Heather Dinich reveals how Texas A&M's win-loss record impacts Notre Dame's Playoff hopes

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released next Tuesday in a moment that will set the tone for what the first expanded 12-team playoff will look like. Rankings that will show the College Football Playoff Committee’s perspective for the first time this season.

Several of the nation’s top teams are tied to one another in regards to the College Football Playoff thanks to head-to-head matchups. Highlighted by Notre Dame defeating Texas A&M in Week 1, two teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll.

“The head-to-head result earlier in the season is going to be big in the selection committee meeting room,” college football insider Heather Dinich told ESPN’s Matt Barie Wednesday on SportsCenter. “But here’s the thing, the conversation about Notre Dame is going to be a much deeper dive in that room than it has been out of it.”

The week after the Fighting Irish defeated the Aggies 23-13 in Week 1, they’d suffer the biggest upset loss of the season. Losing 16-14 at home to NIU while Texas A&M would rattle off seven-straight wins. As the Aggies currently sit atop the SEC standings ahead of their matchup against South Carolina on Saturday.

“There will be people in that committee meeting room who harp on the fact that Notre Dame’s home loss to Northern Illinois remains the worst loss in the country, as the Huskies are now a four-loss team,” Dinich explained. “But Barie, if Texas A&M loses at South Carolina and has two losses that helps make things easier on the selection committee to put the Irish in.”

“They looked good against Navy and they do have the head-to-head win against the Aggies. But I expect Notre Dame to be creeping around somewhere 11, 12, 13 in that first ranking,” she concluded.

Notre Dame’s head-to-head win over Texas A&M could potentially hold them above the Aggies in the rankings. But Texas A&M still has the chance run the table and potentially and compete in the SEC Championship. Which could both ensure the Aggies’ spot in the College Football Playoff and increase the significance of the Fighting Irish defeating them earlier this season and simultaneously boost Notre Dame’s resume.

Making for a fascinating storyline to track as the postseason gets closer and the College Football Playoff picture gets clearer.