Texas A&M Falls Out of AP Top 25 Poll

The Texas A&M Aggies are no longer ranked after the season-opening loss to Notre Dame.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Dashawn Fillmore (26) reacts during the second half against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / maria lysaker-usa today sports

The Texas A&M Aggies' hopes of potentially making the College Football Playoff are obviously still alive and well despite the season-opening loss to Notre Dame, but they'll have to earn their way back into the not-as-important AP Poll.

The latest edition of the AP Top 25 rankings released Tuesday and saw Texas A&M fall from No. 20 to unranked after the 23-13 setback to then-No. 7 Notre Dame, which moved up two spots to No. 5 with the ranked win.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) breaks free and runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman might have said it best Monday when meeting with the media: "So what, next pitch."

"I won't back down from anything," he said. "I'll face it head-on. I'll be the first to tell you that I didn't play well. ... I take it back to my baseball days: So what, next pitch. That's how I approach every sport I play. I told my teammates this morning that I have to be better. There's no excuses for the way I played."

Though the Aggies failed to match the hype that had built up leading into the game, the entire season is still in front of them. Losing to a top-10 team at home in the first game under coach Mike Elko is nothing to hang heads over, especially considering that the double-digit loss was not indicative of how tight the game was throughout.

If that is one of only two losses for the Aggies at seasons end, they could be heading to the CFP.

But first, Texas A&M will need to take care of business on Saturday at home against McNeese.