Texas A&M came in at No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll, a spot that puts Mike Elko’s team in the top 10 and in the mix for a run at a championship out of College Station. There are still plenty of early questions for the Aggies to answer, but Elko and his staff have already put the program in a strong position heading into the 2026 season.
That ranking lines up with what other preseason measures have said about Texas A&M, including SP+ and FEI. Still, the Aggies are not getting universal approval, and a CBS Sports segment yesterday put them squarely in the crosshairs.
On that hit, two college football voices picked Texas A&M as the most overrated team in the preseason AP Top 25. Even if the argument sounds shaky, it shows Elko has not won everybody over just yet.
The first to weigh in, Richard Johnson, took aim at the Aggies’ schedule from last season and also dismissed the Notre Dame win by saying neither team was a "finished article of themselves." He said this year’s schedule looks tougher and suggested that could lead to a different outcome for Texas A&M.
Johnson also pointed to the offensive line turnover, which is a fair concern in any preseason conversation. Experience matters up front, but Texas A&M did bring in a significant amount of it through the portal, including four SEC starters. Johnson wrapped by saying he does not expect the Aggies back in the College Football Playoff.
Brad Crawford agreed and said Texas A&M should have been ranked in the 13-15 range instead of where it landed. He also argued the Aggies should not be ahead of some SEC teams with easier schedules.
That logic does not really hold up if the poll is being used the way it is supposed to be used. The AP ranking is about which teams are best, not which ones are most likely to pile up the cleanest record. A stronger team can still deserve a higher spot even if it is facing a harder path.
There are real unknowns around this Texas A&M group as Elko enters his third year, and there is no question that how the pieces fit together will matter. But the complaints being tossed at the Aggies in this case do not add up to much beyond schedule talk. The tougher slate changes the road ahead, not the quality of the team itself.
For Aggie fans, the larger point is simple: preseason opinions do not decide anything that matters. The playoff field is shaped by what happens on the field, with a little politicking mixed in. Elko has done enough by now to earn some trust, even if these two analysts are not buying in.
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The bigger question sits in front of him. Texas A&M is rebuilding most of its offensive line, with only center Mark Nabou back as a starter, and the staff has added help through the transfer portal to stabilize the unit. Wiggins wants a run-focused offense, but how far that approach can go will depend on how quickly the line comes together and whether it can create the balance Reed needs to make the passing game a real threat. [Read more 🡒]