ESPN analyst touts Texas A&M's playoff chances after huge win over Notre Dame

Buoyed by its thrilling win at No. 8 Notre Dame on Saturday night, the Texas A&M Aggies have vaulted into the top 10 of the major polls while firmly putting themselves into the conversation for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Texas A&M (3-0) scored a touchdown with 13 seconds left to come away with a 41-40 victory on the road against the Fighting Irish, dropping Notre Dame to 0-2 in the early part of the 2025 season.

Speaking Monday on "The Paul Finebaum Show," ESPN's Heather Dinich said that the Aggies' impressive road win "puts them squarely in the conversation" for the CFP. She added, "It gives them a non-conference road win that will separate them from a lot of other contenders if they’re fighting for an at-large bid, which they would be if they don’t win the SEC."

That's an important point. There are 11 SEC teams in this week's Associated Press top-25 poll. While Texas A&M is playing well, winning the SEC will prove extremely tough.

As such, assuming that the Aggies do end up battling for an at-large berth to the CFP, having that non-conference road win over Notre Dame is crucial. Then again, if Notre Dame keeps losing, Texas A&M's triumph over the Fighting Irish could lose some of its luster.

Dinich wasn't completely surprised that the Aggies went into South Bend and defeated the Fighting Irish. She talked to Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko before the season began, and Elko noted that "this could be the first year in decades that Texas A&M has double-digit NFL Draft picks on its roster, and that makes your ears perk up when you hear something like that."

Following Week 3, Dinich has Texas A&M as the No. 5 seed in her projected CFP bracket. It's early, though. And the Aggies' other two wins in 2025 are against UTSA and Utah State.

Texas A&M has a bye in Week 4. Challenging games in the coming weeks include a home date with No. 22 Auburn, at No. 3 LSU, at No. 23 Missouri and at No. 8 Texas in the regular-season finale.

The SEC is a gauntlet, and it's unlikely Texas A&M will run through its schedule undefeated. But through one-quarter of the regular season, the Aggies look like a CFP contender.