Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer salutes the fans chanting his name during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Urban Meyer Gives Harsh Assessment of Texas A&M

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The Texas A&M Aggies have been in the SEC for well over a decade now, but it's debatable whether or not they can call that time a success.

From a financial standpoint, it was absolutely a success, as the SEC is possibly the most lucrative conference in college sports and the Aggies are now set up beautifully for the future. On the field, though, they haven't had as much prosperity as one would hope for.

They've gone a respectable 105-59 (55-48 in conference play), but have yet to make it to the SEC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Missouri, which entered the SEC at the same time as Texas A&M, made the conference championship game in two of its first three seasons (though it lost in both appearances and the Western Division was generally much tougher than the Eastern Division).

Considering the resources the Aggies have at their disposal, it's a bit surprising that they haven't had more success in the conference. Even one of the sport's most successful head coaches thinks they should've done more by now.

Urban Meyer Questions Texas A&M's Lack of SEC Success, But Has Hope for Change

On "The Triple Option," podcast, former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, a three-time national champion, questioned how Texas A&M hasn't won more in the SEC more than a decade in.

“That’s one of the programs, to me, that’s always been an enigma," Meyer said. "Why can’t you win? They were very competitive in the Big 12, … the Southwest Conference, and then they move to the SEC, and they’ve been relatively irrelevant,” Meyer said. “They have not been the player they should be. Best facilities, incredible budget, great high school football within a 3-hour radius, and here you go, a trophy case that’s empty. I don’t understand that.”

However, Meyer also expressed hope that second-year coach Mike Elko could be the one to turn things around. Considering the Aggies just won at Notre Dame (which obviously isn't an SEC team but is still a marquee opponent), he might be right in that assessment.

“They’ve got a heck of a coach now,” Meyer said. “All the excuses of places that can’t win, Texas A&M has zero. Why can’t you win there? They have it, a trophy case that’s empty, but maybe this coach can do it.”

The SEC has a reputation as the hardest conference to win in for a reason, and while the Aggies have been good at times throughout their tenure in the league, they haven't been good enough to win it. However, Elko seems to be on the right track to change that.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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