Mike Elko Made His Feelings Clear on SEC's Choice For Texas A&M's Protected Rivals

After the announcement was made last month by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey that the conference would be expanding from eight games to nine and each team would face three conference opponents every year while cycling the other 12 teams through the six remaining games, the speculation began as to who Texas A&M's three opponents would be.

Yesterday, that announcement was finally made public, and two of the opponents for the Maroon and White were the Texas Longhorns and the LSU Tigers, two teams that many likely penciled in as soon as they heard the news.

The third team, however, has caused some concern as to why and how they were put in with the current No. 9-ranked Ags.

"Not Sure How That Fit In..."

The third team for the Aggies was revealed to be the Missouri Tigers, whom the Aggies will meet in Columbia on November 8, in what is just their third meeting since 2014.

Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers. — Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) runs the ball for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Seeing Missouri as the third team caused many to wonder why they were named as a guarantee for the Farmers instead of teams such as the Arkansas Razorbacks, another notable rivalry for the Aggies in the Southwest Classic.

Even head coach Mike Elko is scratching his head at the situation but didn't seem worried about any of it.

"It's good obviously that we're playing the in-state rivalry, and it's always good to play LSU," Elko said in his pregame press conference Monday afternoon. "Uh, Missouri, I'm not sure how that fit in, but it is what it is, however they did that, it'll be fine."

In the two meetings that A&M has had with Missouri since 2014, they have been victorious both times, and in dominant fashion as well, defeating the Tigers 35-14 at Faurot Field in 2021, and then demolishing a No. 9-ranked Missouri team last year in College Station with a 41-10 win.

The two teams, both of which joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012, have met on the gridiron 17 times, with the Ags emerging victorious in 10 of those games.

As exciting as the games between the Aggies and Tigers will likely be, A&M and the Razorbacks actually have a name for their rivalry and just recently got the honor of the rivalry returning to the respective campuses after meeting at AT&T Stadium for the past decade, with the exception of the COVID-stricken 2020 season.

That being said, the Aggies have been victorious 12 out of the last 13 meetings with their counterparts from Fayetteville, so perhaps the SEC thinks that there hasn't been much of a rivalry brewing between the two schools in recent years.

Whatever the reasoning behind it is, Mike Elko is primed and ready to take on anyone that challenges the Maroon and White in conference play going forward.