Mike Elko enters his third season as Texas A&M’s head coach after leading the Aggies to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season, already shattering expectations after leaving his coaching position with the Duke Blue Devils, returning to College Station, where he served as A&M’s defensive coordinator from 2017-2021.
With just four years of experience as a head coach, Elko has only faced 14 Top 25-ranked teams during his short career, including ranked wins over Notre Dame, Missouri, and LSU on the road last season. During his inaugural 2024 campaign, the Aggies lost to No. 7 Notre Dame in the season-opener before defeating No. 9 Missouri and No. 8 LSU in Kyle Field, but lost to No. 3 Texas 17-7 at home, ending the Aggies’ CFP chances.
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Elko’s other AP Top 25 victory came during his second and final season at Duke, blowing out Clemson 28-7 during the Blue Devils’ season-opener, but would lose to Notre Dame, Florida State, Louisville, and North Carolina, the other ranked teams on the schedule.
Compared to the rest of the SEC head coaches, thanks to CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford, Mike Elko’s 6-8 record vs. AP Top 25 opponents ranks 6th, while Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer’s prolific career leading Washington Huskies to the National Title Game in 2023, paired with three seasons at Alabama, makes up a 20-6 Top 25 record.
This is a small sample size for Mike Elko, who will now face one of the toughest schedules in the SEC, which includes road tests vs. LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma before hosting Texas at the end of the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: What is HC Mike Elko’s record vs. AP Top 25 opponents?
