No. 15 Texas A&M Embraces New Opportunities, Big Moments

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No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) returns from a bye week with all its goals still on the table after a few upsets shook things up across the SEC.

After falling out of first place following a Nov. 2 loss to No. 21 South Carolina (6-3, 4-3), the Aggies return from the break in a first-place tie with No. 7 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1) and in control of their own destiny in regards to reaching the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff.

"I think everybody in our building understands these opportunities don't come all the time," head coach Mike Elko told the media during his weekly press conference on Nov. 11. "We have a special chance with where we're at at this point in the season, and we control everything. We certainly want to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves."

Texas A&M Success in Big Moments

Texas A&M has had plenty of big opportunities this season and passed with flying colors in wins against No. 22 LSU and No. 24 Missouri at home. The Kyle Field atmosphere certainly plays a role in the team's success in those games, but the team also deserves credit for what it has done on the field, particularly in the first year under a new coaching staff.

The Aggies have now faced four Top 25 teams this season, going 2-2 in those games, including a 2-1 mark at home. Still, there's a misconception that Texas A&M has had an "easy" schedule, which Elko wholeheartedly refutes.

"I think we do this based off brands and not off wins and losses," EIko explained. "If you look at our combined winning percentage, of all the teams at the top, we have the third hardest schedule of all the teams at the top—and that's seven or eight of them. ... I think any time you play in the SEC, as a coach, the word 'easy' never comes to mind. I think what our kids have done is they've gone out into some big moments and into some big opportunities—Missouri, LSU—and played the way you wanted them to to keep this thing going in the direction you want it to.

"We've played in games against Notre Dame and South Carolina not exactly the way we hoped and eliminated our margin for error, but I think we've managed some pretty big moments," he added.

Margin for Error

As Elko said, Texas A&M no longer has any margin for error as it approaches the homestretch of the regular season. One more loss would just about eliminate the Aggies from playoff contention, but continuing to have success on the field could allow them to make a case as an elite program. This could set up another opportunity and big moment with a Nov. 30 showdown against longtime rival and No. 3-ranked Texas at home.

It will be Texas A&M's fourth big game at home this season. If all goes well in the weeks leading up to it, then it'll be exactly what everyone hoped for: the long-awaited return of an epic rivalry with the winner seemingly achieving its goals and the loser left to wonder what might have been.

But to get to that point, both teams must keep winning and cannot get caught overlooking the inferior teams they face in the coming weeks. This can be challenging even against the worst teams in a strong conference.

"That's the beauty of the SEC," Elko remarked. "If we win, we'll be in. If we don't, we won't. It's a real simple recipe for us in this league."