For the first time in the modern era, the No. 7-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (11-1) are playing for college football’s biggest prize. The Aggies earned a home matchup against a program that has won five titles – including one during the BCS era – as Texas A&M faces the No. 10-ranked Miami Hurricanes (10-2) on Saturday.
Texas A&M was one game away from playing for its first-ever SEC Championship. After starting the season 11-0, the Aggies missed their best opportunity to play for the conference crown after losing to Texas in the regular-season finale.
The Hurricanes haven’t played for a national title in over two decades heading into this game. Miami narrowly made the college football playoffs, earning the nod over a Notre Dame squad that finished with an identical record. The Hurricanes’ inclusion was based on the school’s victory over the Fighting Irish to open the season.
Which team will earn its first major postseason victory in the past quarter-century? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for Saturday’s first-round playoff game.
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Carson Beck delivered what Miami fans had hoped: a return to meaningful postseason contests. Beck finished his senior season with 3,072 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, earning the nation’s 11th-best QBR rating, too.
He’s logged five straight games with at least 240 passing yards for Miami. While that competition wasn’t nearly as stout as Texas A&M, look for the Hurricanes to throw the ball early and often on Saturday. Take Beck to cover his player prop bet on Saturday.
The Aggies’ signal-caller isn’t bad, either. Sophomore Marcel Reed finished with 2,932 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2025. He was also effective in the running game, netting 466 rushing yards on 89 carries, and he scored six times on the ground for Texas A&M.
Reed’s best rushing performances came against SEC opponents. He finished with 55 or more yards three times, including a 108-yard performance against a porous LSU defense. Against Texas, Reed rushed for 71 yards on 12 attempts in his team’s only loss.
Miami’s defense hasn’t allowed 33 rushing yards by an opposing quarterback in their past six outings. Only Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones came close, finishing with 31 yards on 14 carries. The Hurricanes will force Reed to beat them with his arm, keeping him from covering this prop bet.
Beck’s top target this season is freshman Malachi Toney. The 5-foot-11 wide receiver is leading Miami with 84 receptions, 970 yards, and seven touchdowns. He’s ranked in the top 20 nationally in both receiving yards and receptions in 2025.
Toney ended the year with 25 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns in victories over Virginia Tech and Pitt. The Aggies have allowed one opposing player to finish above 90 receiving yards in two of their past three outings. That’s why bettors should believe Toney will add his name to this list, finishing with more than 80 receiving yards on Saturday.
Two years ago, the Aggies went to Miami for an early-season matchup between these two programs. The Hurricanes prevailed 48-33, adding another big-game loss to former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s record.
After that season, the SEC school paid handsomely to bid adieu to Fisher, ushering in the Elko era. The squad hasn’t looked back, going 19-6 under the second-year coach.
These days, the Aggies are rarely outstrategized. Expect that to continue as Texas A&M wins by at least a touchdown over the Hurricanes on Saturday.