Texas A&M Stays In ESPN FPI's Top 10, But For How Long?

With seven top ranked opponents on the schedule, Mike Elko’s Texas A&M faces one of the nation’s toughest paths to the College Football Playoff.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) hands off the ball to running back Amari Daniels (5) during the first quarter against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season officially kicked off this weekend in Dublin, Ireland, with a ranked matchup between Kansas State and Iowa State. Although the slate lacked top tier programs, finally having football on TV felt nice.

Good news for Texas A&M fans: the Aggies did not lose in Week 0. 

All jokes aside, Mike Elko’s squad held steady at No. 9 in ESPN’s FPI rankings, with no movement heading into their season opener against UTSA.

According to ESPN’s FPI, seven of A&M’s upcoming opponents sit inside the top 25: No. 1 Texas, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 12 LSU, No. 13 Florida, No. 20 Auburn, and No. 23 Missouri.

How Long Can Texas A&M Remain in the Top 10?

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Technically speaking, the Aggies’ first true test won’t come until September 13, when they travel to South Bend to face No. 6 Notre Dame in the FPI rankings. That matchup will be the first test to see how much progress Elko’s program has made in his second year.

Optimistically, if the Aggies escape Notre Dame with a win, and avoid an App State-style collapse in their first two games, they could climb not just in the FPI rankings but also in the AP Poll.

So what next? With SEC play beginning the week after Notre Dame when A&M hosts Auburn, there really is no break left in the calendar playing in such a loaded conference. Maybe only the Mississippi State game the week following the Auburn game could be considered a “break”.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier after Mississippi State: A&M will host a DJ Lagway led Florida team, travel to a raucous Fayetteville to face Arkansas, visit Death Valley against a revenge-minded LSU squad, journey to Columbia to battle Missouri who is also seeking revenge, host one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina, and cap the year with a showdown at the 40 Acres against arguably the SEC’s most talented roster.

If the Aggies can survive a gauntlet ranked as the No. 10 hardest schedule in the nation, staying in the top 10 of the FPI rankings should be no issue. And surely, they would find themselves in the mix for a college football playoff bid.

Year two of the Elko era begins Saturday night in College Station, where the Aggies open against UTSA at 6 p.m. A&M enters the opener as 22.5-point favorites with -2000 odds.