Dec. 12, 2025, 6:03 a.m. CT

No. 7 Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will host No. 10 Miami (FL) (10-2) in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Still, after the Aggies lost to Texas in the regular-season finale, it’s a coin flip how this team will perform in the postseason, facing a talented Hurricanes team that features NFL talent.

Still, it’s widely considered that if the Aggies play up to their potential, which was seen during most of the 2025 season, including blowout road wins over LSU and Missouri, Texas A&M has the potential to make it all the way to the semifinal round, which would mean wins over Miami and Ohio State. That’s a significant ask, but if starting quarterback Marcel Reed plays up to the standard he created this season, anything is possible.

No one can dispute that Texas A&M received the toughest bracket, having to go through Miami, Ohio State, and likely Georgia to reach the National Championship, all of whom were considered the best teams in the country at some point this season. However, head coach Mike Elko is confident that any distractions preventing his veteran team from playing its best football shouldn’t be an issue.

With just a week before Alabama faces Oklahoma on the road to open the CFP, On3 college football analyst J.D. PicKell released his final CFP projections. While he trusts that Texas A&M will defend home field and get past the Hurricanes, that’s where the road stops, predicting the Aggies to lose in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State.

Picking Georgia to advance to the Championship, PicKell also sees No. 5 Oregon advancing to the final round, defeating No. 1 Indiana in the semifinals, which would definitely be one of the crazier outcomes. Time will tell if any of this comes to fruition, while defeating Miami is the only thing Texas A&M is focused on heading into next week.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.