Analysts Having Trouble Deciding Who to Pick in Texas A&M vs. Miami

The No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies are set to face off against the No.10 Miami Hurricanes Saturday in College Station.

Fans and critics of college football are already building an exciting landscape of predictions for a first-round playoff thriller that could go both ways.

This playoff matchup features some of the best quarterback play in the nation with Marcel Reed leading the Aggies (11-1) and Carson Beck slinging it for the Hurricanes (10-2).

Texas A&M vs. Miami a Toss-Up?

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks off the field after defeating the Samford Bulldogs 48-0 in a game at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images | Joseph Buvid-Imagn Images

However, analysts are having trouble deciding who to pick in the game. College football analyst Josh Pate gave his first-round playoff predictions on his show Sunday night.

"I'll just ride the model," Pate said, who chose Texas A&M to win because of bracket seeding and where the game is being played. "No strong feel whatsoever" in his pick assuring listeners, "we're not betting a dime on it."

As we get closer to next Saturday, Texas A&M is becoming less of a favorite to win the game. There are a couple factors that tighten the skill gap in this SEC vs ACC matchup, but A&M had the better season. Also, the ACC is considered a weaker conference to play in than the SEC. With the game being at Kyle Field, why are questions surrounding the Aggies to get the job done surfacing?

Texas A&M's performance in the SEC this season was very strong. Under coach Mike Elko, the Aggies were undefeated up until the last game of the season against the Texas Longhorns. After a tough 27-17 loss, the undefeated season was spoiled but a playoff berth had already been clinched. Miami was clinching in other areas waiting on a committee decision for their 2025 playoff destiny after finishing the season with four wins.

Each team in the College Football Playoff has earned their spot to be there so predicting a winner is harder to be sure about. Pate kept reiterating this because he was especially unsure about this game. The way the season finished for Texas A&M and Miami was drastically different and it contributes to the narrative he was explaining. Texas A&M has struggled on some occasions with getting off to a slow start in games but would finish the game looking like the best team in the country.

In the last game against the Longhorns, the Aggies played a different game without a slow start or hot finish. This resulted in a loss, and no team wants to go into the playoff with a loss. The Hurricanes finished the season with their best performance blowing out No. 22 Pitt, 38-7. Momentum is important and this lead people like Pate to question whether a better Aggies team can defeat the Hurricanes.

A deciding factor is whether the Hurricane defense can stall the Aggies offense in the first half. Miami's chances for victory greatly improve if they can because their defense has the capability to fuse a hot finish the Aggies tend to rely on. Marcel Reed and the Aggies will come out swinging and provide fans with a statement start. Games are usually decided in the fourth quarter, but this game could be one of the rare scenarios where it is won in the first half.

Texas A&M has a better football team and a higher rated quarterback in Marcel Reed. How Texas A&M responds to the adversity of a loss heading into their biggest game of the year is most important. Mike Elko is asking the 12th man to be active and help the Aggies use their home field advantage to secure a Cotton Bowl appearance against No. 2 Ohio State.

The Aggies will go into this game with the mindset that they are undefeated, and Miami will have to use their physicality to keep up. Texas A&M has a chance to secure their first ever College Football Playoff win and the stage is set.