“The importance of the regular season is still very much in line with what I believe it has always been,” the HC revealed to the press. “Could that still be the case with a larger number? Potentially. But I think we need to create some data points to figure out where that balance is.

“We don’t need to be NCAA basketball. The beauty of our sport is that there are games at the end of the season that matter that people lose.”

At a time when programs are slowly beginning to show their first moves, many are already starting to wonder what will happen in the near future. Will the number of teams competing in the CFP eventually increase?

Differentiating from March Madness

Mike Elko argues against further CFP expansion by using March Madness as a cautionary tale. He believes that adding too many teams, similar to the college basketball format, would devalue the regular season and turn high-stakes matchups into mere formalities.

Additionally, he emphasizes that the extreme physical toll of football makes a lengthy, basketball-style postseason bracket unsustainable for student-athlete health.

What changes could come to College Football?

The CFP will maintain its 12-team format for the 2026 season, as the management committee recently decided to delay further expansion to allow for more evaluation. However, starting in 2026, the automatic qualifying rules will shift: the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC will now receive automatic bids regardless of their ranking, alongside the highest-ranked Group of Six champion.

Additionally, a new revenue-sharing model will begin in 2026, granting the Big Ten and SEC nearly 29% each of the total CFP revenue. While discussions for a 14 or 16-team field continue for 2027 and beyond, the current structure remains locked in for the upcoming campaign.

A bitter-sweet feeling for the Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies, led by Mike Elko, made a historic run during the 2025 season, achieving an incredible 11-0 start and climbing to the #3 spot in the AP Poll. However, their debut in the expanded College Football Playoff ended in disappointment.

Despite hosting a First Round game at Kyle Field on December 20, the Aggies suffered a tough 10-3 loss to Miami (FL) in a defensive struggle. After finishing the year with an 11-2 record, the program looks to build on this milestone as they head into the 2026 campaign.

Jimbo Fisher made history during his tenure with the Texas A&M Aggies. After a couple of successful years to begin his 10-year, $75 million contract, things turned south as Fisher was fired in November 2023. Consequently, the Texas A&M University had to foot the bill on the biggest buyout in NCAA history at a whooping $77.5 million figure.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the 60-year-old head coach spends much time watching film, organizing potential coaching staffs, and imagining recruitment plans. Fisher may be set for life with his earnings, but his life revolves around college football, and he isn’t giving up on his passion.

Could be back

Now, reports suggest the former Florida State Seminoles and Texas A&M Aggies head coach is eyeing a return to college football. Fisher’s name has been on everybody’s lips since Penn State fired Franklin, paying him over $50 million—including the $48 million buyout and his pending salary for the year. Though a hefty figure, it’s still much less than what the Aggies had to pay to Fisher.

“I never got into coaching for money,” Fisher commented during his interview with Yahoo Sports. “Well, I’m not going to get out of it because I’ve got money.”

Big bucks

While Franklin’s buyout is one of the biggest in college football history, it could be surpassed by other multimillion-dollar clauses around the league. According to Front Office Sports, there are two contract buyouts set at higher amounts than Fisher’s $77.5 million.

The USC Trojans would have to pay $90 million to Lincoln Riley, while the Georgia Bulldogs are committed to paying approximately $110 million to Kirby Smart in the event of his firing. However, neither coach is expected to be on the hot seat anytime soon.

The Aggies managed to keep their unbeaten streak alive in college football. In Week 8 of the 2025 NCAA campaign, Texas A&M defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks by a score of 45-42. However, celebrations came to an unexpected halt as the SEC handed the Longhorns’ in-state rivals a severe sanction.

“The Texas A&M University football team has been found in violation of the NCAA playing rule governing feigned injuries,” the SEC’s statement read. “This determination was made after review by the National Coordinator of Football Officiating of game video from the Texas A&M football game against the University of Arkansas on October 18.

“Consistent with SEC policy, when the National Coordinator determines a feigned injury has occurred, the SEC is issuing a reprimand to Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko and assessing a financial penalty of $50,000 for a feigned injury violation.“

Crossing off the days

Though both Texas and Texas A&M have much bigger aspirations in college football than a single game, it’s no secret the Longhorns and Aggies would give up a lot for a win over their despised rivals in the biggest state in the nation.

