Texas A
No. 10 seed Miami (10-2) at No. 7 seed Texas A&M (11-1), Saturday, midday EST (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas A&M by 3 1/2.
Series record: Miami leads 3-2.
Both groups are in the College Football Playoff for the very first time where the Hurricanes are contending for their sixth championship game and first because 2001. The Aggies have a much longer drought after their last nationwide title was available in 1939. The Hurricanes got the last at-large playoff spot over Notre Dame thanks to their 27-24 win over the Fighting Irish in the season opener. Texas A&M intends to bounce back and make a deep playoff follow a 27-17 loss to archrival Texas in the regular-season finale ruined its perfect season. These teams had one typical opponent this season with Miami and Texas A&M handing Notre Dame its only 2 losses in close video games in the first 2 weeks of the season. The winner gets a journey to the Cotton Bowl to play No. 2 seed Ohio State on Dec. 31.
Texas A&M ´ s pass rush vs. Miami ´ s offensive line. The Aggies have 41 sacks this season to tie Oklahoma for most in the nation. Texas A&M is led by protective end Cashius Howell, a first string AP All-America selection and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year who led the SEC and ranks fourth in the country with 11 1/2 sacks. The Hurricanes are among the very best in the nation at protecting the quarterback and the 11 sacks they allowed this season are connected for 8th least in the country.
Miami: DE Rueben Bain Jr. earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors after piling up 37 tackles, including 7 1/2 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks this season. He also forced a fumble, had an interception and two pass separations to lead Miami ´ s defense. He had at least one tackle in every game and had a season-high 1 1/2 sacks in the regular-season finale at Pittsburgh.
Texas A&M: WR/PR K.C. Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation ´ s most flexible college football player and was also an AP first-team All American. He led the group with 886 lawns receiving and his nine TD receptions ranked initially in the SEC. He likewise led the league with 460 lawns with two goals. The junior also had a TD go to become the very first Aggie in the modern period of football to have a TD reception, scoring run and punt return score in a single season.
Miami won the last meeting in between these teams 48-33 in 2023 at Acid Rock Stadium. ... The Hurricanes have won 10 video games in successive seasons for the very first time given that 2002-03. ... Miami hasn ´ t permitted more than 17 points in its last 4 video games. ... QB Carson Beck is 34-5 in his profession as a starter at Georgia and with the Hurricanes. ... WR Malachi Toney needs 30 backyards to post the eighth 1,000-yard receiving season in school history. ... Mark Fletcher Jr. leads Miami with 685 lawns rushing. ... Jakobe Thomas is initially on the group with 4 interceptions. ... The Aggies are 7-0 in the house this season. ... It ´ s the very first time considering that 2012 that Texas A&M has actually won at least 10 games. ... The Aggies have had at least 100,000 fans at Kyle Field for 10 straight video games dating back to last season. ... QB Marcel Reed has tossed for 963 backyards and 6 touchdowns and included 245 yards rushing with two scores in four games this season against AP Top 25 opponents. He requires 68 yards passing and 34 yards hurrying to join Johnny Manziel (twice) and Jerrod Johnson as the only players in school history to throw for 3,000 backyards and rush for 500 yards in a season. ... Texas A&M ´ s receivers rank 11th in the country by averaging 14.1 yards per catch, led by Ashton Bethel-Roman ´ s 23 yards per catch. ... The Aggies have actually limited challengers to five or less 3rd down conversions in nine straight video games. ... ESPN ´ s College GameDay will broadcast from College Station, Texas, before the game, the ninth time the program will be done on the Texas A&M campus.