Nick Saban highlights defenses as key for Miami vs. Texas A&M in College Football Playoff

No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M is arguably the most interesting game of the opening round this weekend in the College Football Playoff. Nick Saban thinks so too, especially with the play of both defenses this season for the Aggies and the Hurricanes.

While on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Thursday, Saban was asked what he’d be looking for in this first-round matchup between Texas A&M and Miami. He circled both defenses as they key to the game, with each unit, who he evaluates in being different in how they do it respectively, able to wreak havoc and get opposing offenses off schedule.”

“Well, I think two things are very interesting in this game, and it’s the style that both teams play on defense,” said Saban. “Miami has got really talented front guys. I mean, they dominate the line of scrimmage, they rush four guys most of the time. These guys make a lot of negative plays by how aggressive and physical they are. I think Jason Taylor has done a fantastic job of coaching these guys up front. And then, you go on the A&M side of it. They’re not as big. They’re very athletic. They can run. And they rely on different kinds of pressures and slants to give you negative plays. And, if A&M can get you in third down, they are lethal, man. They’ve got a great third-down package where they create a lot of pressures, a lot of overload-type simulated pressures that give people problems.”

“This is going to be the tale of, you know, like, how does this game go?” Saban said. “If Miami can control the line of scrimmage, and eliminate the negative plays and stay out of third-down and long situations, I think they’ll have success against A&M. If, on the other hand, you know, if A&M can’t block this front and they affect the quarterback, although I think Marcel Reed is an outstanding player? Not only do they have to affect him. They have to keep him from running, and this guy can throw it. They’ve got good skill guys.”

Going into the postseason, Texas A&M and Miami each are Top-20 in total defense in respectively allowing 309.8 total per game and 277.8 total yards per game, while each are also among the best in scoring defense at 21.9 ppg. allowed by the Aggies and 13.8 ppg. allowed by the Hurricanes. They’re also each Top-10 in third-down defense as teams are converting just 22.7% against A&M and 29.9% against Miami, and are each among the nation’s best as well in sacks and tackles for loss with the Aggies at 3.42 sacks and 8.7 tackles for loss a game and the Hurricanes at 2.83 sacks and 6.6 tackles for loss a game.

Against two offenses that can also be as explosive as they each can, defense may be the difference down in College Station on Saturday afternoon. That dynamic, regardless of who’s on the field, is why Saban is as excited as he is too to see this one between Texas A&M and Miami.

“This is going to be a real challenge,” said Saban. “I think this is going to be one of the best games of this early playoff season, man. I’m looking forward to this game, because both of these teams, to me, are very, very good football teams, and play different styles. And it’ll be interesting to see which style, a physical Miami team versus a very skilled, fast, aggressive A&M team.”