Texas A&M began the season ranked eighth in the nation with aspirations of making the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season.After going 11-1 in 2025 and returning senior quarterback Marcel Reed to one of the highest-paid NIL rosters in the sport, momentum for the Aggies to make noise in 2026 was legitimate.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Before even making it to the midway point of October, that noise no longer exists, and that reality has understandably sunk in for one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in college sports.
Elko, however, doesn't seem too concerned about his team's fan base, or at least a certain section of it.Head coach Mike Elko of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts during the first half of a game at Tiger Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.(Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) (Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEDuring his postgame press conference on Saturday following Texas A&M's three-score loss to Missouri, Elko was asked what he would say to the team's fans who are losing faith in the team.Instead of delivering a short and sweet, coach-speak-filled answer, Elko opted to alienate one portion of the fan base that just so happens to be the most passionate and most influential fans in all of Aggie land."There's a difference to me between the fan base and social media.
So there's one group that I really don't care much about.Billy's cesspool can go be Billy's cesspool," Elko explained.
"Our fan base, stay with us, be behind us.We're going to build something that we told you we were going to build.
So we're in a really bad spot right now, but we'll work our way out of it."Head coach Mike Elko of the Texas A&M Aggies walks on the field after the game against the Arizona ...