On that note, the Lone Star Showdown is already circled in red for both schools. Set to take place during the NCAA’s rivalry weekend on November 28, the matchup could be decisive for both sides.

However, Manning and the Longhorns, as well as QB Marcel Reed and the Aggies, know they can’t get carried away or look too far ahead. In the SEC, teams must give their best effort week in and week out. Any given Saturday isn’t just a marketing phrase—it’s a mantra all schools preach.

One game at a time

Determined to keep their respective win streaks alive, the Longhorns and Aggies are turning their focus onto the upcoming games in their seasons. Manning and Texas will travel to Starkville, where the 4-3 (0-3 SEC) Mississippi State Bulldogs await.

As for Reed and Texas A&M, their undefeated record will be on the line Saturday night, when the Aggies enter Death Valley in Baton Rouge to take on the No. 20 LSU Tigers. Undoubtedly, this will be the biggest test for Mike Elko and his program so far this year. If the No. 3 Aggies can make it out of Louisiana in one piece, they’ll get a much-needed morale boost heading into the final stretch of the campaign. If not, they could be in for a rude awakening and a downward spiral.

Pharrel Payne, one of the stars of the Aggies in the last College Basketball season, has finally made the decision to leave the program as he looks toward the future and will seek new opportunities in the near term.

The news was reported by NCAAB expert journalist Pete Nakos, who, through his official X (formerly Twitter) account, shared the important decision made by the talented forward, who was key for the Texas A&M Aggies last season.

“NEW: Texas A&M forward Pharrel Payne has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Payne averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season,” Nakos reported via @PeteNakos_.

What will be Payne’s next destination?

Payne’s arrival at the Aggies had a key figure in this story: Buzz Williams. In statements to the press, the forward had previously stated that one of the reasons he joined the program was precisely because of who his coach was.

“I would say the first day was open, the first morning, coaches were able to come out and see players,” Payne said to Andrew Hattersley of 24/7 Sports. “Coach Buzz was the first person to come see me. When he told me what they were doing over there at Texas A&M, I wanted to join.”

With the news confirmed of Williams’ arrival as the new head coach at the University of Maryland, many questions arise regarding the potential arrival of the former Minnesota player to the Terrapins, reuniting with his former coach. Will we see this duo together once again for a second consecutive time?

The difference between the SEC and the Big Ten according to Payne

Payne was one of only two Big Ten players to average 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in less than 27 minutes of play in the 2023/2024 season. After playing two years at Minnesota, the forward ultimately decided to join Texas A&M last season.

When asked by the press if he felt he had made a leap moving from the Big Ten to the SEC, the player was clear with his response: “Compared to the league I was at last year, the Big Ten, I’d say (the SEC is) a complete step up,” he said.

After the defeat, the coach spoke with the press, and while he acknowledged the significant improvements in his team, he knows there is still much work to be done moving forward: “I mean, this is what I told our guys in the locker room, I think this is the reality of our situation,” Elko said.

“I think we learned how to become accountable. I think we learned how to care for each other. I think we learned how to practice hard. I think we learned what work ethic looks like. None of those things existed in this program when I got here. Not one of them. We had kids on the football team not at the bowl game last year. That’s where we were when I took over,” he also added.

Despite all the improvements the coach had seen in recent weeks, the 35-31 loss to the Trojans in the Las Vegas Bowl highlighted the team’s biggest weaknesses, areas that will need to be addressed moving forward.

“What we didn’t do was get good enough at football. And that’s ultimately my responsibility,” Elko said. “So we are fundamentally not good enough. We are just not good enough right now. So the challenge is, when we get back here in January, that everything has to get turned up.”

Due to this, the HC made it clear that improvements are necessary for what lies ahead: “You know, we are now where we need to be from a culture standpoint,” Elko said. “Now we have to become a good football program. And so that’s the next step we have to take.”

Elko reflects on the key factor in the loss to USC

The Aggies’ defeat not only left a bitter taste for failing to secure the Las Vegas Bowl, but it also highlighted the main weaknesses of Mike Elko’s team throughout the entire season.

