Josh Pate reacts to Texas A&M's 41-40 upset of Notre Dame

Key notes from Josh Pate interview

• Life has changed at A&M now. Long-term suffering Aggies, who have gone through the pain, those who made the trip to Notre Dame... When Nate Boerkircher caught that touchdown, it was amazing. But you find yourself thinking, “That never happens.” You think about the significance and trajectory of the program, but you need to calm down that mechanism. Even with the eyes of the college world on us, you need to just celebrate this win. Lose yourself in the moment. This was one of the first big weekends that something big like this has happened. For those who have been in the A&M experience for so long, I wonder what it was like.
   
• I found myself at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Josh Heupel was trying to get over the Georgia hump, but for a long time, he hasn’t. The same goes for A&M. A&M now goes and gets its big, signature win. That was later in the night. Earlier in the day was Georgia vs. Tennessee.
   
• Mike Elko is capable of winning a championship at Texas A&M. Heupel is the same. They both were facing hurdles that they hadn’t overcome yet. Tennessee had that opportunity, but missed the field goal, then lost in overtime. It’s an entire dynamics shift around that program. I walked away thinking Heupel is the same guy I thought he was when I walked into Neyland. If Tyler Buchner didn’t botch the snap and Notre Dame hits the kick... A&M scores, but Notre Dame wins the game. I would still see Elko the same. The team is the same. The record is different, and that is the difference in people’s minds.
   
• We are in such a result-oriented world. Elko talks about being process-oriented. I follow that too. Most people don’t think that way. Some players or donors may not think that way. Above and beyond the win that moves you to 3-0, I guarantee Elko didn’t need that result to prove anything to himself. He’ll use it to show others, to make them believe.
   
• I do find it interesting that some of the same people who criticize AP Poll voters for not coming off of their default positions once there is actual evidence in front of them are the same people who won’t come off of their positions on specific players once actual information comes out about them. Suppose you didn’t know anything about Marcel Reed coming into the season. Say he was a true freshman, there are people who would be in love with him, but in this reality, they are out on him. Some fans are giving Arch Manning and DJ Lagway the benefit of the doubt because they think they know how talented they are. They don’t. Once you see results on the field, you need to be ready to pivot. One quarter of football is worth more than six months of talking. But there are people who talk for six months and need to see game after game after game before pivoting on their takes they’ve held onto for six months.
   
• I am going to rerank my quarterback rankings on the show tonight. I had Lagway as the No. 1 quarterback in the SEC going into this year. If you’ve watched Florida this year, that has clearly now come to pass. If we had said, “You know who would be better than Lagway or LaNorris Sellers? It’s Reed.” We would’ve gotten laughed at. There are no dumb predictions in college football. Unpredictable stuff happens every year. You need to just file away those predictions and watch the games. Then react accordingly.
   
• A&M should be moderately concerned about the defense. I’ve watched a lot of the good teams in person, others on TV. I have not seen a flawless team. I saw Georgia get a big win, but their secondary got victimized by Heupel and Tennessee. We saw what happened to Alabama. LSU hasn’t been able to move the ball offensively. Ohio State won’t be pushed for a while.
   
• Everyone has issues. Which issue are you more comfortable dealing with? Would you rather have Florida’s problem? Allowing only two touchdowns in three games, but you are 1-2 because you can’t get out of your own way offensively. Or would you rather see the offense shine, and say our fate rests on Elko’s ability to raise the defense to a good level? It’s similar to Georgia. Normally, you think they only need 24 points to win. They needed to score in the 40s to win. So, I can say they won, that defense is going to cost them. Or I can say it's only Week 3, and Georgia answered their biggest question at quarterback.
   
• If I have that answered, you are telling me the biggest lingering question now is if Kirby Smart can get a good defense in place on the field for the rest of the season? I’ll take that with Georgia. It is the same for A&M. They could lose three games or go undefeated. If I had a hole for every team’s profile, there are some I am more comfortable with than others. I am comfortable that defense is what the season hinges on for A&M.
   
• I am stunned by how Tennessee has played so far. They had 21 early in the second quarter against Georgia. The stuff that happened with your projected starting quarterback at the end of spring practice is such that the best offensive mind in the world should not be able to compete in this league. They should be having to win the way South Carolina has: Turnover breaks, complementary defense and special teams plays. Instead, Tennessee grabs a guy from Appalachian State, plugs him into the system, and it's good to go. There is a lot of correlation between A&M and Tennessee. Look at the receivers they brought in from the portal. Look at how much better they are at that position and how much it elevates their play week in and week out. Look at the physicality they play with. It was Georgia and them head-to-head, not giving an inch. Tennessee didn’t fold. The kick went Georgia’s way instead of Tennessee’s. I couldn’t be higher on Tennessee relative to what my expectations were. They lost the game, but their performance level is much higher than expected. I came out of that loss saying, “Man, Tennessee is a good team, and I am still really high on them.”
   
• It is the most impressive story in the country. Vanderbilt is now on everybody’s radar. They snuck up on everyone last year. This year, they have blown out people on the road. South Carolina and Virginia Tech. Vanderbilt is now a matchup that teams are scared of. Back then, people talked about James Franklin and how long he’d be there before moving on to something better. This is a stepping stone program, normally, but they’ve found a coach who has a unique attachment to the program. Clark Lea knows the door is open elsewhere, but he loves it there.
   
• I never paid much attention to rankings until this year, because I noticed other people cared. I found out why I didn't care. It is so void of logic. I’ve always done power ratings. It is not merit-based. When I look at Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, the only separator between them and the top 10 teams is that the top 10 teams were invited to the party. Texas, for example. Its resume doesn’t stack up to a normal top 10 resume. If I put a different sticker on that helmet, they are in the 20s or unranked. Vanderbilt has two blowout wins, one versus a top-12 team. Georgia Tech goes on the road, wins a game while being -3 in turnovers against Colorado and comes home and beats Clemson. They are still not top 15. You know if Alabama or Penn State’s sticker was on there, they would be No. 1. I couldn’t think less of the AP Poll.
   
• The calls in the fourth quarter are remembered much more than any of the other quarters. No one ever claims they got cheated in a 38-20 loss. It is always the close games. If you leave a game in the hands of the officials, just assume they will break your heart every time. You may still win, get a lucky break. Throughout the last five years, I know A&M can prove they’ve been on the short side of calls. I wasn’t really interested in all of that.