Campaigning for College Football Playoff spots is in full swing, and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is loudly making his case to the committee.
Fisher said after Saturday’s win over Tennessee that it would be “wrong” for the one-loss Aggies to be excluded from the playoff with an 8-1 record, all in the SEC. The lone loss came against Alabama, a near-certain playoff entrant.
“We play in the best league in ball,” Fisher told ESPN, via Hannah Underwood of the Dallas Morning News. “If we can’t play in this league and be in the playoffs, something’s wrong.
“I haven’t lobbied, I haven’t said a word. But you’re 8-1 in the SEC. We lost to the No. 1 team in the country. I want to see somebody else go 8-1 in this league. We can play with anybody, we do deserve it. We deserve to be in it. That’s up to the committee, that’s their thing, but I believe that firmly. I’ve watched the games, I’ve seen everybody. We can play with anybody.”
While Fisher may be right that A&M can play with anybody, the situation may not be in his favor. Alabama will make the field, and it’s hard to see how Clemson or Notre Dame are excluded. That means the Aggies would have to jump unbeaten Ohio State, who won the Big Ten Championship earlier Saturday.
Still, Fisher’s best shot is probably going after Ohio State’s credentials. That’s what one of his colleagues has been doing.
