Notre Dame Beats No. 1 Miami 31-24 in CFP Race
Miami's first loss leaves both teams 8-1, with the next CFP rankings due November 10.
By shahzad
6 min read1 readers
In this story
Key takeaways
Miami, the No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff committee's November 3 rankings, lost 31-24 at Notre Dame on November 7. It was the Hurricanes' first loss of the season.
Notre Dame improved to 8-1 after quarterback CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Miami also left the game at 8-1.
The next CFP ranking update is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET. That will be the first committee ranking released after the result.
Notre Dame beat Miami 31-24 in South Bend on November 7, 2026, ending the Hurricanes' unbeaten start and giving the Fighting Irish a major result against the team that began the week atop the CFP rankings. Both teams are 8-1, so the game changes the playoff picture without deciding either team's postseason fate.
What happened in Notre Dame's 31-24 win?
Notre Dame built a 24-3 lead in the third quarter, then had to withstand a Miami comeback before closing out the game. The Hurricanes scored three second-half touchdowns, but Notre Dame answered with a fourth-quarter touchdown and protected its seven-point lead.
Quarterback CJ Carr completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, according to Notre Dame's official game recap. Receiver Micah Gilbert caught nine passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns. The Associated Press game report also recorded Carr's 319 passing yards and three scoring throws.
The decisive defensive stop came late. With 3:36 remaining, Miami faced fourth-and-six at the Notre Dame 18-yard line. The pass intended for tight end Eli Lofton fell incomplete, and the Hurricanes turned the ball over on downs, according to NCAA.com's game recap.
One ranking detail matters when reading the result. The CFP committee's first rankings, released November 3, placed Miami at No. 1 and Notre Dame at No. 11. The AP poll had Notre Dame at No. 4 and Miami at No. 1. Those are separate ranking systems, not conflicting descriptions of the same list.
Why does the result matter for the College Football Playoff?
Analysis: The win gives Notre Dame a direct victory over the team the CFP committee had ranked first. That is a strong result for the Irish to put in front of the selection committee, particularly because Notre Dame entered the weekend at No. 11 in the committee's rankings.
Miami loses the advantage of an undefeated record, but one loss does not automatically end a team's playoff chances. The Hurricanes remain 8-1, and the final committee decision will depend on the rest of their schedule and how other contenders perform.
The next rankings will be especially useful because they are the first scheduled update since the November 3 list. The committee is due to reveal its next top 25 on Tuesday, November 10, from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, according to NCAA.com's 2026 CFP rankings schedule.
Fans should avoid treating the AP poll and CFP rankings as interchangeable. The AP poll is a separate media poll; the CFP list is the committee's ranking used in the playoff selection process. Notre Dame's No. 4 AP position before the game did not mean it had already been ranked No. 4 by the committee.
What should Notre Dame and Miami fans watch next?
Both teams return to action on November 14, leaving little time to dwell on the result.
Notre Dame vs. Boston College: The Irish host Boston College at 3:30 p.m. ET on November 14. Notre Dame's official schedule lists NBC and Peacock as the broadcast outlets. See the Notre Dame schedule and game-time announcement.
Miami vs. Duke: Miami hosts Duke at noon ET on November 14, according to the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.
For Notre Dame, the practical priority is to avoid letting a high-profile win turn into a letdown the following week. The Irish still have to finish their regular-season schedule, and the Boston College game is the next opportunity to strengthen their record.
For Miami, the response matters as much as the loss. The Hurricanes need to protect their remaining schedule and show the committee that the defeat in South Bend was not the start of a slide. The November 10 ranking will show the committee's first adjustment, but the games that follow will keep changing the picture.
What is still unknown?
The committee has not issued a postgame ranking, so it is not yet possible to say how far Miami will fall or how much Notre Dame will rise. The next scheduled reveal is November 10, and later weekly updates will reflect additional results.
The game also does not settle the national title race. Both teams have remaining regular-season games, and other contenders can still strengthen or weaken their cases. A single ranking release is a snapshot, not a guarantee of a playoff place.
FAQ
Did Notre Dame end Miami's unbeaten season?
Yes. Miami entered the November 7 game without a loss and left with a 31-24 defeat. The result moved the Hurricanes to 8-1.
What was the final score of Notre Dame vs. Miami?
Notre Dame won 31-24 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish led by 21 points in the third quarter before Miami narrowed the margin to seven.
Was Notre Dame ranked No. 4 or No. 11?
Both numbers refer to different lists. Notre Dame was No. 11 in the CFP committee's first rankings on November 3 and No. 4 in the AP poll before the game.
When are the next College Football Playoff rankings released?
The next CFP top 25 is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will be the first committee update after Miami's loss to Notre Dame.
When do the teams play again?
Notre Dame hosts Boston College at 3:30 p.m. ET on November 14. Miami hosts Duke at noon ET on the same date.
Bottom line
Notre Dame's 31-24 win gives the Irish a valuable result and ends Miami's unbeaten run, but both teams remain 8-1 with more games to play. The next checkpoint is the CFP committee's November 10 ranking; after that, the November 14 games will begin to show how each team responds.
