With only nine days to go until Texas A&M finally kicks off their season, the Aggie faithful are highly anticipating what should be another big year for the Aggies. Behind an experienced quarterback in Marcel Reed, a rebuilt offensive line, deep skill talent, and an intimidating defensive unit, the Aggies have the horses to challenge for a spot in the College Football Playoff once more.
That’s not to say it’s going to be easy, by any means— Texas A&M has one of the more difficult schedules in the country this season, what with road trips to LSU, OU, and Alabama all on their slate. Fans have been looking down the schedule to those games and discussing them ad nauseum all offseason— but Mike Elko chimed in last night with a reminder that fans ought not put the cart in front of the horse.
In his first appearance of the season on the Aggie Football Hour, head coach Mike Elko made sure that Aggie fans are not overlooking the challenge that awaits Texas A&M in week two against the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Aggies are hosting ASU this year in the first half of a home-and-home as their major out-of-conference opponent for 2026, and while many Aggie fans consider that one a must-win, Elko wants to make sure that they understand exactly what A&M is facing in that game.
Mike Elko is not overlooking Arizona State’s week two challenge to Texas A&M
When discussing the week two matchup with the Sun Devils, set for a scorching 11 AM kickoff in Kyle Field on September 12, Elko made sure that no Aggie fan downplays the Sun Devils in the slightest.
Elko on A&M's 2026 schedule: "People lose sight of the fact that Arizona State is a top-25 team that beat Texas Tech last year. So, we have nine [conference games] plus another one."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) August 27, 2026
ASU was the only team to defeat the Red Raiders in the regular season. While Tech turned out to be a paper tiger, as everyone saw in the College Football Playoff when they were unable to score a point against Oregon, it’s still notable that the Sun Devils were the only team in the Big 12 that were able to really challenge them.
There’s a lot of turnover from last year’s ASU team to this one, but Kenny Dillingham is building quite the program in Tempe. He just snagged two elite receivers from the portal, so despite the loss of Sam Leavitt to LSU, the Sun Devils’ passing game should still be a stiff test for the Aggies’ defensive backfield— the kind that will be a proving ground early in the season.
That said, the preseason power ratings are not exactly bullish on ASU right now. FEI ranks Texas A&M 14th in the country, while ASU is all the way down at 42nd. SP+ sees the Aggies as 9th in the nation, while ASU is down at 51st. FPI has Texas A&M at 11 and ASU at 44.
So, is this just coach speak from Elko, or is this a reality? It’s very possible that the Sun Devils are simply far underrated right now and that Dillingham will once more have them come together as a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, and Elko sees that. While the Sun Devils don’t have the level of talent that the Aggies do, Dillingham has certainly built a strong culture in Tempe and gotten a heck of a lot out of his guys— something that the Aggies’ head man sees and respects.
Aggie fans would be wise to not write this game off early on in the year. It’s possible that the Aggies go out there and beat down the Sun Devils by a score of 45-0, but if it’s closer than that— even if it’s a dogfight— it’s best to reserve judgment until we get a little later in the season.
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