Mike Elko mistakenly says Texas A&M's focus is on Texas ahead of Auburn game
On Saturday, Texas A&M will square off against Auburn. However, some fans are skeptical that the Aggies are already looking ahead toward their matchup against the Texas Longhorns on Nov. 30. On Tuesday, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko didn’t help squash these suspicions when he mixed up the two teams while speaking.
“I don’t think it’s an issue,” Elko said of his team’s focus. “When you’re in the situation we’re in, it’s easy to focus on the task at hand. I think those big games earlier in the year, maybe you look ahead.
“If we didn’t have at stake, what’s at stake, maybe you would worry about it. I think our focus is single-handedly on Texas — or, I mean Auburn right now, and locked in on what we got to get done.”
Awkward. Whether Texas A&M’s focus is on the Tigers or the Longhorns, they need to win both games to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Aggies are currently tied with Texas for first place in the SEC standings, with only one conference loss.
In the CFP selection committee’s latest rankings, Texas A&M landed at No. 15, falling just outside of the 12-team playoff. However, with back-to-back wins to close the regular season, the Aggies would nearly be guaranteed a spot in the CFP.
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Saturday’s game against Auburn will be an excellent chance for the Aggies to bounce back from their last SEC showdown, in which they fell 44-20 to South Carolina. Texas A&M looked like a shell of itself in the loss, allowing the Gamecocks to rack up 530 total yards of offense.
It was a mistake-ridden performance for the Aggies, who had two turnovers and committed seven penalties, knocking them back 68 yards. After the loss, Elko emphasized that the Aggies are still the masters of their fate.
“It feels like it because it is,” Elko said. “We’re tied for first, we still control our own destiny to Atlanta. We still control our own destiny to the playoff, it very much feels like it because it is.”
No matter who they game plan for during the week, Mike Elko and Co. will face off against Auburn at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will air live on ESPN.