In the midst of a global pandemic, Texas A&M launched an impressive campaign in pursuit of its first College Football Playoff appearance, winning a program history eight games against conference opponents.
However, the Aggies also set another less-impressive historic benchmark, becoming the only one-loss SEC team to not make the playoffs.
Announced Sunday morning, A&M finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in the final CFP rankings of the year, following its 34-13 win over Tennessee on Dec. 19 to complete a seven-game win streak.
Several A&M players and coaches have taken to social media to share the reactions to the playoff announcement.
A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko tweeted his initial reaction, with another tweet following.
Other members of the maroon and white were less restrained on the social media app.
Senior linebacker Buddy Johnson and Marshall Malchow, A&M’s associate athlete development personnel, expressed their distaste for the CFP Committee and its decision.
A&M’s first commit of the 2021 recruiting class was quarterback Eli Stowers. The young signal caller also expressed his disappointment with the CFP Committee.
Even former A&M players have chimed in, with Cincinnati Bengals placekicker Randy Bullock, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Otaro Alaka and former A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope tweeting in support of the maroon and white.
A&M has also received support from opponents, with Florida freshman defensive lineman Princely Umanmielen sharing his support for the Aggies.
A&M’s Director of Player Development Mikado Hinson said he sees this as an opportunity for the Aggies to prove themselves.
Several players agree and are turning the No. 5 ranking into an opportunity to show people why they should have been included in the top four.