The Texas A&M state trooper incident in Week 12 refuses to die down. The matter has been dealt with by the program, but it has taken a life of its own across college football. Louisiana’s QB Lunch Winfield revived the moment in their game against Arkansas State, but with a twist.

Louisiana kept its bowl hopes alive with a 34-30 victory over Arkansas State. Post-game, all the talk was about what Winfield did. After completing a touchdown, the QB went straight running to the state trooper, but instead of a shoulder shrug, he shook hands with him. The state trooper was surprised, but anyone who wasn’t living under a rock would recall the reference to the Week 12 game between the Aggies and the Gamecocks.

In the original version, Gamecocks receiver Nyck Harbor ran 80 yards for a TD and returned to the field through the northeast tunnel with his few teammates who went there for the celebration. On their way back, two players unexpectedly collided with a Texas A&M trooper, leading to an intense exchange of finger-pointing. The state trooper appeared to have initiated the contact. It saw widespread condemnation. Even the likes of LeBron James got involved.

However, Texas A&M police quickly took action against the trooper, releasing him from his game-day duties. The department explains its stance on X, saying, “We are aware of the incident in the NE tunnel involving a DPS trooper. He has been relieved of his game day assignment.” The Texas Department of Public Safety later confirmed that he was sent home, providing further assurance that an investigation would be conducted against the trooper.

This incident raised questions around professional conduct. Even Shane Beamer thanked Texas A&M for handling the situation “the right way.”

With that, Mike Elko reaffirms his commitment to the Aggies.

Mike Elko affirms his commitment to Texas A&M

For weeks, Mike Elko has been on the radar of LSU, Florida, and Penn State, looking for their next leader. After guiding his team to an 18-5 record with an undefeated 10-0 start this season. But it turns out Texas A&M is the only place he wants to be. Elko signs a new six-year contract worth $11 million annually with A&M, which runs till 2031.

This finally ends the coaching shift buzz around him. Even Elko is satisfied with the move, as he said, “I’m thankful to the people behind the scenes who believed enough in what we were doing.” Now, with a perfect 7-0 conference record, the Aggies lead the SEC record. Now, for them to get a simple playoff, they need to win against Texas, as a win over Samford doesn’t really mean anything in the SEC race. But a loss to the Longhorns will force them to rely on Alabama and Ole Miss losing to secure a spot in the championship game.

For now, ESPN analytics gives a 19% chance to Georgia vs. Texas A&M in the title game if Texas A&M loses and Alabama wins in the final game. Now, with Mike Elko staying put with his team, it will be interesting to see how he leads his team to the playoffs this year.