Mike Elko Brushes Off Arch Rival's College Football Playoff Case

A spot in the College Football Playoff is just about guaranteed for Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies at this point, as the Maroon and White were spotted at No. 7 in the first post-regular season CFP rankings last Tuesday.

One team that is on the outside looking in is the one team that has managed to defeat Texas A&M this year, the Texas Longhorns, who currently sit at No. 13 despite head coach Steve Sarkisian's case he pleaded for his team to be one of the 12.

Many are curious to see what Elko thinks of their rivals and whether they should make it in or not, and as you can guess, Elko doesn't have a whole lot to throw in.

"I Don't Really Care"

During his press conference on Wednesday afternoon following National Signing Day, Elko was asked about the Horns and their current situation, and the answer he gave shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko, left, shakes hands with Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. — Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko, left, shakes hands with Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

"I don't really care," Elko said when asked about Texas and their CFP case. "No disrespect to Sark, I do like and respect him, but I don't care what anybody else is doing. I think that when you look at the out-of-conference record for this conference, it speaks volumes about what it means to play in the SEC. I think the hardest challenge that the committee has is identifying the difference between mid-level and low-level teams from conference to conference."

The second-year A&M coach would then go on to list the additional number of challenges that SEC teams face on a weekly basis.

"Regardless of record, when you play teams in this conference, you are challenged week-in and week-out, and that is unique to this conference," Elko said. "Home venues, being on the road, atmospheres, crowd size, it’s just unique to this league. And I know a lot of people will say a lot of things because of the conference they now represent, but I don’t think that’s actually what they ever thought if they were in this league.”

Of course, no rankings are final until Selection Sunday following the conference championships, and the result of the SEC Championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs could very well still shake up the rankings, even to the point where Steve Sarkisian may actually get his wish.

As for Mike Elko, don't expect him to stress over where the Burnt Orange fall in the final rankings, and why should he? He's probably more concerned with finding a replacement for the open offensive coordinator spot at this point.