Unbeaten Texas A&M is really, really looking forward to this Saturday’s “cupcake” college football game against struggling 1-10 FCS member Samford. 

The Southern Conference Bulldogs from Birmingham, Alabama should be a much tastier morsel than last week’s early delivery from the SEC bakery in Columbia, South Carolina.

The 3-6 South Carolina Cream Puffs (I mean, Gamecocks) were supposed to show-up in College Station on Saturday and bow down to the mighty 10-0 Aggies.  The folks in Las Vegas established the Aggies as a 17 ½ point home favorite and expected Texas A&M to cruise an 11th straight victory in 2025.

I noticed that Coach Mike Elko’s name was scrolling along the bottom of ABC’s television coverage during the game on Saturday. 

The A&M football coach had just signed a six-year contract extension worth more than $11 million per season after guiding the Ags to a sterling 10-0 start in 2025.

Ever heard of the term “Battered Aggie Syndrome”?

Texas A&M fans have a tendency to become overly excited about their football team.  Sadly, the past few decades have seen the fast-starting Aggies fade coming down the home stretch of nearly every football season.

The Aggies have never won the SEC title since joining the league in 2012.  They have never appeared in the BCS nor College Football Playoffs. Texas A&M’s last national championship came in 1939.

After years of football disappointment, a significant portion of the Texas A&M football fan base coined the phrase “Battered Aggie Syndrome”.

They get excited early in the season and become depressed as the team falters late.

It’s much the same as Peanuts character Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls the football away from him just before he gets to kick it.

You know what’s going to happen to good ol’ Chuck every time.

This year’s Texas A&M football team came into Saturday’s game 10-0.  The coach had just received a very expensive six-year contract extension (another story for another day).

What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty.

South Carolina showed-up and played their finest first half of the football season.

Texas A&M served the visiting team a first half assortment of tasty football-flavored turnovers such as two interceptions and a timely fumble recovery.  South Carolina played nearly flawlessly during the opening first two quarters and took full advantage of A&M’s generous Texas-sized home field hospitality.

The gracious Aggies allowed their Carolina visitors to jump to a shocking 30-3 halftime lead.  Many in the Texas A&M’s crowd of more than 100,000 suddenly wondered why they didn’t wear their sad “Battered Aggie Syndrome” T-shirts to this football game.

Texas A&M’s now wealthier football coach Mike Elko looked in shock as he departed Kyle Field for the locker room after the first half ended.

Meanwhile, Coach Shane Beamer may have dropped a few hints at halftime that his South Carolina Gamecocks team should reciprocate some of that generous Texas hospitality during the second half of play.

The Gamecocks listened and switched places with the Aggies in the second half.

Texas A&M rolled-off 28 straight points to beat South Carolina 31-30 to complete the biggest comeback in school history.

Carolina coach Shane Beamer is still employed as I write this on Monday, November 17.  The coach would be due nearly $28 million if South Carolina’s athletics boosters felt the desire to make Coach Beamer the 12th FBS coach fired this football season.

The SEC Bakery offers a variety of pastries available this Saturday

Check out this list of “Who made this schedule?” for some SEC teams this weekend:

Texas A&M (11-0) hosts FCS Samford (1-10)

Georgia (9-1) tackles American Athletic Conference member UNC-Charlotte (1-9)

Alabama (8-2) is at home for FCS Eastern Illinois (4-7)

LSU (6-4) plays host to Sunbelt Conference Western Kentucky (8-2)*

South Carolina (3-7) is home for the Sunbelt’s Coastal Carolina (6-4)*

*This game was EXPECTED to be an easy home contest but may not turn out to be

The 11th game of the season has become “cupcake” week in the SEC after the league started playing a 12-game schedule.  Many teams want their final game of season to end with a historic rivalry contest.

Next week’s final week of the SEC regular season features grudge matches such as Alabama vs. Auburn, Georgia taking on Georgia Tech, Ole Miss at Mississippi State, and Texas hosting Texas A&M.

That leaves lonely Week #11 available for non-conference action.

The reason Samford, Eastern Illinois, and the others accept invitations to play in in such games is to collect +/- $1 million in financial guarantees just for showing up.

There were a few other close calls last weekend involving some top teams

In addition to Texas A&M’s good fortune in the second half against South Carolina, a few other top-rated teams were fortunate to come out on top.

Ole Miss (now 10-1) trailed “coachless” Florida 24-20 heading into the fourth quarter in Oxford Saturday night.  The Rebels scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to escape with a 34-24 win over a tough group of 3-7 Florida Gators.

Georgia Tech (now 10-1) was on the verge of losing to 1-10 Boston College last Saturday in Beantown.  A short field goal with 11 seconds remaining lifted the Yellow Jackets to a 34-32 win over BC and kept Georgia Tech’s College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Meanwhile, the 8-2 Michigan Wolverines nearly became an upset victim on Saturday, too.  Big Blue turned the ball over three times to the Northwestern Wildcats (now 5-5), but a field goal on the game’s final play lifted Michigan to a 24-22 win.  Michigan visits 4-7 Maryland this week before hosting archrival 10-0 Ohio State on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

It’s time to check out the brand new SwampSwamiSports.com College Football Top 25 rankings for the week ending Saturday, November 15, 2025:

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