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 teams are in the College Football Playoff for the very first time where the Hurricanes are contending for their 6th nationwide champion and first given that 2001. The Aggies have a a lot longer drought after their last national title can be found in 1939. The Hurricanes got the last at-large playoff area over Notre Dame thanks to their 27-24 win over the Fighting Irish in the season opener. Texas A&M intends to get better and make a deep playoff run after a 27-17 loss to archrival Texas in the regular-season finale ruined its best season. These groups had one common challenger this season with Miami and Texas A&M handing Notre Dame its only two losses in close games in the very 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 offending line. The Aggies have 41 sacks this season to connect Oklahoma for the majority of in the nation. Texas A&M is led by defensive end Cashius Howell, a first string AP All-America choice and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year who led the SEC and ranks fourth in the nation with 11 1/2 sacks. The Hurricanes are among the very best in the nation at safeguarding the quarterback and the 11 sacks they allowed this season are connected for eighth fewest in the nation.
Miami: DE Rueben Bain Jr. made ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors after accumulating 37 tackles, including 7 1/2 deals with for loss and 4 1/2 sacks this season. He likewise forced a fumble, had an interception and two pass breakups 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 ending at Pittsburgh.
Texas A&M: WR/PR K.C. Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award as the country ´ s most versatile college football player and was also an AP first-team All American. He led the team with 886 backyards getting and his 9 TD receptions ranked first in the SEC. He also led the league with 460 punt return backyards with two touchdowns. The junior also had a TD run to become the 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 Hard Rock Stadium. ... The Hurricanes have actually won 10 video games in successive seasons for the very first time considering that 2002-03. ... Miami hasn ´ t enabled more than 17 points in its last 4 video games. ... QB Carson Beck is 34-5 in his career as a starter at Georgia and with the Hurricanes. ... WR Malachi Toney requires 30 backyards to post the 8th 1,000-yard receiving season in school history. ... Mark Fletcher Jr. leads Miami with 685 lawns rushing. ... Jakobe Thomas is first on the team with 4 interceptions. ... The Aggies are 7-0 at home this season. ... It ´ s the very first time considering that 2012 that Texas A&M has won at least 10 video games. ... The Aggies have actually had at least 100,000 fans at Kyle Field for 10 straight games dating back to last season. ... QB Marcel Reed has actually tossed for 963 yards and 6 touchdowns and included 245 yards hurrying with 2 ratings in four games this season versus AP Top 25 opponents. He requires 68 lawns passing and 34 backyards rushing to join Johnny Manziel (twice) and Jerrod Johnson as the only gamers in school history to throw for 3,000 lawns and rush for 500 backyards in a season. ... Texas A&M ´ s receivers rank 11th in the nation by balancing 14.1 yards per catch, led by Ashton Bethel-Roman ´ s 23 lawns per catch. ... The Aggies have actually limited opponents to five or fewer third down conversions in 9 straight video games. ... ESPN ´ s College GameDay will transmit from College Station, Texas, before the video game, the ninth time the program will be done on the Texas A&M campus.