FAYETTEVILLE — For the second year in a row under coach Mike Elko, Texas A&M hit the midway stretch of the season in control of its path to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
Last year the Aggies launched a 7-game winning streak after falling to Notre Dame in their season opener and reached No. 10 in the Associated Press poll on Oct. 27 after a convincing 38-23 win over LSU. Then a 44-20 loss at South Carolina and a 43-41 setback at Auburn knocked them off course.
They still had a chance to reach the SEC Championship Game heading into the Thanksgiving weekend but lost 17-7 to Texas at home to fall by the wayside.