Considering how bitter the rivalry between Notre Dame and Miami is, it's easy to forget that it's far from one of the most historic in the sport. With the Hurricanes in the ACC and the Irish carrying a play agreement, the rivalry has been fueled both on the field and off. That bitterness of the rivalry is one of the reasons CBS Sports believes the newest chapter in the series next year will be one of the 15 most meaningful games of the 2026 season.
Brad Crawford put together that list on Friday, and while the Irish schedule doesn't have a ton of strong opponents, a rematch of Marcus Freeman's season opener in 2025 is almost at the top. In fact, Crawford feels ND-Miami is the No. 4 matchup of the upcoming campaign.
Fourth out of 15 is already impressive, but even more so when looking at the games ranked ahead of Notre Dame vs. Miami on Crawford's list. Only the SEC Championship game, Ohio State at Indiana (a rematch of last year's Big Ten Championship game and a possible preview), and the just-mentioned B1G Championship game are the contests the analyst views as more meaningful.
"The Hurricanes handed the Fighting Irish a costly defeat in last season's opener, a result that ultimately kept Notre Dame out of the CFP while Miami surged all the way to a national runner-up finish," Crawford wrote. "The rematch arrives at the perfect point on the schedule with both programs expected to enter November squarely in the national championship conversation."
Marcus Freeman has Notre Dame football facing Miami with revenge and CFP pressure
"For Notre Dame, it's likely the biggest hurdle on an otherwise favorable path to the playoff. For Miami, it's another opportunity to prove the Hurricanes belong among college football's elite."
Crawford bringing up the "costly defeat" is one of the reasons the game is not just one of the most meaningful for the sport, but also for the Irish. It's not just that the Hurricanes have the last laugh and have been laughing on social media since the game was played.
This contest still stands out to Notre Dame players as one of those lost opportunities, even if the contest was the first of his career for CJ Carr while he was facing off against a very veteran signal caller on the other side. It's a game that plenty of players are keeping at the front of their minds while also knowing they can't let it get in their heads too much.
Considering that the Irish schedule isn't all that tough behind the Hurricanes and BYU, Miami's matchup does carry extra weight, even if Marcus Freeman's squad wants to talk about taking every game just as seriously.Â
Should Mario Cristobal's squad emerge victorious again (this time in South Bend), it would almost certainly be the blow that keeps Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff for a second straight year. Talk about adding injury to insult.
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