After the game, the Texas A&M coach spoke with the press and, somewhat frustrated by the situation, made it clear where the key factor lay in the Trojans’ victory.

“I think the story of the game is the story of our season, you know,” Elko said. “We can’t cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team, and so that’s my fault.”

“Yea, I mean, I have a lot of apprehension when the other team’s going to drop back and throw the ball. I’ve had apprehension all season, starting with Florida, we got lucky. Starting with Missouri, we got lucky. LSU threw for 400 yards. It’s been a problem all season. So it’s on me and I’ve got to fix it,” Elko finally concluded.

The areas to improve for what’s ahead

The Aggies’ coach took responsibility for his team’s situation and, far from avoiding blame, stated the areas where they need to improve in order to have a better season in 2025.

“So many things. Fundamentally. … We can’t play zone coverage,” Elko said. “Every time we play zone coverage we give up big plays. So we have no concept of space. We have no concept of zone coverage. We have no concept of what we’re doing.

“So we have to play man-to-man all the time. And we had some guys in there filling in some roles today that got caught in a lot of man-to-man situations and that was hard for them.”

[Watch Texas A&M vs USC online for FREE in the US on Fubo]

The USC Trojans are set to face the Texas A&M Aggies in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, with both teams eager to cap off their 2024 campaigns on a high note. USC, a 3.5-point underdog with a 6-6 record, will look to pull off an upset against the 8-4 Aggies.

The game is expected to be a high-scoring affair, with the over/under set at 51.5 points. Both teams entered the season with lofty goals but fell short, each having spent time ranked in the top 10-11. As they look to end the year on a positive note, they’re focused on building momentum heading into the offseason.

When will the Texas A&M vs USC match be played?

Texas A&M play against USC this Friday, December 27th, in the highly anticipated 2024 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. The game will kick off at 7:30 PM (ET).

Texas A&M vs USC: Time by State in the USA

ET: 7:30 PM

CT: 6:30 PM

MT: 5:30 PM

PT: 4:30 PM

How to watch Texas A&M vs USC in the USA

Catch the 2024 college football clash between Texas A&M and USC live on Fubo (free trial). Alternatively, you can tune in to ESPN.

The duo that made successful results at Duke has leveraged that experience to propel their careers and make significant strides in college football. Kyle Field will witness an exciting clash between these two old teammates from the NCAAF.

Following the departure of head coach Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M moved quickly to secure the services of the experienced Mike Elko, who had achieved significant success before arriving at Texas.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame secured the services of talented QB Riley Leonard, who, alongside Elko, formed a solid duo at Duke University. Leonard had amassed 33 touchdowns in 2022 and led the Blue Devils as high as No. 16 in the national polls before suffering an injury in 2023. The QB announced on social media that he would be transferring to Notre Dame, calling the move ‘a dream come true.’

Elko and Leonard, face o face

After having shared a roster for a long time, the coach and quarterback ultimately went their separate ways. Fate has now brought them face-to-face in none other than Week 1 of the championship.

About 100,000 people are expected to fill Kyle Field, as it welcomes Riley Leonard and his Notre Dame team in what will undoubtedly be one of the most thrilling games of the weekend. Both universities will be aiming to start their path to the title on the right foot.

HC Mike Elko will face off against his former player Leonard for the first time, with whom he achieved great success when they were part of one of the most consistent duos in college football.

Elko’s clear message to the QB

In statements to the press, the former Duke coach addressed the situation of facing Leonard in the season opener: “It’s interesting and weird and not really something I want to do. But at the end of the day, it’s part of the game,”

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for who he is, not just as a player but also as a young man. I have respect for his family. It’ll be three hours competing against each other, and the rest of the year rooting for him“, he concluded.

HC expects his former to have an advantage

Regarding the specific fact of facing a former teammate, the experienced coach stated the following: “I would argue that he has more of an upper hand than we do”.

“He’s probably a little bit more familiar with this defense than most quarterbacks we play. It’s not the exact defense we ran at Duke, but we don’t have a ton of comfort as a program going against this offense. Two years going against a version of this defense that’s similar to what he’ll see Saturday night probably gives him a little bit more of an advantage than it does us.”, Elko concluded.