Texas A&M Falls to No. 22 in ESPN Power Rankings After Kentucky Loss

The Aggies slid 14 spots in ESPN's rankings following a 31-21 home defeat to Kentucky ahead of a road trip to LSU.

Texas A&M tumbled 14 spots to No. 22 in ESPN's Power Rankings on Monday, two days after a 31-21 loss to Kentucky at Kyle Field. The defeat also cost the Aggies in the major polls, where they landed at No. 20 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 23 in the AP Top 25.

Kentucky took control by jumping ahead 28-7, with quarterback Kenny Minchey completing 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards. Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed finished 26 of 49 for 236 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, the second of which effectively ended a late comeback bid.

Coach Mike Elko said afterward that there were no positives to take from the performance and compared Reed's inaccuracy to a pitcher unable to throw strikes. Reed acknowledged the comparison, and ESPN's Dave Wilson noted several misfires on short throws.

Texas A&M now travels to Baton Rouge for a Saturday night game against LSU, a matchup the Aggies must win to keep realistic College Football Playoff hopes alive. A home primetime game against Arkansas follows in Week 5.