Texas A&M finished its non-conference slate by shutting out The Citadel 41-0, with sophomore running back Jamarion Morrow rushing for 264 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman running back KJ Edwards led the way with a career-high 116 yards on 14 carries for 8.9 yards per carry.
The Aggies will now face Alabama on the road in Week 8, hoping to catch the Crimson Tide when they're down after dropping two consecutive games, but that will take an equally impressive showing on offense, especially from starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who completed 8-of-13 for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs.
Three of Texas A&M's next five opponents lost on Saturday: the Texas Longhorns fell at home to unranked Florida 27-24; Alabama lost 26-10 on the road to Tennessee; Auburn won 27-24 on the road over No. 1 Georgia; and Oklahoma fell to Kentucky at home.
The opportunities are there to salvage the season, but it will depend on Marcel Reed, the offensive line, and the Aggie defense continuing to play at a high level, as the Aggies have failed to play a complete game this season.
After defeating The Citadel, Texas A&M rose one spot to No. 20 in ESPN's Football Power Index with a rating of 13.5. The Aggies are currently the eighth-highest-ranked SEC team, trailing Florida (No. 19), Oklahoma (No. 16), Tennessee (No. 12), Ole Miss (No. 11), LSU (No. 8), Texas (No. 7), Alabama (No. 6), and Georgia (No. 3).
Following Saturday's loss, ESPN's FPI also currently projects Texas A&M's win-loss record at 5.8-6.2 and a 0.6% chance to win out. Per ESPN's FPI, Texas A&M also has a 0% chance to win the SEC and a 0.3% chance to make the College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M will face No. 13 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and ABC will broadcast the game.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Where Texas A&M sits in ESPN FPI rankings after defeating The Citadel