Where ESPN predicts Miami in College Football Playoff

ESPN predicts Miami to play at Notre Dame in their "College Football Playoff 2024: Preseason predictions." With the top four conference champions earning a bye in the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame has to play in the first round as an independent.

Heather Dinich of ESPN explained Notre Dame's scenario if they make the College Football Playoff. Even Notre Dame finishes the regular season as the number one overall team by the commitment on selection day the highest they can be is the fifth seed behind the four conference champions.

Dinich mentions the best case scenario for Notre Dame in the current system is to host a first-round college football playoff game as the fifth seed. For this year, ESPN projects Notre Dame as the seventh seed. Miami is projected as the 10th seed. That means the Hurricanes would be the ACC runner-up.

The winner of Notre Dame and Miami is projected to play at number two Ohio State. Miami fans have long-held (understandable) grudges against Notre Dame and Ohio State. A scenario of playing the Fighting Irish and potentially the Buckeyes will provide plenty of interest beyond just playing in the CFP.

"No. 10 Miami Hurricanes at No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Winner plays: No. 2 Ohio State
Explaining the seeding: Miami is predicted to finish as the ACC runner-up. There are no rematches here, but there could be if the ranking fell differently. Miami and FSU play each other on Oct. 26. They could play each other again in the ACC title game -- and a third time in the CFP bracket. It would be an unusual circumstance, but not impossible."

- Heather Dinich, ESPN

Florida State is projected as the ACC Champion and the fifth-ranked team by the College Football Playoff committee behind SEC runner-up Texas and Big Ten runner-up Oregon. Oregon and Texas cannot be top four seeds as conference runners up. That boosts Florida State up two spots and Utah as the Big XII champion up four spots.

The Florida State at Miami game will return to having a greater impact beyond the ACC. When the Hurricanes and Seminoles played in the second half of the 1980s and early 1990s and 2000s their games had a national impact. If both teams reach their 2024 projections that will occur again in 2024.

The ESPN preseason predictions are part of their College Football Playoff bubble watch. Miami seems destined to be near the bubble through at least their four non-conference games to begin the season. The season opening game at Florida will project where Miami will be in the CFP Rankings throughout most of the first half of the 2024 season.

If Miami wins at Florida they should reach the Florida State game on October 26 with no more than one loss. If that is the case, Miami will be in the CFP projected rankings for most of the season. The initial 2024 College Football Playoff Rankings will be released on November 5, which is 10 days after Miami plays Florida State.