The 11th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1) take on the top ranked Miami Hurricanes (8-0) in the latest installment of this epic rivalry. Miami will look to solidify its spot atop the College Football Playoff rankings, while Notre Dame is looking to earn the kind of big game win it needs to boost its own playoff resume.

Location: Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame, Ind.)
Date: Saturday - November 7
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Network: NBC
Line: Notre Dame -7.0; O/U - 54.5

The Irish Breakdown team has made predictions for this big game.

Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Miami 35

Notre Dame hasn't had a Top 5 regular season win since November 5th, 2022 when the Irish beat then No. 4 Clemson. The Irish haven't beaten the No. 1 team since 2020, which was another win over the Tigers. It's the kind of big regular season win that Marcus Freeman desperately needs in his fifth season. Sure, there are big picture narratives at stake, but the more important - and more immediate - need is that Notre Dame needs this win if it's going to have any shot to make the College Football Playoff. The committee ranked the 7-1 Irish at No. 11, which positions them to drop Notre Dame completely out of the Top 12 should they drop this game. A win and the Irish are in great position to lock down another playoff berth.

Quarterback CJ Carr is also in need of a big win, and he'll be key to Notre Dame's success in this game. The hope is that Notre Dame can find a way to run the ball against Miami's highly productive run defense, but at the end of the day if the Irish are going to win this game they need Carr to be outstanding. Miami ranks 122nd in pass defense, which puts Carr in great position to have a big game. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame needs defensive coordinator Chris Ash to figure out how to stop a good team, something he hasn't done so far in his Notre Dame career. If Ash is willing to finally turn the front seven loose and allow the talented secondary players to play to their strengths I think the Irish can make enough stops against the Miami offense to win this game.

My prediction is based on my belief that Notre Dame's offense will build on its success against Navy and will rip up the Miami defense. It also reflects my lack of belief that Ash can actually get his unit ready for a big game. If I'm wrong about the latter, the Irish could dominate this football team.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Miami 31

This is a game that I've gone back and forth on my prediction for. On paper, this should be a game that Notre Dame wins. Miami is a heck of a football team, but I think Notre Dame has the best roster in college football. Unfortunately, the same was true against Miami and Texas A&M last year and BYU this season and the Irish are 0-3 in those outings. This is going to be a game where Marcus Freeman has to allow Mike Denbrock to open up the offense. 

We think back to that 1988 game against the Hurricanes with fond memories, understandably so given that Notre Dame won and that win propelled them to win their 11th national title. The defense still gave up 30 points in that game, but made the stops they needed to win. I see that being the case in this matchup as well. Notre Dame's offense, behind CJ Carr will be able to take advantage of some inconsistencies in the Miami secondary while the defense finds ways to get off the field in crucial moments. Give me the Irish in one of the best games of the 2026 season. 

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Miami 30

There are so many parallels between this game and 1988, and thus it's only fitting to pick the same score with the Irish coming out on top. Injuries are unfortunately a major storyline heading into this matchup - star Miami WR Malachi Toney's injury is getting the headlines, but the Irish are missing multiple defensive starters as well. In a game like this, depth will be put to the test. I look for Notre Dame's defense to take away the Miami rushing attack - in 4 road games this year the Hurricanes are averaging 153.3 rushing YPG and 4.6 YPC, 50 total yards and almost a full yard less per carry than their season average.

Even when they were sloppy on defense against BYU, Notre Dame was pretty good against the run, and I think the Irish can get Miami into third-and-long situations. Darian Mensah is good enough to convert some of those, but without Toney, that plays to Notre Dame's favor. On the other sideline, this is the matchup that CJ Carr has been waiting for and I expect to see him at his best on Saturday night.

Prediction: Miami 31, Notre Dame 24

I really didn’t think Notre Dame stood a chance against Miami until last week when I watched the Hurricanes’ game against North Carolina. Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels took Miami to the brink, and now I think they do have a chance. Notre Dame can absolutely beat Miami, but it’s going to require a number of conditions: if the Irish prepare like they did against USC last season, if the defense under Chris Ash plays more like they did in the second half against Navy (like, maybe, getting lined-up on time would be a start), if the offense executes out of the gate and gets early points, if they don’t commit stupid penalties and make dumb mistakes, and if, generally, the Irish execute and play to their potential, they can walk out of Notre Dame Stadium victorious over the Hurricanes.

The problem is that there’s simply too many “ifs.” Miami is a very talented squad with the best offense Notre Dame has faced to date, and the Hurricanes have a stout defense with some great pass rushers in their front to wreck havoc on CJ Carr and Co. While a Notre Dame victory wouldn’t shock me, I just think Miami presents too many matchup problems and Notre Dame hasn’t shown they have played well enough to pull out a win against the undefeated Hurricanes.

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