While you were sleeping, on the West Coast Notre Dame did what it was supposed to do to Stanford. The Irish rolled the Cardinal 49-20 in Palo Alto and kept their playoff push alive. But for Miami fans locked into the Fighting Irish vs. Hurricanes debate, the bigger story is this: the win actually made Miami's case stronger, not weaker.
In a world where every resume piece is being picked apart, Miami and Notre Dame now share four common opponents this season. Against Stanford, Pittsburgh, NC State and Syracuse, the Hurricanes have beaten three of those four by wider margins than Notre Dame, and they handled the fourth by four scores. Add in Miami's head-to-head win over Notre Dame in the season opener, and the comparison gets a lot more uncomfortable for anyone trying to keep the Hurricanes behind the Irish in the rankings.
The committee does not officially use margin of victory, but voters and fans absolutely do. Here is how the results stack up, one opponent at a time.
Stanford Cardinal
Miami got Stanford first, in late October at Hard Rock Stadium. The Cardinal actually had the game tied 7-7 at halftime, but the second half turned into a showcase of Miami's true potential. Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for 106 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and the Hurricanes pitched a shutout after the break in a 42-7 rout.
Notre Dame's trip to Stanford came a month later in the late-night window. The Irish jumped the Cardinal from the opening whistle, building a 35-3 halftime lead behind a 58-yard touchdown run from Jeremiyah Love and an 84-yard fake-punt touchdown from Josh Burnham to Luke Talich. They cruised to a 49-20 win that was never in doubt.
Both results are dominant. On the scoreboard, though, Miami's 35-point win (42-7) tops Notre Dame’s 29-point margin (49-20).
Pittsburgh Panthers
Notre Dame went to Acrisure Stadium first and walked out with a 37-15 victory over a ranked Panthers team. Jeremiyah Love ran for 147 yards and a touchdown, Malachi Fields caught two scores, and the Irish defense held Pitt to 219 total yards. The game was a solid, professional road win, even if Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi didn't think the game mattered in the grand scheme of things.
Two weeks later, Miami went into the same building and did even more damage. The Hurricanes hammered Pitt 38-7, locking up a 10-2 regular season and their second straight year with double-digit wins. Carson Beck threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, freshman Malachi Toney caught 13 passes for 126 yards and a score and also threw a touchdown, and Miami's defense shut the Panthers out after the first quarter.
Notre Dame won by 22. Miami won by 31 on the same field in the same month.
NC State Wolfpack
Notre Dame hosted the Wolfpack in October and methodically pulled away in a 36-7 win. C.J. Carr threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, and the Irish picked off NC State three times while holding the Wolfpack to just 51 rushing yards.
Miami's meeting with NC State in mid-November looked even more lopsided. The Hurricanes rolled 41-7 at Hard Rock Stadium behind 291 passing yards and three touchdowns from Beck and two scores from Toney. Miami led 24-0 at halftime, piled up 581 total yards and did not allow NC State to reach the end zone until the fourth quarter.
Again, both teams dominated. Again, Miami's margin was bigger: plus-34 compared to Notre Dame's plus-29.
Syracuse Orange
Miami handled its business against Fran Brown's first Syracuse team, winning 38-10 at home. The Hurricanes needed a little time to get going, then broke the game open late in the first half with a trick-play touchdown pass from Malachi Toney to Beck and a pick-six by Keionte Scott. Beck finished with 247 passing yards and a touchdown, and Miami eased away in the second half.
Notre Dame turned the game against the Orange into a historic blowout. The Irish beat Syracuse 70-7 in South Bend, with Love rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries. Notre Dame scored three non-offensive touchdowns before its offense even took the field, led 49-0 at halftime and coasted to a 63-point win.
That is the one common opponent where Notre Dame’s resume clearly shines brighter. Even so, Miami still won the game by four touchdowns.