Johnny Manziel gives his take on how Texas A&M would have fared in a 12-team playoff in 2012

Johnny Manziel took over college football during his days at Texas A&M. A Heisman Trophy winner, the quarterback was there for one of the best stretches in program history. Even so, the Aggies were never able to compete for a national championship due to college football’s postseason format.

At the time, the BCS rankings still determined who would play in the national title game. So what if there was a 12-team College Football Playoff back then? ESPN’s Greg McElroy asked Manziel that question, saying Texas A&M would have had a great shot.

“I think our first year, we would have been dangerous for sure,” Manziel said. “Toward the end of that year, we were playing as good as anybody in college football… I think we would have done well in 2012, for sure, just because of how well we were playing.”

Texas A&M ripped off five wins to close out the regular season in 2012. The famous upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa included, Kevin Sumlin‘s bunch was hampered by a season-opening loss to Florida and a five-point defeat in College Station to LSU. A good win against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl closed out the campaign.

If there were a 12-team format 13 years ago, Texas A&M would have been included in the field. The final BCS standings had them at No. 9, good enough to be an at-large bid. In the end, Alabama wound up taking down Notre Dame in dominant fashion.

As for the following year, Manziel there was a mindset change once two losses came. One was Week 3 to Alabama, revenge from the previous season. Auburn then won a thriller at Kyle Field, leaving Texas A&M with a 5-2 record. Back in the BCS days, two losses usually meant the chances of competing for the crown were over.

“My next year, in 2013, it’s kind of like, after you lose a game or two in that BCS era, not getting into the SEC title game, if you’re sitting there at 10-2, you don’t have a chance for a national title,” Manziel said. “It changes your whole mindset.”

The ‘What if’ game can be a fun one to play, especially in the offseason. Plenty of teams throughout time have to wonder how history would look if there were an expanded CFP during their era. Maybe a few different national champions pop up over the years.

At the very least, Manziel leading Texas A&M in the Playoff would have been an incredible spectacle. He might even believe 2012 could have ended with a little magic.