As the dust has settled on the College Football Playoff race, Texas A&M football has remained firm in the conversation as one of the best teams in America. That sentiment held true for the Aggies early Sunday morning, as head coach Mike Elko’s crew is set to host the Miami Hurricanes.

While separated by about a day’s drive down Interstate 10, the Maroon and White and the Hurricanes are quite familiar with each other in recent years. It was just two seasons ago that now-Houston quarterback Conner Weigman and Co. travelled to Hard Rock Stadium and were defeated 48-33.

Just a year before that, however, Kyle Field was rocking for the Hurricanes’ first game in College Station since 2008, and the hype of the matchup was rewarded with an impressive defensive effort out of the home squad. With that said, let’s flashback to 2022 when the Aggies seized a decisive victory, 17-9.

A&M Weathers the Hurricane

In 2022, then-No. 13 Miami travelled to face No. 24 A&M in a night game that drew one of the highest attendances in Kyle Field history, with 107,245 Aggie fans yelling and rocking the stadium from kickoff until the clock hit triple zeros.

The A&M defense stood tall that night, as Miami fumbled the ball, turned the ball over on downs, and missed two critical field goals. Despite amassing a whopping 27 first downs, the expertise of former defensive coordinator DJ Durkin’s unit kept the Aggies’ boat sailing straight over the Miami hurricane.

Looking for a spark on offense, head coach Jimbo Fisher turned to LSU transfer quarterback Max Johnson to bring a change necessary for a big-time win. Johnson completed just 10 passes to only four different receivers, but that was all the Aggies needed to upset their ACC foes.

The lone receiving touchdown was hauled in by none other than running back De’Von Achane, who, ironically enough, plays professionally with the Dolphins in Miami. Already up 10-3, the Aggies were searching to deliver the final knockout punch to take down the Hurricanes, and Achane did just that.

On second down, Achane took a screen pass through the Hurricane defenders, eluding arm tackle after arm tackle as the future Pro Bowl rusher found his way into the end zone for what was A&M’s last score of the game.

While every game matters in its own right, no bigger game has ever been played at Kyle Field than the one that is coming on Dec. 20. Miami knows it, too, and will be willing to put all its chips down to advance to the next round of the CFP.

Luckily for A&M, it’ll have the 100,000+ home-field advantage.

Let the College Football Playoff debate begin. It did after the Big Ten Championship, when FOX’s Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn got into an argument over the final two at-large spots. Specifically, when it comes to a potential battle between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

“If you set the precedent that you go play Georgia, at Georgia,” Meyer said of Alabama. “Notre Dame, Miami, who would lose that game in that place?”

“Notre Dame beat Georgia last year?” Quinn responded. “Why are we saying that?”

Meyer fired back, saying his opinion forms from watching tape of all the teams out there. His main point remained the same, though. Moving Alabama out of the 12-team field cannot be done in his opinion, just because they played in the SEC Championship.

But another box got opened when mentioning Notre Dame “never, ever” playing in a conference championship game. Quinn did not give many thoughts on that front, instead focusing on the result Notre Dame got in last year’s College Football Playoff in New Orleans.

“Just watching them on tape,” Meyer said. “I’m just saying if you penalize a team that goes to the Southeastern Conference that plays Georgia at Georgia and kicks them out — people are going to say, ‘Why make it to the championship game?’ You can’t do that. You can’t penalize a team. Notre Dame will never play in a championship game. Notre Dame will never, ever play in a championship game. How is that fair?”

“That’s a whole different discussion then about them joining a conference,” Quinn said. “The reality is, they went through the Playoff and ended up playing for a national championship last year. So, we can’t act like those games didn’t happen. I mean, they beat Georgia last year.”

Of course, Quinn spent his playing days in South Bend, meaning he was going to defend Notre Dame. Nobody on the FOX panel represents Miami in any fashion. The statement from Meyer did not receive much pushback from the Hurricanes’ end.

Meyer and Quinn will find out with the rest of us as to who will earn the final two spots in the College Football Playoff. Making a final prediction, Quinn decided to go with Miami and Notre Dame. Meyer kept Miami in there — due to the head-to-head over Notre Dame — but thinks Alabama is deserving due to their participation in the SEC Championship.

Art Basel took over Miami Beach the first weekend of December 2025. The event is the centerpiece of Miami Art Week and features hundreds of global galleries showing art from international artists. Art Basel brings out celebrities, influencers, and collectors in droves for their extravagant parties and more. Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Larsa Pippen, Alix Earle, and more flew out for the events.

2 of 8

3 of 8

4 of 8

5 of 8

Advertisement

6 of 8

7 of 8

Advertisement

8 of 8