Texas A&M’s November has become the month that keeps hanging over Mike Elko’s first seasons in College Station.
The Aggies have made progress under Elko, but the late-season finish is still the part that draws the most heat. Under Elko, Texas A&M is 4-6 in November and later, a mark that stands out even more because the program is 15-1 in September and October.
There are reasons that record looks the way it does. In both of Elko’s first two years, some of the toughest games have stacked up at the end of the schedule. Still, two of those November losses came against Texas, so the expectation in College Station remains the same: finish stronger, and do it against quality opponents.
That won’t be easy in 2026. By one new measure from CFBNumbers on X, Texas A&M’s November schedule is the second toughest in the country, behind only Missouri.
Based on raw average opponent ratings, it ranks as the fifth-hardest month for any team all year. And two of the games come on the road.
The month opens with a trip to South Carolina, where the Gamecocks will be looking to answer last year’s loss in Kyle Field. Texas A&M’s previous visit to Columbia, South Carolina, went badly, with the then-tenth-ranked Aggies getting blown out by LaNorris Sellers and company.
From there, the Aggies return home for Tennessee in the annual blackout game, then head to Norman, Oklahoma, for a matchup with the Sooners that could feature the two best defenses in the SEC. The month ends with the Lone Star Showdown, and this time it will be at Kyle Field.
It’s a brutal stretch, and it leaves little room for a soft landing. If Texas A&M gets into November with one loss or fewer and then goes .500 in that run, the same old criticism will surface again: another year where the Aggies didn’t finish the way they wanted.
But there’s another path, too. If Texas A&M comes into the month rolling and survives this gauntlet, it would look exactly like the kind of late push Aggie fans have been waiting to see. The problem is simple enough: the numbers say that’s a tall order.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Just Backed Off A Fight With Major SEC Stakes
Texas A&M has chosen not to push back against the SECs new stance on former professional athletes, clearing the path for the Aggies to move on from Bryson Warren. Warren, who spent time in the G-League and never played college basketball, has entered the transfer portal after the conference ruled that players with a pro background like his are not eligible to compete in SEC basketball.
The bigger issue for Texas A&M was never just one roster spot, but the risk attached to standing its ground. The SECs penalties for schools that sign ineligible former pros are severe enough that the Aggies decided against challenging the conference, leaving Warren out of the picture and ending one potential test case before it could become a much larger fight. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M May Be Getting Back A Familiar Guard After All
Texas A&M may be in line to welcome back a familiar guard after all, with Rylan Griffen reportedly granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA and SEC that could open the door to an extra year of eligibility. Griffen has enrolled in classes at Texas A&M and, according to reports, intends to rejoin the basketball team for the 2026-27 season, giving the Aggies a possible boost from a player who already knows the program.
The timing is notable for a roster that just saw guard Bryson Warren depart, leaving a spot to be filled in the backcourt. Nothing is official yet, but Griffens situation adds another layer of intrigue to Texas A&Ms offseason planning, especially with the team trying to sort out its guard rotation and keep some continuity heading into the next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms New College Football 27 Ratings Send An Early Message
EA Sports College Football 27 has started rolling out its latest wave of player ratings, and Texas A&M is already giving fans a fresh talking point. The Aggies check in at 86 overall as a team, with wide receiver Mario Craver leading the way at 91 overall, a sign that the game sees him as one of the rosters clear headliners heading into the new cycle.
The updated player pool also brought in several newcomers for Texas A&M, including freshmen and sophomores Evan Jacobson and Caleb Tafua. Their initial ratings fall in the 74-to-77 range, which gives the Aggies a fairly solid baseline but also leaves room for a few younger pieces to make a bigger impression once the real season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]