No. 11 Notre Dame hosts No. 1 Miami at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, with significant College Football Playoff implications. The game is the highest-ranked meeting between the programs since the 1988 Catholics vs. Convicts classic.
Miami sits atop the first CFP rankings, while Notre Dame is No. 11 and the last team in the playoff field. A loss could eliminate the Irish from contention. CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek noted Notre Dame lacks a signature win and has an opportunity against Miami to move up.
Key injuries will shape the matchup. Notre Dame will be without leading tackler Drayk Bowen due to an ankle injury, while Miami loses star receiver Malachi Toney to ankle surgery. Toney ranks in the top three nationally in receptions (73), receiving yards per game (128.4), and receiving touchdowns (13).
At quarterback, Miami's Darian Mensah leads the FBS in completion percentage (80.7%) and pass efficiency (202.7) with 25 touchdowns against one interception. Notre Dame's CJ Carr is 15-0 as a starter against unranked teams but 2-3 versus AP-ranked opponents, completing 60.9% of passes at 6.6 yards per attempt with six touchdowns and five interceptions in those games.
Historical trends favor Notre Dame at home: the Irish are 10-1 against Miami at Notre Dame Stadium and have won the last eight on-campus meetings. Miami is 18-3 on the road as the AP No. 1, but all three losses came against ranked teams, including the 1988 game in South Bend. The Hurricanes have not defeated a top-5 team on the road since 2005.
Discipline and red-zone efficiency present contrasts. Notre Dame is the most disciplined team in the FBS, averaging 28.9 penalty yards per game, while Miami ranks 82nd at 58.8. However, Notre Dame's red-zone defense ranks 108th, allowing points on 88.9% of possessions, and Miami scores on 92.9% of its red-zone trips.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBC with a live stream available on Fubo.
Betting lines have Notre Dame as a 5.5-point favorite after opening at 4.5, with a total of 57.5. Several analysts lean toward Miami +5.5, citing Toney's absence and Notre Dame's red-zone struggles. SportsLine's computer model has simulated the game 10,000 times for its projections.
