Entering the game against Arkansas, Texas A&M knew where it stood in the SEC with three teams tied atop the standings. At the end of Saturday night, two teams remained at the top of the league.
Those two teams? A&M and Alabama.
Only the Aggies are undefeated at 7-0 for the first time since 1994. However, the Crimson Tide and the Aggies are undefeated at 4-0 in the SEC. In the AP Poll, both programs moved up as well, with the Aggies sitting at No. 3 in the nation while the Crimson Tide settled in at No. 4 in the country.
“That’s not something that’s happened around here in a while,” coach Mike Elko said after the Arkansas game. “I think they’re learning how to make the plays they need to make to win football games.”
Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of the SEC logo on a chain marker during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Expanding the SEC to 16 teams has made the field a lot more interesting, especially with the current playoff expansion, where 12 teams earn spots. It just means more — every game matters.
After last season’s standings were a mess, with many scenarios where a team seemed playoff-caliber but didn’t make it due to stronger conference programs, it remains unclear how favorable the committee will be toward the SEC.
Regardless of how confusing the tiebreakers and other considerations that go into play to determine who is more constructed to be in the playoffs, one thing is clear. If a team wins out, the qualifications are much easier to interpret.
For A&M and Alabama, being 4-0 in the SEC brightens the road to the SEC Championship Game, where both control their own destiny if they win out. If either drops a loss, it gets ugly because a pack of teams is sitting at one loss.
Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt are in the middle of the madness and all are ranked and still alive for an outside chance of making a deep run. What’s blocking the road is the gauntlet schedule for every program facing at least one more ranked team.
Even teams like Tennessee and LSU, who are at two losses in the conference, have a chance to build their resume if either can win out and get help elsewhere. Florida is at two losses as well, but due to non-conference games biting them in the rear, the path is narrow.
South Carolina is currently the only crew that has one win but four losses under its belt. As for Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, and Kentucky, the ultimate goal is to become bowl eligible and aim to build on next season, given the three or four losses already in place.
If the Aggies continue their winning ways, the future is bright in Aggieland. The SEC Championship game will be Saturday, December 6, at 3 p.m. in Atlanta, Georgia.