College Football Head Coach Makes Unfortunate Mistake At Press Conference

There is a lot on the line for Mike Elko and Texas A&M over the final weeks of the regular season, and the Aggies appear to be looking ahead to their rivalry matchup against Texas in the season finale. 

As the No. 15 Aggies await the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, the path to the SEC Championship Game is perhaps the easiest way for Texas A&M to make the final 12. 

The Aggies (8-2) have a non-conference loss to No. 8 Notre Dame and a lone SEC loss to South Carolina. If Texas A&M can get past a road test against unranked Auburn (4-6) on Saturday, the Texas-Texas A&M matchup could be for a spot in Atlanta with an automatic bid to the playoff on the line. 

Elko was asked if the Aggies were looking ahead to their matchup versus the Longhorns as they prepare to take on Hugh Freeze and the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. 

Elko initially shot down the idea before slipping up and referring to Texas instead of Auburn. 

"I don't think its an issue," he said. "I think when you're in the situation we're in it's easy to focus on the task at hand. I think those big games earlier in the year, maybe you look ahead. If we didn't have what's at stake maybe you would worry about it.  I think our focus is single handedly on Texas, I mean on Auburn, right now and locked in on what we got to get done."

The pressure isn't solely on Elko's Aggies this week, as No. 3 Texas will take on Kentucky at home. The Wildcats pulled off a major upset against No. 11 Ole Miss on the road in September. 

If both programs can come out unscathed on Saturday, the primetime matchup in College Station will hold massive consequences in the SEC race and the national playoff picture. 

Auburn-Texas A&M is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Texas-Texas A&M Kickoff is set for Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. (ABC). Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns are listed as 7.5-point favorites, per FanDuel Sportsbook.