FULL PREVIEW: Texas A&M prepares for College Football Playoff debut hosting Miami

It’s been a rocky road for the Texas A&M Aggies in the era of the College Football Playoff.

After years of preseason chatter, unmet expectations, and appearances in bowl games that deserve mockery, the Aggies finally put together a campaign worthy of a ticket to the big dance.

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On Saturday, Dec. 20, the Aggies will make their College Football Playoff debut, hosting the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. KPRC 2’s Michael Horton will be providing live updates as the action unfolds from the Kyle Field press box.

A Case for the Aggies

The Aggies enter the showdown with an 11-1 record, notching their first double-digit win season since 2012 and their first 11-win regular season since 1992.

Those 11 wins largely came from the arm of Marcel Reed, who was well within Heisman Trophy conversations despite being left out of the group that went to New York City.

Reed has thrown for 2,932 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Any conversation about Marcel wouldn’t be complete without the rushing numbers, and he added 466 yards and six tudders on the ground.

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Reed’s two favorite targets were KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, both of whom were savvy transfer portal acquisitions by the Aggies last winter. Concepcion has 886 yards and nine touchdowns, while Craver has 825 yards and four scores.

Along with the offensive prowess, the Aggies have put on a defensive clinic this year. A&M’s 309.8 yards allowed per game rank 19th in the country and fifth in the SEC. Edge rusher Cashius Howell was also named a Consensus All-American, First Team All-SEC, and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

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A Case for the Hurricanes

Despite their glamour, the Aggies will have their work cut out for them, facing a Miami team also making its College Football Playoff debut.

Miami finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. Even though they didn’t qualify for the ACC Championship Game, they still were the conference’s lone representative in the playoff (don’t ask — it was a whole thing).

The Canes also reinvented their offense through the portal last winter, bringing in star quarterback Carson Beck from Georgia. Beck put up very similar passing numbers to A&M’s Reed, finishing with 3,072 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 picks.

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Any conversation about Miami would be incomplete without mentioning Malachi Toney. At age 18, the true freshman finished his first regular season with 970 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs, adding 89 yards and a score on the ground for good measure.

Beck has gotten his other targets involved this year, too. Senior receivers Keelan Marion and C.J. Daniels have also made plays, combining for 948 yards and eight touchdowns.

For as good as A&M’s defensive numbers were this year, Miami’s were even better. The Canes allowed just 277.8 yards per game, good for 11th in the nation and the top mark in the ACC. Their stout defensive front is led by standout junior Rueben Bain Jr., a top prospect projected to go high in the first round of this year’s NFL draft, with some mocks placing him in the top 10.

What the Experts Think

Many analysts have predicted the game will be neck-and-neck, among the closest matchups of the opening round of the playoff.

Las Vegas seems to think so too. The Aggies enter the matchup as 3.5-point home favorites, good for the second-closest spread of the opening weekend (Oklahoma is favored by just 1.5 points while hosting Alabama).

Here are some picks from various voices in college football media:

• Josh Pate’s College Football Show: Texas A&M
• On3’s J.D. Pickell: Texas A&M
• On3’s Zak Herbstreit: Miami
• Barstool Sports’ Jon Gruden: Miami
• On3’s Ari Wasserman: Miami
• On3’s Andy Staples: Texas A&M
• ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith: Miami
• CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell: Miami

For what it’s worth, Notre Dame running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love is pulling for the Aggies. It’s safe to assume Miami’s selection for the final at-large playoff spot over Love’s Fighting Irish factored into that sentiment. Love might also have been peeved by an Instagram post from Rueben Bain Jr. back in September, in which he showed a notebook with expletive-laden scribbles targeting Notre Dame, including the phrase “F--k Jeremiyah Love.” It could be neither; it could be both!

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