As we approach the business end of the CFB season, every result is make or break. Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers(6-2) were soaring just last week, consolidated in the upper echelons of the AP Poll after 6 wins on the spin. Things seemed rosy right until halftime on Saturday, as LSU was seemingly on its way to a statement win away in Kyle Field. But a Herculean Texas A&M comeback arrived in the clutch, changing the trajectory of both teams’ seasons with it. As the Aggies (7-1) now sit at the helm of the SEC, one media personality and football savant insists they’re the real deal. 

Texas A&M found themselves down 10 at halftime and struggling before a swap at quarterback from HC Mike Elko flipped the script. Backup QB Marcel Reed ran for a TD on his very first play and that opened the floodgates. Reed ended the game with 3 rushing TDs, leaving Elko with a win and a potential quarterback controversy to deal with. 

The multitalented Shannon Sharpe, in the latest iteration of Nightcap, discussed what went down in the game along with his co-host Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson. Ocho asked Shannon, “Hey, do you think the way Texas A&M is playing, if they win out, they could sneak into the playoff?”. 

To this, Shannon replied, “Oh, for sure. [Because] winning out means they’re gonna win the SEC Championship. Sure, bro. That team is absolutely going to the College Football Playoffs”. This is a rather hot take from Unc Shannon, who knows a thing or two about football. A cosign from a legend such as himself will go down swimmingly with Aggies’ players, staff and fans alike. 

Ocho himself reiterated this feeling around the Aggies, adding, “They’re gonna surprise some people, man. They’re gonna surprise some people”. Mike Elko’s team still find themselves with their destiny in their own hands. Win every game from now till the end, and a playoff berth awaits.

But it’s not going to be straightforward. They host archrivals and fellow SEC contenders Texas in what’s building up to be a clash for the ages. On the other hand, the Tigers are in a much more precarious situation.

Tame Tigers on the cusp of exiting the playoff picture?

For Brian Kelly, this loss ended LSU’s 104-game winning streak when leading by double digits at halftime. This was the longest active streak across college football. To add to the embarrassment for Kelly, tempers flared amongst players before the game. The no.8 team in the country last week is bound to slip in the AP rankings. After the loss, Kelly was asked about his team’s playoff chances. To this, he said, “We lost our margin. We have no margin for error”. 

LSU have a much-welcomed bye week now before hosting Bama in Tiger Stadium. The road to the playoffs is rocky but not implausible. They will seek to regroup over the next week and have one eye on other results in the meantime.

This is what the new CFP format promised: second chances. As for Texas A&M, fans will hope for more of the same. The Aggies continue their quest for the SEC throne away to South Carolina next.