The College Football Playoff committee might not want to look at the head-to-head result between Notre Dame and Miami, but it's on the Hurricanes to make them acknowledge it.
Miami currently sits at 13th in the CFP rankings. That's two spots ahead of last week and, more importantly, the Hurricanes jumped Vanderbilt to get one hurdle out of the way. Saturday's 41-7 win over N.C. State was the type of game that Miami will need to have down the stretch as the clearest path for the Hurricanes to make the 12-team bracket is through an at-large bid.
The highlighted part below is what Hunter Yurachek is referring to as far as a Notre Dame-Miami comparison.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 19, 2025
Miami is No. 13. If the Hurricanes get to 12, the calculus changes: pic.twitter.com/KVsh5pTwAj
CFP chair confirms Hurricanes aren't there yet
When the first CFP rankings came out a few weeks ago, Miami was eight spots behind Notre Dame, and the two teams weren't being discussed in the same circle despite the result of Week 1. That was the CFP's way of eliminating the head-to-head argument. The word was, 'Hey, these two teams are eight spots apart, so it's more than head-to-head'.
But now as we approach the stretch run of the season, Miami has crept up to No. 13 and Notre Dame is probably as high as it is going to get at No. 9. It's close enough for new committee chair Hunter Yurachek to admit that, yes, head-to-head might be an issue.
"Miami is creeping up into that range where they will be compared to Notre Dame if something happens above them," Hunter Yuracheck said.
One more spot and everything on the table
If the committee decides to stick to the rules, and the rules can change at any minute, Miami's focus should be on getting to No. 10, but rather moving one spot up to 12th. That puts the Hurricanes in the same tier with Notre Dame, and it puts the results of their Week 1 game, which Miami won 27-24, on the table.
Then what?
How can the committee keep the Hurricanes out? Yes, the ACC is a down this year, we get it. But this isn't about the ACC. It's about playing the best teams and putting together the strongest schedule possible. Miami did that in 2025 and when the smoke clears, those efforts will have to be rewarded.