Texas A&M is still waiting for a bigger bump in the national conversation.
Even after opening the season with back-to-back blowouts under Bucky McMillan, the Aggies remained outside the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25 on Monday. Texas A&M picked up 11 votes, a step down from the 19 it received in the preseason poll.
The early results have been loud. The Aggies rolled past Alabama State 97-66 to start the year, then followed with a 104-67 win over Northern Kentucky on Friday. Through two games, McMillan’s new-look roster is averaging 100.5 points and has forced 48 turnovers, a start that reflects both the offense’s depth and the pressure the team is putting on opponents defensively.
Still, that hasn’t been enough to crack the rankings yet.
The SEC continues to stack teams in the poll, with six league programs appearing in Monday’s update. Florida sits at No. 1 and earned 22 first-place votes, while Texas held at No.
- Tennessee stayed at No.
9, Alabama moved up to No. 16, Vanderbilt climbed to No. 19 and Arkansas slipped to No.
At the top of the national picture, nothing changed. Florida, Duke and Illinois remained the top three teams.
Virginia made one of the biggest moves of the week, jumping four spots to No. 6, while Arizona dropped seven places to No. 11.
Iowa State took the hardest fall, sliding nine spots to No. 23.
Two new teams broke into the Top 25: UCLA and Nebraska. They replaced Kentucky and Purdue.
Texas A&M now gets another chance to strengthen its case. The Aggies play Louisiana-Monroe on Monday before hosting Oklahoma State on Thursday.
Here is the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25:
Florida Gators (2-0)
Duke Blue Devils (2-0)
Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0)
UConn Huskies (2-0) ↑1
Michigan State Spartans (2-0) ↑1
Virginia Cavaliers (3-0) ↑4
Texas Longhorns (2-0)
Houston Cougars (2-0)
Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
Louisville Cardinals (2-0) ↑1
Arizona Wildcats (1-1) ↓7
Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-0)
St. John’s Red Storm (2-0) ↑1
Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) ↑4
UCLA Bruins (2-0) - NR
Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) ↑2
Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0) ↓1
Miami Hurricanes (1-1) ↓1
Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0) ↑2
Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1) ↓7
Michigan Wolverines (1-1) ↓1
USC Trojans (2-0)
Iowa State Cyclones (1-1) ↓9
Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) - NR
BYU Cougars (2-0)
Others receiving votes:
Kentucky 101, Memphis 34, Saint Louis 23, Purdue 12, Indiana 12, Texas A&M 11, Baylor 9, North Carolina 6, Marquette 6, West Virginia 5, Missouri 4, LSU 3, Wisconsin 1, Villanova 1, Nevada 1.
In Other News...
Mike Elkos Response Put Texas A&Ms Offensive Mess In Focus
Texas A&Ms disappointing 2026 season took another turn after the loss to South Carolina dropped the Aggies to 4-5, and the biggest concern remains the offense. Quarterback Marcel Reed and the unit around him have not produced at the level the program expected, especially after last seasons standard, leaving the Aggies searching for answers as the year heads into its final stretch.
Mike Elkos response to questions about offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins only sharpened the focus on how unsettled things feel. Elko said he believes Wiggins is the best option right now, but he stopped short of offering any long-term endorsement, which says plenty about where the conversation stands. For a team trying to steady itself, the issue is no longer just about one bad night in Columbia, but about whether the current offensive setup can carry Texas A&M anywhere worth going from here. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Lost A Major Excuse Under College Football's New Format
The College Football Playoff is about to get a lot bigger, and that matters for programs like Texas A&M that have spent heavily and expected the results to follow. Beginning with the 2027-28 season, the field will expand to 24 teams, doubling the current 12-team setup and reshaping what counts as a successful year in college football. For the Aggies, it changes the conversation around access and opportunity, because the path to the postseason is no longer going to be defined by the same narrow margin it once was.
Mike Elko is the one who will feel the pressure most directly. Texas A&M has long had reasons to explain away missed playoff chances, but the new format strips away a major one and raises the standard for a program that wants to be taken seriously in the postseason race. The Aggies still have to turn investment into results, and once the bracket grows, the expectation will be that they finally start looking like a team that belongs in it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Faces A Bigger Recruiting Question Than One Decommit
Texas A&Ms on-field slide has already changed the mood around the program, and now the recruiting ripple effect is starting to show up too. After last years undefeated run and College Football Playoff appearance, the Aggies are sitting at 4-5 in the 2026 season, a sharp enough downturn to make every setback feel bigger than it should. The latest blow came when five-star offensive tackle recruit Mark Matthews backed off his pledge after the loss to South Carolina, a reminder that elite prospects are watching not just the pitch, but the trajectory.
For a program that has sold itself on momentum, one decommitment can quickly turn into a broader question about how much more work is needed to keep the class together and protect the roster plan. Texas A&M still has the kind of profile that can attract top-end talent, but the current record puts added pressure on the staff to steady the season and reassure recruits that the long-term vision remains intact. The bigger issue now is not just replacing one lost commitment, but preventing the kind of recruiting drift that can follow when the results stop matching the message. [Read more 🡒]