Unbeaten Texas A&M remains No. 3 in AP's Week 12 poll

Are you not entertained? Apparently, the pollsters aren’t.

Despite being the only team in the nation with three road victories over ranked opponents, Texas A&M remains at No. 3 in the Week 12 edition of the AP poll.

Additionally, A&M checks in at No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

The Ags received four first-place votes from both the AP and the coaches.

Of course, the rankings that matter — the College Football Playoff committee’s top 25 — won’t be updated until Tuesday evening, but committee chairman Mack Rhoades & Co. might have been a motivating factor behind A&M’s dominant 38-17 display at Missouri on Saturday.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Indiana needed a heroic and magical tap of the toe to save victory from the jaws of defeat vs. six-loss Penn State.

“We had robust discussions about Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M,” Rhoades told ESPN on Tuesday. “We felt like Ohio State and Indiana were close, when you look at the statistical data. … When we included A&M as part of the discussion, we felt like the separator there was the defense."

The Aggies must’ve felt disrespected by those remarks.

Against Mizzou’s top-15 offense (472.8 yards per game entering Saturday) and a four-star prospect at quarterback, the Maroon & White pitched a first-half shutout, got up 21-0 and held the Tigers to a season-worst 284 yards.

With Mizzou’s Matt Zollers held to just 77 yards passing, the Aggies again cleared out a visiting stadium early as “The Zou” suffered the very same fate “Death Valley” did on Oct. 25.

In case Mr. Rhoades isn’t too busy in Waco, A&M’s defense now leads the country in opponent third-down percentage (.241) and sacks (34.0), and the Aggies rank fourth nationally in tackles for loss (73) and 23rd in total defense (317.3).

“You know, we talked about that a lot yesterday,” linebacker Daymion Sanford said on Saturday. “Coming into the game, you know, we kind of have that chip on our shoulder. Like, why have they been disrespecting us?”

Not to mention their top-15 ranks in both total and scoring offense behind Heisman contender Marcel Reed.

A&M also ranks No. 1 nationally in strength of record and has a higher strength of schedule (15th) than Ohio State (41st) and Indiana (33rd).

Never mind the fact that the Ags have three road wins vs. ranked opponents (the only team in the country to do so) while the Buckeyes and Hoosiers have combined for two.

“I don’t know what it takes for them to start believing,” running back Rueben Owens II said on Saturday, “Like, we didn’t put the work in? We didn’t show what we could do?

“Ain’t no upsets going on. We coming in. We’re coming to play.”

Whether the committee changes its tune on A&M remains to be seen, as the media and coaches kept the Ags at No. 3 for a fourth straight week.

Again, A&M paces the eight SEC teams ranked in the AP poll ahead of No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 10 Texas, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 21 Tennessee.

Next is a return to Kyle Field — 35 days after celebrating the ‘75 team vs. Florida — to face South Carolina (3-6, 1-6) at 11 a.m. CT on Nov. 15.

Associated Press Week 12 Poll
 

OUT: No. 19 Missouri, No. 22 Memphis, No. 24 Washington
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Tulane 83, Missouri 59, North Texas 55, Iowa 54, Houston 43, SMU 8, Arizona St. 7, San Diego St. 5, Illinois 5, UNLV 2, Memphis 1.

Italics denotes Southeastern Conference member