Texas A&M’s Season Ends in Disappointment, but Mike Elko’s Aggies Have Set a New Standard
The 2025 season came to a frustrating end for Texas A&M on Saturday, as the Aggies fell to Miami 10-3 in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. It was a gut-punch of a loss - not just because it ended their postseason run, but because it came with a stat line that will sting for a while: zero touchdowns at Kyle Field for the first time since 2002. That’s 23 years of offensive pride, snapped in front of a home crowd that had waited decades for a moment like this.
Quarterback Marcel Reed, heading into his redshirt junior year, took the brunt of the blame after a rough outing that included three turnovers - two of them interceptions. In a game where every possession counted, those mistakes loomed large. The offense never found its rhythm, and Reed’s struggles were emblematic of a broader issue that’s haunted the Aggies down the stretch this season: inconsistency under pressure.
But while the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. This was a historic year for Texas A&M - their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.
That alone marks a major milestone for second-year head coach Mike Elko, who’s quickly reshaped the program’s identity with a more disciplined, physical brand of football. The Aggies didn’t just sneak into the CFP; they earned it with a strong regular season and a defense that held its own even when the offense sputtered.
Now the focus shifts to the offseason - and there’s work to be done. Reed, a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, will be under the microscope as he prepares for what could be a defining year in his college career.
The talent is there. The flashes of brilliance have been too frequent to ignore.
But Saturday’s loss underscored the need for growth in decision-making and poise in big moments.
Meanwhile, the player who ultimately took home the Tyler Rose Award offers a fascinating “what if” for Aggie fans. Haynes King, once viewed as the future of the program during Jimbo Fisher’s tenure, has flourished since transferring to Georgia Tech.
In an offense that played to his strengths, King blossomed into a true dual-threat weapon - racking up 7,663 passing yards, 53 touchdown passes, along with 2,246 rushing yards and 36 scores on the ground. Those are video game numbers, and they’ve made him one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country.
King wrapped up his redshirt senior year as a top-10 Heisman candidate, and if Georgia Tech had managed to run the table, there’s a good chance he would’ve been in New York as a finalist. Instead, he’s heading to the NFL after one of the most productive careers in recent Georgia Tech history - a testament to the importance of fit and system in college football.
For Texas A&M, the challenge now is to turn this postseason heartbreak into fuel. The Aggies have tasted the playoff stage.
Now it’s about proving they belong there consistently. Elko has laid the foundation.
The next step is refining the offense, developing Reed, and building on the defensive toughness that got them this far.
The journey isn’t over - it’s just beginning. And if this season was any indication, the Aggies are closer than ever to breaking through the ceiling that’s hovered over the program for decades.