It can be easy to give up hope after a gutting loss like the one Texas A&M fans experienced at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats yesterday. The Aggies were a huge favorite, and they lost by double digits at home— so many fans have concluded that this is simply not the team that we thought they were.
However, not all hope is lost. Here are three reasons that the Aggie faithful need to stay the course going forward for the 2026 season.
Three reasons Texas A&M fans should not abandon hope after Kentucky loss
A&M can get momentum right back next week
There were very few Aggie fans in the wake of the Kentucky loss that were thinking that A&M would be able to knock off the LSU Tigers this upcoming week. That’s probably still the case even after LSU’s loss to Ole Miss last night, but the number has no doubt slightly grown.
As I said in the instant reaction, though, it will be these upcoming weeks that will truly demonstrate what it is that we just saw in the loss to Kentucky— was it a loss that exposed A&M for who they truly are, or was it a team looking ahead to a massive matchup succumbing to a trap game?
If the Aggies are able to pull out a win over LSU this upcoming week, then they’ll be right back on track despite this loss to the Wildcats. It won’t be easy— it never is in Baton Rouge— but the next time Blake Baker’s defense is able to stop Marcel Reed will be the first, so it’s not out of the question at all.
Defense will bounce back
The defense absolutely got bullied in the third quarter against the Wildcats— there’s no two ways about it. But as concerning as that is, the majority of the evidence so far this year is that that kind of performance is not who this unit truly is— and what we saw in that quarter should be a wake up call for them.
This is a unit now coming into the game against LSU with something to prove in a big way, and that’s a scary thought for their opponents. The Tigers are going to be a tough opponent to limit on the defensive side of the ball, but if Ole Miss was able to do it, these Aggies can as well if they stay disciplined.
There’s no excuse for that defensive performance, but the Aggies are going to bounce back. Elko can make the right adjustments and get these defenders ready to play moving forward.
Mike Elko has the right message
While Aggie fans feel like all momentum is lost and are dreading the national narratives surrounding this team, Elko is using that reality to his advantage. The Aggies came into this season highly-ranked, but soon won’t be— and the coaching staff is going to leverage that however they can.
Elko told his team after the game that no one is on their side now— so the pressure is off. He’s not talking about Aggie fans, of course— he’s talking about the national media and their perspectives. He’s right, and the Aggies now have the freedom of playing as an underdog.
Early lines have not yet released for the A&M-LSU game, but the Tigers will no doubt be favorites in that one— maybe sizeable favorites. The Aggies played well as the underdog last season— so there’s plenty of reason to think they will do so again now that they’re once again in that position.
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