It’s Year 2 for Mike Elko in College Station. And he’s constructing a culture, a mindset, and maybe even a playoff run. Just ask Paul Finebaum who called him “the smartest coach I’ve dealt with in a long time” on a previous TexAgs show. He checks boxes beyond the playbook. But even smart coaches get warned. Fall camp kicked off in Aggieland this week and Texas A&M is dialed in. And this year, there’s a new mantra which says finish the drill. It’s the offseason war cry that the HC and several of the Aggies players brought to the SEC Media Days. And it’s not hard to see where it came from.
Texas A&M started strong in 2024 going 7-1. One more win and Mike Elko’s team could have danced with destiny in Atlanta. Instead, a late-season slide turned into 8-6 and a big what if. But they’re back. Even ranking at No. 4 on ESPN’s FPI within the SEC. Only Georgia, Texas, and Alabama stand in their way. But the real elephant in the room is not in Athens or Austin or even Tuscaloosa. It’s in South Bend.
On an August 1 episode of TexAgs, host Olin Buchanan and guest Jason Fitz circled one date on Texas A&M’s calendar. September 13. Week 3 at Notre Dame. Mike Elko has three teams to watch out for in 2025 including LSU, Texas, and Notre Dame. Buchanan noted, “There’s a part of me that feels that if A&M’s going to win one of those three games, that seems like the one and that could change the trajectory of the season as well.” Jason Fitz backed it saying meeting them early is beneficial for the Aggies. “I think when you catch them early, you really catch them with the opportunity to catch them a little off guard,” he said. “That defense for Notre Dame is going to again, I think it’s a little dip before they get better by the end of the season. I’d rather catch him in the first five weeks than catch him in the last five for sure.” That timing matters.
Credits: TAMU official website
Notre Dame opens with Miami, then gets a Week 2 bye before hosting Texas A&M at home. Marcus Freeman will have two weeks to prepare but he’ll also be breaking a new QB in CJ Carr as well as a new DC in Chris Ash. Gone are playmakers QB Riley Leonard and TE Mitchell Evans who are NFL bound. And then there’s an element of bitterness for the Aggies who suffered that lone early loss when the Irish beat them in College Station 23-13 in the season opener. That didn’t destroy Mike Elko’s debut season but it set the tone.
You can bet Elko remembers every snap of that game. After all, Notre Dame isn’t just an opponent, it’s part of his past. He was their DC in 2017 under Brian Kelly. Now, he’s walking back into South Bend as the enemy. Coaching a program that desperately needs a marquee non-conference win to establish playoff legitimacy. And here’s the paradox. The same urgency Notre Dame brings to big matchups is also what historically trips them up. As Fitz added, referencing former ND player Mike Golic Jr., “Like GoJo always talks about they drop the one game a year they’re not supposed to drop.” And if there’s one matchup early where the Irish might not be fully polished, it’s Week 3 vs Texas A&M. Because this team is receiving a lot of preseason love.
Phil Steele thinks Mike Elko could lead Texas A&M to the playoffs
On July 31, Phil Steele joined TexAgs and dropped a gem on Mike Elko. “Coach Elko is three for three in overachieving my expectations for a year,” he said. “You go back to Duke both years he finished higher than I expected.” He’s now high on Texas A&M with his magazine ranking them 6th in the nation in returning experience after ranking 56th a year ago. But the positional leap Steele is most excited about is the offensive line. It even has the HC feeling like it has Joe Moore Award potential. That’s the kind of growth that tilts games in Baton Rouge and Austin. That’s how you control tempo in hostile environments.
Also, Marcel Reed is back at QB. The sophomore threw for 1,864 yards, rushed for 543, and totaled 22 touchdowns in 2024. All of it while filling in for Conner Weigman midseason. That experience, plus new weapons like KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, makes this offense feel dangerous. And the backfield is deep too. Le’Veon Moss, Rueben Owens, and Amari Daniels all bring RB1 potential. On defense, Taurean York returns as the tone-setter. Add Will Lee III and Cashius Howell, and you’ve got a top-tier SEC unit.
Phil Steele has the Aggies favored in nine games. But the swing games are Notre Dame, LSU, and Texas. “Pull one upset and all of a sudden, A&M’s in the playoff with the two loss team,” he said. Paul Finebaum also sees nine wins as the benchmark. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford projects 10-2 if things break right. But it was Steven Lassan on That SEC Podcast who dropped another brutal warning about the QBs they’ll be facing. But what can worrying really do? Week 3 in South Bend could determine everything. So all we can do is wait and see what happens.
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