Texas A&M Caps Regular Season at 11-1, Eyes College Football Playoff After Resurgent Campaign
Texas A&M fans can finally take a deep breath - and maybe even crack a smile. The Aggies just wrapped up one of their most impressive regular seasons in over a decade, finishing 11-1 and firmly planting themselves in the College Football Playoff conversation. Sure, the season finale didn’t go their way - a 27-17 loss to rival Texas in Austin - but make no mistake: this team has come a long way, and they’ve got plenty to be proud of.
Let’s start with the big picture. Eleven wins marks the program’s best finish since 2012, the year Johnny Manziel turned the college football world on its head en route to a Heisman Trophy. That season set a high-water mark for the modern Aggies, and this year’s squad matched it with a blend of explosive offense, timely defense, and a knack for rising to the moment.
Under second-year head coach Mike Elko, Texas A&M came into the season with tempered expectations. The Aggies were slotted eighth out of 16 SEC teams in the preseason media poll, and their No.
19 AP ranking reflected a cautious optimism after an 8-5 campaign the year before. But from Week 1, it was clear this team had more in the tank.
A&M came out firing, putting up 42 and 44 points in back-to-back wins over UTSA and Utah State. That early offensive firepower, fueled in large part by standout wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, gave the Aggies a jolt in the rankings. But the real statement came in Week 3.
Traveling to South Bend, the Aggies edged out No. 8 Notre Dame in a 41-40 thriller - the kind of win that doesn't just move you up the polls, it changes the narrative. Suddenly, A&M wasn’t just a nice story; they were a legitimate threat.
Even their bye week worked in their favor. While they rested during Week 4, then-No.
9 Illinois stumbled, and the Aggies climbed another spot without even stepping on the field. Momentum was building, and it showed in their SEC opener - a gritty 16-10 win over Auburn that proved this team could win even when things weren’t clicking perfectly.
From there, the Aggies started climbing fast. Losses by Florida State, Penn State, and LSU - all ranked ahead of them - cleared the runway, and A&M took off.
A dominant 31-9 win over Mississippi State helped them leapfrog Oklahoma in the rankings, even though the Sooners had just shut out Kent State. That’s the kind of respect A&M was earning week by week.
They followed that up with a solid 24-17 win over Florida, and when Ole Miss narrowly escaped against Washington State, the Aggies moved up again. But the real exclamation point came in Baton Rouge.
Facing LSU on the road, the Aggies didn’t just win - they dismantled the Tigers, 49-25. That performance, paired with a Miami loss to Louisville, launched A&M to their highest ranking since 1995, back when R.C. Slocum was on the sidelines.
By late November, A&M was sitting at No. 3 in the AP poll, trailing only Ohio State and Indiana. Their unbeaten run included a dramatic comeback against South Carolina and had fans dreaming big. But those dreams hit a speed bump in the regular season finale.
The 27-17 loss to Texas stung - not just because it was a rivalry game, but because it knocked the Aggies out of the SEC Championship picture and dropped them to No. 7 in the rankings. Still, the damage was limited. At 11-1, the Aggies are very much alive in the playoff race.
Now, all eyes turn to the College Football Playoff committee. Texas A&M is in line to host a first-round game at Kyle Field, and if this season has shown us anything, it’s that this team thrives when the stakes are high.
Mike Elko’s group may have fallen just short of perfection, but they’ve already made a statement - one that echoes far beyond College Station. The Aggies are back in the national spotlight, and they’re not just here to make noise. They’re here to contend.