Lane Kiffin doesn’t understand what the College Football Playoff Selection Committee isn’t seeing in Texas A&M.
On Monday, the Ole Miss coach was asked about the initial rankings last week and if the position of SEC teams was encouraging for him. He said he was encouraged in some ways but not in others. Then he discussed Texas A&M being ranked No. 3.
“Texas A&M being three. What more do you want them to do to be one?” Kiffin said. He then argued that people want teams to make their schedules more difficult, but the committee isn’t responding to that with its rankings.
“Well, they went up to Notre Dame and won,” Kiffin said. “So those people that say, ‘Man, those schedules are worth it to play that.’ What if they didn’t play Notre Dame and just played whoever and just had an easy win? They’d be ranked in the same spot. So what good did that do if that’s not rewarded? So, they’ve got the highest metrics of everybody, and they’re not No. 1, so I don’t know.”
His full response is below.
"Texas A&M being 3- what more do you want them to do to be 1?"
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 10, 2025
Lane Kiffin makes comments on the Aggies not being ranked No. 1 in the first CFP rankings ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Yu97ykJIsj
Texas A&M is currently third in both polls and the CFP rankings, with Ohio State at No. 1 and Indiana at No. 2. Those are the only three undefeated teams currently in the top 25. All three teams have a solid claim to the top spot.
Ohio State is the defending champion, beat then-No. 1 Texas to open the season, and hasn’t played a close game since.
Indiana has blown out most of their opponents, other than close road wins over Iowa and Penn State. The Hoosiers also probably have the best win of the season with their 30-20 road triumph against Oregon.
The Aggies beat Notre Dame 41-40 in South Bend and have only played close in a 16-10 win over Auburn and a 45-42 win at Arkansas. Otherwise, they have been fairly dominant.
The debate as to whether the Big Ten or SEC is a better conference this season will continue to rage on.
Kiffin is correct that Texas A&M has what looks like the best non-conference win of the season by beating Notre Dame on the road. The Irish were No. 10 in the initial CFP rankings.
This will all play out and could work itself out over the next month. For now, three teams have a strong claim to being the top team in the country. Kiffin thinks the Aggies have the best case.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Breaks Down Simple Reason Texas A&M Should Be No. 1.
