Notre Dame vs. Miami: Ranking Debate and Game Prediction

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Notre Dame Favored to Edge Miami in a One-Point Finish

Notre Dame’s No. 11 ranking sparked a debate over whether the committee undervalued the team. One argument suggested that the ranking was notable because the game against Miami is airing on NBC, while Georgia-Ole Miss received top-10 billing and Alabama landed at No. 5. The counterargument was that ESPN merely aired the rankings show and does not control the committee’s decisions.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 4 in an independent ballot completed before the committee released its rankings. Based on its performances, the view was that Notre Dame is better than the 11th-best team in the country and should have beaten BYU.

Notre Dame is expected to defeat Miami, but Miami getting 7.5 points was described as a gift from the sportsbooks. The spread had been around 3.5 or four points just a week and a half earlier. Although Miami did not play well against Florida State and struggled to beat North Carolina, it remains one of the country’s most talented teams, even without Malachi Tony.

Miami was four minutes away from winning the national title last year and also defeated Notre Dame last season. The prediction is for Miami to cover the spread while Notre Dame flips last year’s result and earns a narrow 28-27 victory.