Unseeded Auburn upsets CFP hopeful Texas A&M in 4 OT thriller after game-tying score dropped
After much turmoil throughout college football on Saturday, Texas A&M, ranked 15th in the country, had a chance to sneak into the next round of the College Football Playoff bracket.
But they fell to Auburn, 43-41, which was not ranked in the classic division that took more than four seasons to complete.
Auburn led 43-35 to start the fourth overtime, as Payton Thorne hit KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a two-point play.
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Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne walks off the field after beating the Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday. (Jake Crandall/Advertiser/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
With both teams getting one play to score at the 3, Texas A&M turned to trickery in its attempt to send it to a fifth OT. Receiver Terry Bussey took a direct snap and passed it to quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed's pass to Amari Daniels was dropped in the end zone.
The Aggies (8-3, 5-2), outshot 21-0 in the first half, suffered the fate of two other SEC playoff hopefuls. Florida had already clinched the No. 1 playoff seed. 9 Mississippi and SEC title hopes with a 24-17 upset, while No. 7 Alabama fell 24-3 at Oklahoma.
The Tigers (5-6, 2-5 SEC) became the latest non-ranked league team to play the spoiler. The fans who had disappointed the season got up in a frenzy and filled everywhere from end to end but left the goal posts alone.
Tigers fans run onto the field after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024 in Auburn. (Michael Chang/Getty Images)
ALABAMA'S LOSS AT OKLAHOMA ENDS THE GAME DAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL AS THE STANDINGS LOOK VERY DIFFERENT.
“He's definitely going to get hurt, and obviously we're very disappointed,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. “We put ourselves in a really good position. It's obvious who we're playing and why we're playing, there will still be a lot of pressure on that field next week.”
Thorne passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns to Cam Coleman. Jarquez Hunter rushed 28 times for 130 yards and three scores. Coleman had seven catches for 128 yards, and Lambert-Smith had two for 104.
With five of the top fifteen teams losing on Saturday, three of which are SEC teams, there could be a big shake-up in the rankings this week – new bracket predictions will be out on Tuesday.
Auburn Tigers teammates celebrate their 43-41 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Jake Crandall/Advertiser/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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The Aggies can still make the SEC title game — but they'll face No. 3 Texas next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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