For both the Notre Dame football team and the Miami Hurricanes, the season opener on Sunday night is a massive opportunity. It's a way for one of the teams to take a big step towards the college football playoffs, even if it's only Week 1. However, while Miami fans are plenty excited to host the Fighting Irish, there's a statistic that should make them quite uncomfortable. It's been a very, very long time since the Hurricanes have beaten a team rated as highly as Marcus Freeman and Co.
In fact, it's been nearly eight years since Miami has beaten a Top 5 team. 2,846 days as of today, to be exact. November 11, 2017. That was the last time the 'Canes beat a team ranked as high as the Irish are now. The flip side of that is that it's only been 230 days since Notre Dame beat a Top 5 team when they knocked off Penn State in the College Football Playoffs semifinals.
Why Notre Dame football’s Top-5 status could decide Week 1 at Hard Rock Stadium
The Notre Dame football team is currently ranked No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. That's how this statistic applies when Miami hosts the Irish in Hard Rock Stadium. In the AP poll, the Blue and Gold are No. 6, but the coaches might have kept a nearly decade-long curse going for Mario Cristobal and Co.
If there is a bright side for Miami, it's that Notre Dame was the Top 5 team it beat back in 2017. And they did it in convincing fashion, blowing out Brian Kelly's squad 41-8.
Things have changed dramatically since that day, though, especially in South Bend. Marcus Freeman is currently 14-5 against Top 25 teams.
On the flipside, Cristobal is just 8-18. That doesn't seem like a coach who is about to break a nearly 3,000-day drought.
While Miami is excited to host the Notre Dame football team on Sunday, it's clear they almost certainly won't be as happy when the sun comes up on Monday morning.