas A&M wide receivers. Kenny Hill was charged with 25 incompletions, but ESPN Stats & Info noted that at least eight of them were balls that should have been caught:

If there was any doubt about whether Mississippi State was legitimate, especially after entering this season outside the Top 25 in both major polls, they have been quieted. As NFL.com's Gil Brandt noted, this marks the school's second consecutive win against a Top-10 team:

While there is still a lot of time for things to be put into place, no other school that entered the week ranked ahead of Mississippi State can match that resume. Florida State has only played one game against a team in the Top 25 at the time of the matchup. Alabama has a chance to, but a few things must fall into place later in the year. 

It's safe to assume that the Bulldogs have just vaulted into the top five with wins over LSU and Texas A&M. They might even climb higher than that by virtue or Oregon's loss against Arizona, though they don't need anyone's help to show how good they are. 

It was also a momentous win for the school, as ESPN's College Gameday tweeted that this is the first time Mississippi State has defeated two teams in The Associated Press Top 10:

Hill, who entered the game as a Heisman contender with 17 touchdowns, three interceptions and just four sacks, was destroyed by Dan Mullen's defense. Richie Brown had three interceptions on his own for Mississippi State. 

That's relevant to the discussion of getting into the College Football Playoff because the teams that play for the title are going to be decided by people this year. Any positive impression you can leave on the selection committee is going to help you. 

Holding one of the best offensive teams in the country to 17 points and intercepting a legitimate star quarterback three times is going to stick in your mind. 

Mullen actually admitted during the SEC Media Days in July that he had some reservations about the process of selecting teams for the playoffs by saying that he just hoped college football ends a season the right way, via Mike Herndon of AL.com:

"The key is you want to look back after a season and say, college football got it right," Mullen said. "The champion is the best team in the country."

Life in the SEC West is not easy. The Bulldogs still have games against Auburn next week, Alabama on November 15 and Mississippi in the regular season finale on November 29. No one is going to come out of the conference unbeaten, but when you lose is almost as important as who you lose to. 

On the other side, Texas A&M would have remained in the picture for the College Football Playoff with a close loss. No one is going to severely penalize a team for losing on the road against a team ranked No. 12 in the country. 

However, when you get blown out in the way the Aggies did, with the defense allowing nearly 559 yards of offense and receiving corps that was struggling to catch anything all game, they need a lot of things to go right over the next two months to even have a chance. 

Even though the official rankings for the College Football Playoff don't come out until October 28, it's safe to assume right now that Florida State, Alabama, Oklahoma and Auburn would be the top four in whatever order. 

With its last two wins, one on the road against LSU and a dominant home effort against Texas A&M, Mississippi State has a great argument to be made as the fifth team. Nothing that Baylor, UCLA, Notre Dame or Michigan State is as impressive. 

Mississippi can get in that mix as well with a game against Alabama later on Saturday, but right now the Bulldogs look like a true championship contender. 

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