Besides the record (7-1), the first place in the SEC standings (5-0) or the flood of interested recruits (three four-star prospects committed last weekend), this is perhaps the clearest sign of what first-year coach Mike Elko did at Texas A&M, this is it he had to clarify a statement he made Saturday after an impressive 38-23 win over LSU.

As the road to the SEC title passes more and more through College Station, people wonder if Elko is talking bad about other coaches.

Who saw this one coming?

“It’s a real program” Elko said Saturday. “It’s not wrong. This program is not run by a politician who talks fast and attacks everyone. It’s a real program and for all the recruits, it’s a real place, and if you want to be really good at football, it’s a really good place to be.

Fans and media speculated that Elko might have gone after LSU coach Brian Kelly (who briefly worked in politics before becoming a coach) or perhaps former coach D ‘A&M, Jimbo Fisher (who is famous for talking very fast).

Elko said it was neither. First, he worked as an assistant for both men – Kelly at Notre Dame (2017) and Fisher at A&M (2018-2021) – and is grateful for the opportunity, mentorship and friendship.

It was, Elko said, a statement about the strength of the A&M program he has already built. Come here and win.

“It’s just comical that we have to do this, but it’s necessary,” Elko said Monday. “During postgame, I was asked to give a summary of how we sell culture to our program. In doing so, I made what seemed like a very innocuous statement that someone had managed to get caught as a direct shot at people. … I want to make sure everyone knows I wasn’t talking directly about anyone.”

This is the SEC’s soap opera, so the denial – true or not – will only dampen the speculation, not end it. Never mind. That’s what makes the league so interesting. For the Aggies, the chance to be on this side of some speculative and possible moves has to feel good.

Because lately, A&M has mostly been the butt of jokes — mostly about how the school will spend and spend on coaches and players while losing five games a season.

When he arrived from Duke last offseason, Elko wasn’t anyone’s idea of ​​a marquee hire. A&M dished out a record $76 million to buy out the contract of Fisher, who they had paid tens of millions to come to town after winning a national title at Florida State. Fisher was a sensational rookie and although he produced a 9-1 season during the COVID 2020 campaign, the results were mostly disappointing. Take away 2020 and he went 19-20 in SEC play.

All sorts of names (real or imagined) have been bandied about as replacements – Dan Lanning (Oregon), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Dabo Swinney (Clemson). Kentucky’s Mark Stoops almost took the job.

Yet A&M was left with the more low-key Elko, who had done an impressive job of making Duke football respectable in two seasons there. It has proven, at least so far, to be the perfect choice. And there’s no reason to think this has to be a short-term success story.

Elko, 47, is an old-school football coach; a pragmatic former defensive coordinator. He wants his teams to be physical and fundamentally strong. He wants an identity.

Texas A&M is a school that doesn’t need flashiness to attract talent. He already has so many resources and so many advantages.

It is located in the heart of Texas (just an hour from the outskirts of the greater Houston area); plays in the gigantic 100,000-seat Kyle Field; has state-of-the-art facilities; the passion of his fans far exceeds what the results on the field might dictate. And of course he has plenty of money – for everything, including the name, image and likeness.

The only mystery in College Station is why it hasn’t worked at the level it should have — only one double-digit winning season since 1998 (Johnny Manziel’s 2012 magical team).

Find the right person and there are no limits to the program. There never was. That’s why former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive actively brought them into the SEC in 2012. It was the search for the “good guy” that left them baffled.

Is Elko that guy? That may be the case, and if it is, it changes a lot of the calculus, both within the conference and across the country. The term “sleeping giant” is thrown around a lot, but no one denies that A&M is one.

Eight games don’t get you anything, of course. Not a great season either. A&M needs a long-term leader, because if they get one, then all the ingredients are there for a national power to emerge.

That’s part of why Elko is focused on this weekend’s tough road trip to South Carolina, on talking directly to recruits and potential transfers, and using all the bully pulpit he can. he can to tell the world that Texas A&M football is legit.

The fact that enough people paid attention to him having to explain that he wasn’t bashing anyone when he pumped up the Aggies is welcome good news for the long-dormant program.