Texas A&M learned from past mistake with unsexy Mike Elko hire that looks like home run

It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t tie overflowing praise. It wasn’t nan benignant of move, for illustration Texas A&M’s erstwhile coaching prosecute of Jimbo Fisher, that was going to animate contiguous adulation.

But sometimes those are nan champion choices. So far, Mike Elko is looking for illustration a location run, nan erstwhile Duke caput coach who sewage his commencement successful coaching arsenic a postgraduate adjunct astatine Stony Brook and had stints astatine Fordham, Hofstra, Richmond and Bowling Green starring nan Aggies to their first 5-0 commencement successful nan SEC since joining nan powerhouse convention successful 2012.

Texas A&M didn’t person precocious expectations. It was picked ninth successful nan convention coming disconnected a 7-6 play that included nan firing of Fisher. Then, it dropped nan opener of nan Elko era to Notre Dame. At that point, a vessel quality would’ve been deemed successful successful College Station.

But Texas A&M hasn’t mislaid since, reeling disconnected 7 consecutive wins. It knocked disconnected LSU, classed eighth successful nan state astatine nan time, connected Saturday night, rallying from a 10-point deficit. It now sits unsocial atop nan SEC, up of nan likes of preseason title favorites Texas and Georgia.

Elko showed his coaching chops successful this win, making nan move to chair struggling starting backmost Conner Weigman and switch him pinch electrical dual threat Marcel Reed. Reed, who had played good earlier successful nan twelvemonth erstwhile Weigman was retired pinch a enarthrosis injury, went connected to tally for 3 touchdowns.

This was by acold nan astir awesome triumph of nan twelvemonth for Texas A&M, which hasn’t precisely dealt pinch a gauntlet otherwise. It hasn’t had to woody pinch Georgia, Alabama aliases Tennessee. The Nov. 30 showdown against Texas is nan crippled that will really uncover what this squad is made of. But 1 of Fisher’s awesome issues was losing nan games he was expected to win. Big victories were often followed by incomprehensible losses. Elko seemed to allude to that aft nan triumph complete LSU, saying, “This is simply a existent program. It’s not fake. It’s not a leader moving this program, talking accelerated and BS’ing everybody. This is simply a existent program.”

Under Fisher, Texas A&M often won nan offseason, but his large recruiting classes ne'er produced astir capable results. He was paid extraordinarily good — Fisher signed a 10-year, $75 cardinal statement that was later extended to beryllium worthy $95 cardinal — and grounded to triumph 10 games erstwhile successful six seasons. Elko is headed location successful his first year, and that could beryllium a footnote successful what this squad tin accomplish. A spot successful nan SEC title and nan playoff are some realistic.

Texas A&M hired a grinder, a feline who spent 23 years moving his measurement up to being a caput coach. He had only 2 years of head-coaching acquisition erstwhile he was chosen to lead nan Aggies. It wasn’t a sexy move. But it seems for illustration a smart one.

Grade-A Prime

You tin dislike Deion Sanders. Feel he is excessively brash, excessively arrogant and not accountable enough. He has unnecessarily created antagonistic headlines for himself astatine times, peculiarly pinch really he has treated nan media and immoderate erstwhile players, but nan man tin coach.

He has Colorado vessel eligible conscionable 2 years removed from a one-win season, conscionable 1 crippled down BYU for first spot successful nan Big 12, contempt injuries limiting prima receiver/defensive backmost Travis Hunter successful 2 caller games. It is connected gait for its astir wins since 2016. The Buffaloes’ lone convention nonaccomplishment was a three-point setback to No. 17 Kansas State. Remember, astatine Jackson State, Sanders won back-to-back SWAC crowns for a programme that hadn’t won nan convention title since 2007.

Colorado’s schedule nan remainder of nan measurement is soft. Three-loss Texas Tech is nan toughest opponent. It’s not retired of nan mobility Sanders could beryllium coaching successful nan Big 12 title game, pinch a changeable to scope nan playoff. Pretty awesome activity from Coach Prime. He deserves credit, his antics aside.

Red & metallic alert

It seems crazy to suggest, erstwhile you see nan talent connected nan roster and nan offseason it had, but Ohio State is successful peril of missing nan playoff. It visits No. 3 Penn State connected Saturday and still has to look astonishing 13th-ranked Indiana. It astir fell astatine location to also-ran Nebraska connected Saturday. The Buckeyes already person a nonaccomplishment astatine No. 1 Oregon. They astir apt can’t spend much than 1 much loss. Losing near tackle Josh Simmons to a season-ending knee wounded is simply a large problem. Ohio State couldn’t tally connected Nebraska without him, and now it will person to woody pinch Penn State’s awesome beforehand seven. There should beryllium interest successful Columbus.