Paul Finebaum: Aggies Coach Mike Elko 'Meant' Comments Hinted Toward Jimbo Fisher

"He completely eviscerated Jimbo Fisher. Now, I realize he walked it back, (but) ... he meant what he said," SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum said on an On3 podcast Thursday.

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mike Elko certainly isn't shy when taking the podium for the Texas A&M Aggies.

Whether it's defending his starting quarterback with colorful language seldom seen throughout the season or addressing the new-and-improved state of the College Station football program — now devoid of any "politicians" at the helm — he speaks his mind.

That nearly got him in trouble last Saturday after his Aggies knocked off the LSU Tigers, 38-23, to maintain sole possession of the SEC.

"This is a real program," Elko said following the win. "It's not fake. (There's) not a politician running this program, talking fast and BS'ing everybody."

The coach followed his statement with a simple elevator pitch to any recruits, doubling down on the fact that Aggieland was "a real place" to go to be "really good" at football. But it wasn't those comments that caught the attention of the national media.

It was what came before it.

Who was the "politician" at the helm of the program prior to Elko taking over? It certainly wasn't Kevin Sumlin — he was oft content recruiting five-stars and chewing gum on the sidelines — and while Brian Kelly has faced his share of scrutiny, it didn't seem to be directed at the Tigers, either.

That leaves Jimbo Fisher, the coach who did talk fast and fell short of just about every expectation placed in front of him upon his record-breaking hire. That claim, however, was denied by Elko when it resurfaced in the week following the Aggies' game against LSU.

"In the postgame, I was asked to kind of give a synopsis on how we sell culture to our program," Elko began. "In doing so, I made a statement that ... somehow managed to be taken as a shot directly at people."

Elko didn't name anyone but Fisher, proceeding to praise the former coach as "the reason" for his eventual hire at Texas A&M; someone whom Elko had "nothing but respect for."

While a statement from Elko directly seems to clear the air, Paul Finebaum, who spoke on an On3 podcast Thursday, wasn't convinced.

“After being asked about culture (following LSU), he completely eviscerated Jimbo Fisher,” Finebaum said. “Now, I realize he walked it back, (but) ... he meant what he said. And he endeared himself to every person that follows A&M by trashing Jimbo Fisher.”

The latter point does have some legs. After Fisher finished with a 6-4 record in his final season — eventually fired ahead of the final two games — Texas A&M was in desperate need of a change.

So far this season, Elko has brought that and more. Since the loss against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Week 1, the Aggies have looked capable and, when faced with adversity, have delivered.

Now, they have control of the SEC and control over their own destiny with the College Football Playoff on the horizon. They just need to get past South Carolina first.

And doing that will take coaching more than preaching.

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