COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M's football head coach Mike Elko didn't mince words about his team's performance in a stinging loss Saturday to South Carolina. "Not really too many ways to sugarcoat it. We played a really bad game," Elko told reporters Monday.

The Aggies come out of the bye week with home matchups against New Mexico State and No. 5 Texas sandwiching the final road trip of the season to Auburn. The expanded playoff has allowed for greater opportunity for teams to reach their postseason dreams, and Elko is confident A&M can be in the party if it finishes with a 10-2 mark.

And what a story the Aggies are telling in 2024, with No. 14 Texas A&M’s 38-23 win over No. 8 LSU on Saturday night as the latest triumph. Eight games into Elko’s first year, A&M is alone atop the SEC entering November as the only team without a conference loss. And it’s a serious contender for the Playoff.