Texas A&M back in the College Football Playoff? These 5 things must happen

COLLEGE STATION – For the first time in program history, Texas A&M will enter a season coming off a College Football Playoff appearance.

Now, the Aggies are trying to make it two in a row.

That comes with a different kind of pressure. After an 11-win season and the program’s first CFP appearance, A&M is no longer trying to prove it can break through under coach Mike Elko. The standard has changed, and once again the Aggies will have to make a case to the selection committee for why they deserve a spot in the playoff.

To get back, A&M will need a strong résumé, better results against the SEC’s best and a team capable of avoiding the kind of loss that can derail a playoff push.

Here are five things that need to happen for Texas A&M to return to the CFP:

Make the résumé stronger

The 10-3 loss to Miami in last year’s first round left A&M with a sour ending to its best season in more than a decade, but it also left the Aggies with something to prove. The selection committee considers strength of schedule, head-to-head results and results against common opponents when comparing teams, giving A&M plenty of opportunities to strengthen its case.

LSU, Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma are all on the road, while Tennessee and Texas will visit Kyle Field. A&M does not need to win every marquee matchup, but stacking victories against teams competing for the SEC title would make its résumé difficult to dismiss.

Last season got the Aggies into the playoff. This season is about building a résumé that leaves little debate about whether they belong.

Let Marcel Reed take control

Only six of last season’s 12 CFP teams return their starting quarterback, and A&M is one of them. Reed started all 13 games last season, throwing for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns while completing 62.1% of his passes.

He has already shown he can lead the Aggies through a full SEC season and into the playoff, but the expectations are different now. Reed needs to become more consistent and establish himself as one of the conference’s best quarterbacks, starting with Missouri State, Arizona State and Kentucky before the schedule intensifies.

A more efficient Reed would not only raise A&M’s ceiling but also give the Aggies a better chance to pile up the wins the committee will ultimately evaluate.

Make home-field advantage count

There is a reason Texas A&M calls its home crowd the 12th Man, but the Aggies have suffered some painful losses at Kyle Field in recent seasons. Notre Dame won the 2024 season opener in College Station, Texas won there later that year, and Miami ended A&M’s season on its home field in last year’s playoff.

This season, Tennessee and Texas will visit Kyle Field, giving the Aggies two significant opportunities to add quality wins to their résumé without leaving College Station. The committee will not reward A&M simply for playing in front of a loud crowd, but it will take notice of the results those games produce.

If the Aggies want another playoff berth, Kyle Field needs to become a place where they consistently take care of business against the teams that matter most.

2026 TEXAS A&M SCHEDULE

Sept. 5: vs. Missouri State, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Sept. 12: vs. Arizona State, 11 a.m. (ABC)
Sept. 19: vs. Kentucky, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
Sept. 26: at LSU, time and TV TBD
Oct. 3: vs. Arkansas, time and TV TBD
Oct. 10: at Missouri, time and TV TBD
Oct. 17: vs. The Citadel, noon (SECN+)
Oct. 24: at Alabama, time and TV TBD
Nov. 7: at South Carolina, time and TV TBD
Nov. 14: vs. Tennessee, time and TV TBD
Nov. 21: at Oklahoma, time and TV TBD
Nov. 27: vs. Texas, 6:30 p.m. (ABC)

Win the games that matter

A&M does not have to go undefeated to return to the playoff, but it cannot continue coming up short whenever the stakes rise. LSU arrives in September, Alabama awaits in Tuscaloosa, and Oklahoma and Texas close the regular season, giving the Aggies several opportunities to improve their standing with the committee.

Those games will carry more weight than simply adding another victory to the record because the committee may use head-to-head results to separate comparable teams. A&M does not need to beat every heavyweight, but it needs to come away with enough statement wins to show it can compete for the SEC championship.

If the Aggies want to be viewed as a legitimate conference and playoff contender rather than a team fighting to squeeze back into the field, they will want to win those games.

Don’t give the committee a reason to leave them out

The flip side of building a strong résumé is avoiding a loss that makes the rest of it harder to defend. The committee evaluates teams based on their performance throughout the season, meaning A&M cannot afford to overlook the games it is expected to win while waiting for the big matchups.

The Aggies have Arkansas, Kentucky and The Citadel on the schedule in addition to their more challenging SEC games, and a loss to a team outside the playoff conversation could become a major problem when the committee compares teams with similar records.

That puts pressure on A&M’s defense, particularly with Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill expected to turn a talented group into a consistent strength. If the defense can keep the Aggies from slipping in games they should win, A&M will have a much better chance of entering December with a résumé the committee cannot ignore.

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This article originally published at Texas A&M back in the College Football Playoff? These 5 things must happen.