Mike Elko‘s team has been turning heads since the start of the season and is still standing undefeated, whereas Auburn stands with a 3-1 record. Now, both of them will face each other this weekend, setting the tone for the playoffs just right. In their last 14 meetings, their series is tied at a 7-7 record, and the interesting part is the Aggies have struggled more at home with a 2-4 record. Now, with Auburn coming in strong, Elko knows what his team is going to face. And he’s already pushing them hard!
The game is intense, but Mike Elko’s offensive weapon, Marcel Reel, keeps making things easier for the Aggies, who are fresh off coming in after taking down Notre Dame. This guy went for 360 yards and two touchdowns and also added 37 yards on the ground. But the list doesn’t end there, as RB LeVeon Moss is another dynamic player who went in for 81 rushing yards on 20 carries with 3 scores.
But there’s one concern that might break the Aggies’ undefeated streak, and what’s that? Auburn Tigers might stop the Aggies’ run, as they have allowed just 58.2 yards per game and even held Oklahoma to just 35 total rushing yards with -3 yards to Ball State. And even Mike Elko is not taking them lightly, as he said, “They’ll be a team that’s got their backs against the wall. I’m sure they’ll put their best foot forward.” That’s what’s making it so deep.
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On the other side, Auburn’s QB Jackson Arnold threw for 220 yards with a touchdown against Oklahoma. Even though they lost that game, Hugh Freeze‘s playmakers shone throughout. As Jeremiah Cobb showed his explosiveness, rushing for 61 yards on just six carries, their WR Cam Coleman also scored 88 yards with a touchdown on 3 reps. So, it won’t be an easy matchup.
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And let’s not forget that Coach Freeze’s team is turning heads on both sides of the ball. As they rank 10th in scoring offense with 32 points and 8th in scoring defense with 16.5. On top of that, they are 13th in total offense with 383.5 yards per game and 9th in total defense with 291 yards. But it doesn’t stop at that, as Auburn has scored 30 points twice this season and has stopped other teams under 20 points in two games. So, it’s clear that Mike Elko knows what he’s going to face this week.
But that’s not the only concern lying on Mike Elko’s shoulders.
Mike Elko gets real on SEC turnaround
The SEC is changing the entire look of its conference, going to a 9-game slate starting from 2026. Now with this move, teams will play three fixed rivalry games, and the remaining six will keep rotating. Interesting. But what’s turning more heads is that every SEC program will face each other once every two years and will also travel every four years. But it looks like Mike Elko is not ready to accept one of his three fixed rivals…
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So, for the next 4 years, Texas A&M Aggies, the LSU Tigers, and the Missouri Tigers will stay intact on the Aggies’ schedule as their rivals. But choosing Missouri, who have just played 3 games since the 2014 season, rather than putting the Arkansas Razorbacks is making fans scratch their heads. Even Mike Elko didn’t hold back his take on playing against Missouri as he said, “It’s good, obviously, that we’re playing the in-state rivalry. Always good to play LSU. I guess Missouri—I’m not sure how that fits in, but, you know, it is what it is. However, they did that, it’ll be fine.”
Look, both Missouri and Texas A&M used to play a lot when they were in the Big 12 from 1996 to 2011. Then they both moved to the SEC in 2012, after which their rivalry wasn’t that big of a thing compared to Texas and LSU. The Aggies lead their series with a 10-7 record, and they have only played 4 games outside of the conference, facing each other just 17 times. What’s more shocking is that their first game was back in 1957. So, now you know why even Mike Elko isn’t convinced by this move.
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Now, why Arkansas looks like a better option is because this rivalry has been a trophy game since 2008. And 13 of the games have been played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington in the last 16 matchups. Even then, they are not in Aggie’s schedule. For now, Arkansas is playing Missouri, LSU, and Texas. But apart from the shocker, the other two teams were on everyone’s “I knew it” list. And why wouldn’t it be? The Texas and Texas A&M rivalry dates back to 1894; last year, they renewed their rivalry after the Longhorns joined the SEC. The Longhorns lead with a 77-37-5 all-time record.
Then with the Longhorns, even LSU remains an obvious choice, since after the Aggies moved to the SEC in 2012, both of them have become big regional rivals. And one of their iconic games still remains the 2018 seven-overtime game. For now, LSU leads the series with a 36-24-3 record and even has a 9-4 record against them after the Aggies came into the same conference. Best part? It’s a rivalry for more than 100 years, dating back to 1899, so bringing in Missouri with LSU or Texas feels like a weird move.