Less than 100 days from Notre Dame football's season opener, it once again appears that what happens against Miami will have a major impact on how 2026 goes. That might be especially true considering the Fighting Irish and the Hurricanes face off later in the season, when the earlier months will set the direction for each program's campaign.
ESPN recently published an all-encompassing article about what fans can expect this season. Included in that article were the Top 100 storylines of the 2026 campaign. Not surprisingly, Marcus Freeman and company were mentioned early and often across several storylines, but the most interesting was how often the analysts tied the two programs together.
The first time ESPN mentions both teams is when it lists the 10 "must-see" games of the season. "Miami took down Notre Dame in last year's season opener, somehow hawked down the Fighting Irish in the late-season CFP rankings, then darn near won the national title after grabbing the last CFP at-large bid. Do you think the Irish remember that?"
It was a rhetorical question, but the Golden Domers absolutely do remember that game, considering it's the biggest reason why they didn't make the playoffs last season.
Marcus Freeman has Notre Dame football facing Miami with revenge and playoff pressure
Defensive back Leonard Moore even came out earlier this spring and used that Miami game as an example of how he believes Notre Dame has grown this offseason. He says there won't be any more "letdowns" in which he and his teammates lose focus and a game they should win.
"You can't look forward to any certain game or schedule and look past other games," Moore stated earlier this spring. "You definitely have to be mindful of the game and the mistakes y'all made that game that cost the season, so you know not to do that again moving forward."
He then made it clear that while he and his teammates know Notre Dame has to focus on every game on the schedule, they're still smarting from the season-opening loss in 2025. He also said his gang wants to make sure it's Miami that feels this way in the spring of 2027.
“Every game on our schedule is circled. That one hurts a little bit more because it's Miami, that's the biggest game, that's a rivalry. It's gonna be a little about revenge this next year, but we're looking forward to every game.”
The article also mentioned this rejuvenated rivalry when laying out the 10 teams that could get a bye when the College Football Playoff kicks off. "The Canes are still the team to beat in the ACC, but the schedule might make it difficult to earn a top-four seed. Once again, if Miami can beat Notre Dame -- this time in South Bend -- that head-to-head will matter on Selection Day in the committee meeting room."
As for whether Moore and his gang can get revenge, the ESPN analysts believe they can. " Last year, it was Miami's Week 1 win over Notre Dame that got the Canes the final at-large playoff spot over the Irish, and this year, Notre Dame returns the favor. The Canes' return trip to South Bend won't come until November 7, but that only puts an even bigger spotlight on the game's playoff implications. Both teams will enter in the hunt for a spot, but CJ Carr & Co. will get their revenge, and the win will be the difference in landing a playoff bid while Miami is narrowly left out."
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