'The trenches will win it': Marty Smith previews top-20 clash at Kyle Field

With a full Saturday slate of college football upon us, ESPN and SEC Network personality Marty Smith joined Wednesday's edition of TexAgs LIVE to break down Week 1's standout storylines, focusing on Mike Elko's debut as head coach at Texas A&M.

Key notes from Marty Smith interview

• GameChange is a brand-new initiative. You input whatever credit card you choose, and if you put in your credit card of choice, each purchase rounds up and donates to the athletic department of the school you choose. It's a cool way for people to support your team financially.
   
• This game is a heater, man. We were talking to Mike Elko for our show. I had not realized that he had never run out of the tunnel before. This is gonna be an amazing moment for him to run out of the tunnel with his guys in a new era that has so much promise. If I was you guys, I would be at a fever pitch. You can feel the culture shift under Elko compared to Jimbo Fisher. The depth of talent in this league is not fair, but it's why it's the best league in the world.
   
• I think there's a good chance that A&M beats Notre Dame. Notre Dame is going to be a good team. They have a stud with Riley Leonard. I really like the roster he has. He inherited a lot of talent despite the frustrations of the past couple of years. That starts with the quarterback position. I think the narrative would have changed if he had not gotten hurt last year. I think there's a really good chance that they beat Notre Dame.
   
• I see a lot of similarities. I think Leonard is a really good player. What he did at Duke was special. I don't know the last time that they really had an offensive weapon and that type of potency. They always have a good offensive line and, to your point, a great defense. 
   
• It's going to be very physical. The trenches will win it. It's going to be loud. It's going to be emotional. They have got to start fast. To have the emotional composure to make sure that you do that its hard to do. When you're at home on national television against a team that has the type of tradition and pedigree, it's gonna be all the juice. I mean, this is a serious matchup.
   
• What I see in Mike Elko is his even-keel approach. He doesn't seem to ride a lot of emotional waves. A lot of guys say that we're focused on the next play, and he genuinely seems to be. He has a culture that's no-nonsense, no BS. You don't see a lot of primadonna stuff, and in an NIL era here, money is so prevalent and so important, in an era where guys' assessment is: "How much are you gonna pay me?" Instead of: "How good are you going to make me?" 
   
• The ability to make sure that the culture and the expectations in that culture are upheld in this era is a unique talent. He has a lot of financial resources, and that's a blessing. We'll see what happens on Saturday, but he was able to do that at Duke. I have some high expectations for him.
   
• Right now, there has to be some uniformity that is established across the country that gives everyone the same parameters to work. Because right now, there's so much recruiting, portaling and money infusion. That's fine. But what will happen now that there will be revenue sharing at the player level? I think, “OK, cool.” I think the players deserve that, but with that, I think it might be time for players to sign three-year contracts with the university. You're going to get this money now, but you're going to be held to more stringent rules. But I don't know... I just want to see some uniformity.