Jan. 20, 2026, 1:20 p.m. CT
Texas A&M (11-2, 7-1 SEC) delivered a historic season that ended on a sour note but still revealed plenty of promise. Indiana put the college football world on notice by winning a national title with a former G5 coach and a supposedly “less talented” roster, proving that culture and development can close the gap.
That alone should give Aggie fans hope beyond what Mike Elko has accomplished in just two seasons. Next year will be a true test of the culture shift in Aggieland, as significant roster turnover will force the program to show whether the remaining pieces can sustain this momentum.
Closing the season with two straight losses wasn’t what fans envisioned, but they also saw that Elko didn’t sit still—he made immediate moves to improve. He followed the same blueprint entering this season: recruiting speed and blue‑chip talent out of high school while targeting run‑stoppers and sure tacklers in the transfer portal. Just as important, he retained several key contributors during one of the wildest portal cycles in recent memory.
On Monday, the Aggies closed the 2025 football season ranked No. 8 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.
AP Top 25 Poll after the CFP ChampionshipIndiana (16-0)Miami (FL) (13-3)Ole Miss (13-2)Oregon (13-2)Ohio State (12-2)Georgia (12-2)Texas Tech (12-2)Texas A&M (11-2)Alabama (11-4)Notre Dame (10-2)BYU (12-2)Texas (10-3)Oklahoma (10-2)Utah (11-2)Vanderbilt (10-3)Virginia (11-3)Iowa (9-4)Tulane (11-3)James Madison (12-2)USC (9-4)Michigan (9-4)Houston (10-3)Navy (11-2)North Texas (12-2)TCU (9-4)Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Others receiving votes:
Illinois 123, Washington 76, SMU 69, Duke 58, Arizona 54, Georgia Tech 44, Tennessee 10, Missouri 8, Louisville 7, Old Dominion 3, W. Michigan 2, Wake Forest 2, Hawaii 1, Boise St. 1.
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