It is championship weekend for college football, but all eyes are on Notre Dame and Miami, two teams that aren't even playing. The biggest game for these two teams this weekend is the Big 12 Championship, as BYU holds the fate of both teams in its hands.
If BYU wins, it will close the door for either of these teams to make it in, but if the Cougars lose, the debate will come down to which team will get in. Notre Dame and Miami played in Week 1 this season, and the Hurricanes walked away with the three-point victory. Since then, Notre Dame lost one more game while Miami lost two, leaving both teams with the same record.
While they do have a head-to-head matchup to look at, Notre Dame and Miami have very different losses. The Irish lost to two ranked teams while Miami lost to two unranked teams. The debate is growing, though, and former Alabama head coach and College GameDay crew member Nick Saban gave his take on it all, and Notre Dame fans won't be happy with it.
Nick Saban believes Miami belongs in the CFP over Notre Dame
“Look at the (head-to-head). Miami was the more physical team in the game. Jeremiyah Love gained 33 yards in the game… they kicked Notre Dame’s ass.
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) December 6, 2025
It’s hard to not think that both of those teams should be in.”
- Nick Saban on Miami & Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/2ooogufGrq
Of course, the gameday crew had to talk about the College Football Playoff picture with just one day left before the bracket reveal on Sunday. The debate came down to whether Miami or Notre Dame deserves to be in if BYU loses, and Saban made his opinion on the matter very clear.
"Look at the game, Miami was the more physical team in the game," Saban said. "They kicked Notre Dame's ass in the game."
Well, when Saban puts it like that, it is clear who he thinks should be in. Yes, Notre Dame lost that game, but Alabama lost its first game of the season to an even worse team in Florida State, and they are practically a lock in the playoff.
Notre Dame's lost two games this season by a total of four points, and that should be taken into consideration. While Saban acknowledges that Notre Dame is playing great football right now, he feels the head-to-head matchup should be the biggest point of emphasis for these two teams.