Nine weeks into the season, we’re starting to get a picture of what the playoffs will look like. Texas A&M will be there. Fans will even hope for Mike Elko making a trip to the grand stage: the National Championship. Turns out, bettors are ignoring this potential for a program with tiered history. Or rather, the Aggies’ own is being ignored because of its tendencies to fail in the big moments.

Texas A&M is charging through the SEC unbeaten after Week 9. Sure, fans know that Battered Aggies Syndrome can very much manifest itself. But this season, things feel different. Mike Elko and the Aggies thrashed an SEC giant like LSU to firmly establish who is the biggie here. However, betting odds still do not favor Texas A&M. They are 7 in line as favorites to win the National Championship, 3 places after Georgia. Alabama, clearly a much bigger name, is at No. 3

Both Texas A&M and Georgia’s odds are at 10/1. But bettors are still favoring the Bulldogs. Fans are still happy with Kirby Smart’s tendency to get SEC and National Titles. He’s got 2, after all. Alabama has become pretty much synonymous with the Nattys, having won 18 already.

Texas A&M, sadly, won its last in 1939. The Aggies have come close to making history multiple times. Who can forget the 1975 upset, which placed the Aggies within inches of becoming No. 1?  Looking at a more recent wound, Elko finished 8-5 after going 7-0. Yes, the Aggies have blown their chances in the past. But this is a team that means business.

Bettors might be looking at SEC schedules as a factor, too. Texas A&M has won all of its road games. The Aggies have also won 2 rivalries, against LSU and Arkansas. The fact that LSU is an away victory is a huge upside to Texas A&M, since it comes after 30 years. Georgia, on the other hand, has registered a huge loss to Alabama, which will affect the needle for Kirby Smart, no matter what. Georgia didn’t even play in Week 9 because of a bye. But when it comes to Alabama, maybe fans are willing to look past the embarrassing loss to FSU because of the way they have rebounded.

Texas A&M is one of the very few teams this season that has a chance at upsetting Ohio State in the Nattys. They haven’t tasted success of this kind in a long, long while, which is turning bettors away. But they’ll surely wish otherwise if the Aggies make at least an appearance at the big game. They only need to face 2 more ranked teams, and they look like the better group against each of them.

Experts favor Texas A&M over other bluebloods

Mike Elko has brought Natty hopes to A&M in just his second year of being the HC at College Station. Given how easy the road ahead has become for Texas A&M, there is little doubt about the Aggies being a serious contender for the National Championship. “At long last, Texas A&M is no longer an empty bag of air just waiting to pop at the first sign of adversity,” CBS Sports’ David Cobb wrote after that magnificent win over LSU. “[The] No. 3 Aggies are the SEC title frontrunner and a top-tier national championship contender,” he wrote.

Texas A&M otherwise outshines Georgia and Alabama in standings. The Aggies are right at the top in the SEC. They’re No. 3 in the AP Poll, which shows that experts believe TAMU has a fighting chance to go the full distance. At this point, Texas A&M’s only big contender is Indiana, which is wreaking havoc in the Big 10. But apart from that, the Aggies have now begun their rule. In the postseason, they’ll be sure to kick up some storm, however long it lasts.

Ohio State will not win the National Championship one-sided, that’s for sure. The Buckeyes will have to go through Mike Elko’s Aggies first to lift the trophy. And looking at the way they’re performing, fans carry a small sliver of hope that it’ll be Elko instead of Ryan Day lifting the trophy.