Texas A&M is moving up the rankings and other metrics this week following the Aggies third straight win on Saturday, this time over Arkansas. Now they go on the road to play a South Carolina team coming off a bye week.

Coach Jimbo Fisher appeared to be surprised when a reporter mentioned that the Aggies are favored by about 8 points in the game on Saturday.

“You’ve got to live up to your own expectations, and that’s how you prepare every day, that’s how you practice every day, it’s how you think, that’s the world you have to live in,” Fisher said at his Monday press conference. “You’re never a favorite in any game. Listen, anybody in this league can beat you and everybody’s got great players. It’s about us preparing, playing and handling our business one game at a time, one day at a time.”

Fisher was then asked how he approaches having a top 10 ranking knowing that the players are aware.

“Don’t listen to the poison, you’re going to believe us, myself, and the staff and everybody around you, or are you believe people out there who are just writing things,” Fisher said. “They’re going to write a story if you win, they’re going to write a story if you lose. They win both ways. It’s no offense to that. We live in our own little world.”

Fisher said the key to success is to block out the clutter and focus one game at a time.

“That process puts you in position to have success,” Fisher said.

In South Carolina this week, Fisher faces Will Muschamp, who he’s worked with and coached against plenty over the course of their careers.

“You know what they do, they know what you do,” Fisher said. “Will’s a great coach, always has been, was a tremendous defensive coordinator, is a very good head football coach. You’re going to have to be sound in what you do. Is there advantages and disadvantages, I don’t really think so. After a while, it gets back to the players and you’ve got to be sound in your schemes and execute what you want to do.”

He added that while they’re familiar with each other, he and Muschamp can always change.