Miami are still No. 1, Notre Dame are up to No. 4, and Saturday’s trip to South Bend is now one of the biggest games of the college football season.
Miami held onto top spot in the AP Top 25 after the 38-35 win at North Carolina, picking up 62 first-place votes. Notre Dame climbed one place after beating Navy, which means the Hurricanes now head into a genuine top-five showdown with their unbeaten season still intact.
There is a nice layer of history to it as well. The last time Miami went to Notre Dame ranked No. 1 while the Irish were No. 4 was 1988. You do not need me to tell Canes fans how famous that game became. Different team, different era, but it adds a bit more weight to a game that already had plenty.
Miami’s defence has a point to prove
The obvious concern from Miami’s side is the defence. The Hurricanes found a way to win in Chapel Hill, and that matters, but allowing 341 passing yards and four touchdowns is not the sort of performance you want to carry into South Bend. North Carolina exposed too many issues in coverage and tackling, and Notre Dame are good enough to punish those mistakes if they show up again.
That is what makes this week so interesting. Miami have looked like the best team in the country at times this season, especially on offence, but Saturday felt like a reminder that there is still work to do. The Hurricanes have the talent to win this game. They also have clear areas that need cleaning up before they get there.
Free official streaming option for UK Canes
For UK Canes, there is a useful bit of viewing news. Notre Dame’s official Fighting Irish TV page lists NBC home games as available free for international viewers, and Miami’s trip to South Bend is specifically included in its 2026 schedule. That means there is a confirmed official option for watching from this side of the pond if you don’t have DAZN or Disney+.
Kick off is 12:30am UK time on Sunday 8 November. You will need to create a free Fighting Irish TV account to watch. I will update other UK broadcast details when I have them.
What matters most this week
This is now Miami’s biggest test of the season.
Not just because of the ranking beside Notre Dame’s name, but because the Hurricanes are heading into a proper road atmosphere against a team with real playoff ambitions of its own. Miami’s offence has earned trust. Darian Mensah continues to play with real control, Malachi Toney is becoming impossible to ignore, and the Canes have shown all season that they can score quickly.
The bigger question is whether the defence responds.
If Miami tighten up in the secondary and tackle better in space, they can absolutely go into South Bend and win. If they defend the way they did against North Carolina, it is hard to feel quite so confident.
The Last Word from Across the Pond
This is the sort of game Miami have spent years trying to get back to. No. 1 in the country, unbeaten in November, heading into South Bend for a top-five showdown. That is the good bit. The less comfortable bit is that North Carolina showed there is still a crack in this team, and Notre Dame will not be as forgiving if Miami leave it there. So this week is not really about the ranking. It is about whether the Hurricanes can play like a true No. 1 team when the stage gets bigger.
