Texas A&M vs. Ole Miss: How Rebels' Win Reshapes Playoff Picture
No. 3 Ole Miss (6-0 overall, 3-0 SEC) earned its keep as one of the top teams in the nation after handily defeating No. 14 Texas A&M 35-20 for a crucial SEC road win.
The Rebels' 15-point victory doesn't so much shake up the rankings as it does confirm one undeniable fact: The state of Mississippi is the dominant force in college football right now.
Their defense is nearly impenetrable and scores about as often as it allows others to do the same, per SportsCenter:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-0, 3-0) defeated No. 2 Auburn (5-1, 2-1) by a score of 38-23 and look like the cream of the Southeastern Conference crop with Dak Prescott at the helm.
Considering No. 1 Florida State went on cruise control against Syracuse, save for quarterback Jameis Winston, expect one of the Mississippi squads to top the polls next week.
Here is a look at the performances of AP Top 10 teams after Saturday and what those results mean for the inaugural College Football Playoff:
| No. 1 Florida State | 38-20 | Syracuse |
| No. 3 Ole Miss | 35-14 | No. 14 Texas A&M |
| No. 3 Mississippi State | 38-23 | No. 2 Auburn |
| No. 5 Baylor | 61-58 | No. 9 TCU |
| No. 6 Notre Dame | 50-43 | North Carolina |
| No. 7 Alabama | 14-13 | Arkansas |
| No. 8 Michigan State | 45-31 | Purdue |
| USC | 28-26 | No. 10 Arizona |
Kenny Hill is a fine college quarterback, but the last two weeks have proved that he is no world beater, and the SEC West belongs to either Ole Miss or Mississippi State.
CBS Sports' Gary Parrish thinks the national title conversation starts (and perhaps ends) with these two teams:
Alabama (5-1, 2-1) may have defeated Arkansas (3-3, 0-3), but its limp, mistake-riddled performance doesn't bode well for its future. The Crimson Tide fumbled twice on special teams and committed a number of boneheaded penalties.
Voters likely won't forget this desultory display, which likely drops them below Auburn in the eyes of many observers. However, a win is a win and a one-loss Alabama could move up should either Mississippi school slip up.
If there is a team from the SEC East to challenge either Ole Miss or Mississippi State, it's the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1), who shut out No. 23 Missouri and put up 34 points of their own despite not having running back Todd Gurley in pads and on the gridiron.
Elsewhere in the college football landscape, the Big 12 looks chock full of top-tier teams. No. 5 Baylor finally got a game against a ranked opponent and took its season to the brink, eventually pulling out a come-from-behind 61-58 victory against No. 9 TCU.
Quarterback Bryce Petty threw six touchdowns and two interceptions, but those picks were just his second and third of the young season, and he looks to be in command of the offense. The Bears may have issues on defense, but everyone knows this offense is capable of putting up huge numbers against just about anybody.
However, Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff isn't quite sure what to make of Baylor after the headline-grabbing win:
No. 11 Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1) is still lurking after defeating Texas, and No. 16 Oklahoma State (5-1, 3-0) could vault up the rankings should it beat the Horned Frogs in Week 8.
The playoff picture isn't shaping up well for the Pac-12, with the dominance of the SEC, Big 12 and undefeated No. 6 Notre Dame still in the fold. Oregon still has an outside shot, but it will have to run the table and need No. 10 Arizona to lose a couple of games.
No. 8 Michigan State is still in the hunt after handily dispatching Purdue, but the Spartans have a relatively weak upcoming schedule and needed the defense to bail them out against the Boilermakers. Of course, the opinions of others don't bother star defensive end Shilique Calhoun.
"If people want to look at the score and say that Michigan State's not a good team, that's fine by me," he said, via Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. "We're still gonna play 'Spartan Dawg' football no matter what."
Michigan State will need to vastly outplay the likes of Ohio State, Indiana and Rutgers to garner enough attention and leapfrog teams from the more powerful conferences. Still, the defense led by Calhoun and linebacker Ed Davis is one of the best in the nation and can keep the Spartans in the playoff hunt.
Every college football fan should circle November 29 on their calendar; that's when Ole Miss takes on Mississippi State. Should both teams remain undefeated up to that point, the loser of that titanic clash could still very well make the College Football Playoff. The fact that these two teams don't play each other until the last week of the regular season will help prevent another team from rising up in the power vacuum that would be created by a loss for either Mississippi team.
Then again, this college football season has proved that the preseason rankings have little to no bearing on future performance, and it's high time the phrase "any given Saturday" entered the American sporting lexicon.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
