A win would have secured Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies their first SEC title game, guaranteed a CFP ticket, and solidified one of their most legendary seasons under him. But Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns ran the show. They handed a 27-17 beatdown to the Aggies, and an emotional Elko vented his heart out.

“It hurts. It should,” said Elko in the post-game interview. 

Texas crashed A&M’s perfect party, handing the 11-0 Aggies their first loss of the season with a gutsy 27-17 comeback. The loss knocked No. 3 A&M out of its shot at a first-ever SEC title and instead punched the Georgia Bulldogs’ ticket back to Atlanta.

The Dawgs will see either the Alabama Crimson Tide (if they handle the Auburn Tigers) or the Ole Miss Rebels.

Along with the exhausted SEC title hopes, what hurts more is that their 5,482-day wait did not come to an end. The Longhorns, who won last year’s rebooted Lone Star Showdown after a 13-year break, still haven’t fallen to Elko’s boys since 2010. 

Texas and Texas A&M have delivered plenty of tight, heart-pounding finishes over the years. The 2011 thriller saw Texas edge Texas A&M 27-25. Even after the 13-year hiatus, the matchups remained gritty, as evidenced by Texas’s 17-7 win in 2024. But this season’s loss hurts Elko more. 

“Right now, it just hurts that we lost to our rival,” said Elko.

The head coach left no stone unturned to turn Texas A&M into a bulletproof squad. Elko has flipped the Marcel Reed script. After an up-and-down passing year in 2024, Reed has turned into Mr. Reliable in 2025, hitting 65% or better in six games and tossing a touchdown in 10 of 12 outings. 

Add in 395 rushing yards and six scores on the ground, and his sharp 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception mark has become one of A&M’s secret weapons. 

Fueled by one of the nation’s most enormous NIL war chests, Elko has the power to remodel his roster every single offseason. He’s become a transfer-portal magnet. All of it slowly planted a spark of hope in Elko’s heart, growing play by play and win by win.

“You know the emotions are going to be high,” the head coach said in the pre-game presser. “You have to find the laser focus.”

This heartbreak came after Texas A&M signed a contract extension. This November, they locked in Elko with a mega extension, bumping his haul to north of $11 million a year. How did it change the playoff picture?

Mike Elko left waiting with a sting

The Aggies hit the break up 10-3, powered by a defense that had Arch Manning bottled up to just 51 passing yards. But after halftime, Texas flipped the script. Elko and Co. clawed it to 20-17, but Manning slammed the door with a 35-yard, soul-snatching touchdown sprint at the 7:04 mark. 

Moments later, Michael Taaffe sealed the deal, picking off Reed at the Texas three to snuff out the Aggies’ final lifeline. There has been enough shock in between games, too. 

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As WFAA sports anchor Joe Trahan reported, “Marcel Reed goes down with a non-contact injury as he was making a cut. All of Aggie Nation is holding their collective breath. Reed would later limp off on his own power and head to the tent.”

However, Elko did not have to deal with panic for long. Reed’s leg scare on second-and-15 looked bad at first. But the sophomore bounced up a minute later and jogged off unfazed. Meanwhile, what role does Elko’s Aggies’ loss play in the playoff picture?

A&M will cruise into the Playoff at 11-1, but that Texas loss likely knocks them out of the top four. No bye week now, just a home game in Round 1. Had they sealed the win, they’d already have their golden ticket. Instead, Elko’s sitting tight, hoping Alabama slips up after Ole Miss handled Mississippi State 38-19.

Already, Elko is in a sour mood. The Texas Longhorns chose to spread some more salt on their fresh wounds. After Texas pulled off the upset, the Longhorns’ video board trolled A&M by replaying Elko’s old “flagship of Texas” boast.

It was followed by a “sike” meme and shots of Arch Manning and teammates celebrating. Now Mike Elko is stuck waiting, with that sting still twisting in his chest.