Paul Finebaum addresses Texas A&M's College Football Playoff hopes

After its midseason win over Alabama, Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies are still in contention in the SEC West.

Now 7-2 and No. 11 in the AP poll, Texas A&M enters Oxford as winners of four-straight — each against SEC teams in Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina and Auburn — with a chance to upend a top-15 Ole Miss team.

As Texas A&M continues its meteoric rise in the SEC West, it caught the eye of ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, who believes the Aggies are not yet eliminated from the College Football Playoff picture.

“I’m going to zero in on Texas A&M for a second. They got a commitment from the No. 1 player in the country. There are still rumors, by the way — I was in College Station over the weekend — that Jimbo is talking to LSU, but I will tell you that I don’t believe that after being there. I just cannot imagine. I don’t buy it. But to give you a crazy one: A&M is still alive in the College Football Playoff,” Finebaum said. “They need help. If A&M beats Ole Miss and finishes the job against LSU later in the season, and Alabama stumbles — and Alabama has Arkansas and Auburn — then look at the standings in the SEC West.”

As Finebaum noted, College Station is buzzing with excitement over the new-look Texas A&M Aggies. They picked up a commitment from five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen and dominated Auburn last week, despite rumors of Fisher entertaining the LSU job. Finebaum went on to say that there is a path — albeit, an unlikely one — for the Aggies this postseason.

“Let’s say A&M gets to Atlanta and wins,” Finebaum said. “They have two bad losses, I agree: Arkansas and Mississippi State. But their wins are over Alabama at No. 1 in the country and Georgia at No. 1 in the country.”

Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M looks to contain Ole Miss offense

Though their SEC Championship game hopes may fall in the hands of Alabama dropping a game unexpectedly, Fisher is doing everything in his power to ensure that the Aggies don’t do the same.

The first task for Fisher will be stopping Lane Kiffin’s offense, Texas A&M travels to Ole Miss Saturday and brings College Gameday along with it. No. 11 Texas A&M opened up as a slight, one-point favorite over the home, No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels in what projects to be a very even-keeled matchup.

“We’re getting better, and we better be. Because we play a heck of a team this Saturday,” Fisher said Monday in Texas A&M’s press conference. “Playing up [at Ole Miss] is tough. That night game is tough. They’re playing really well. Offensively, they’re outstanding. Their quarterback is a great player, offensive line does a really good job, their skill guys — they can run. You’d think they [only] throw the ball but their run numbers are through the roof. They can run the football up front.”

Fisher went on to compliment Ole Miss for its ability to line up in an array of formations, both on offense and defense. The Rebels keep their opponents guessing, so Fisher said the only way to prepare is to “really study and examine how they do it and what they do.”

Perhaps the toughest task for the Aggies will be stopping Matt Corral, the Ole Miss quarterback who’s vaulted himself into Heisman Trophy consideration and should easily be a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Corral provides a tough matchup for defenses not just because of his ability to find his receivers in stride, but also because of his ability to run the ball.

Saturday marks the second consecutive game in which Fisher is tasked with stopping a dual-threat quarterback, and last week, against Auburn, he had no problem containing Bo Nix. Nix completed under 50 percent of his passes for just 153 passing yards and an interception, all while being rendered useless as a rusher. Fisher said that Texas A&M will have a similar approach as it looks to stop Corral.

“You’re going to have to do the same thing,” Fisher said, when asked how his gameplan for Auburn translates to his gameplan against Ole Miss. “That guy can beat you with his legs. He’s athletic. Now, they probably have as many called or planned runs as anybody. … [Corral] keeps plays alive, and let me tell you, he can shoot that ball down the field, too. It’s going to have to be a lot of the same principles, no doubt.”