ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum is among those weighing in on the upcoming matchup between Notre Dame and Miami on Aug. 31. While the Hurricanes finished the 2024 season with a 10-win record, the Fighting Irish advanced to the playoff and reached the national championship game.
“I want to talk about one team here, because I am nervous,” Finebaum said on Sunday (via On3). “There’s a game a week from tonight in Miami, you probably heard about this. (It will be) the luck of the Irish, as Notre Dame beats Miami. Guaranteed, right here.”
Finebaum isn’t convinced that Miami will remain a top-10 team all season, calling the Hurricanes the most vulnerable squad in the preseason AP top 10.
Finebaum also expressed skepticism about Miami’s dominance in the ACC.
“I think Miami will go nine plus,” Finebaum said (via Canes Warning). “I don’t think they’ll win the ACC. I don’t see a lot of losses on Miami’s schedule, but maybe one or two.”
Miami will enter the 2025 season without quarterback Cam Ward, who moved on to the NFL, and Carson Beck will take the role. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has named redshirt freshman CJ Carr as their starting quarterback after a competition with Kenny Minchey.
Paul Finebaum predicts Notre Dame’s playoff success in 2025
Paul Finebaum is well-known for his passion for the Southeastern Conference, but he isn’t shy about his admiration for Notre Dame. He called Marcus Freeman one of the top three or four coaches in the country and openly shared that he is a fan.
After a 14-2 season in 2024, Finebaum expressed optimism about the Irish’s chances in this year’s playoff.
“He (Freeman) is elite,” Paul Finebaum said during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” in July. “He showed that last year beating and out coaching James Franklin in the crunch at the Orange Bowl. It was brilliant. It was a masterclass. and he nearly pulled it off against Ohio State.
“He has done more with less talent than anybody in college football. So, therefore, even though this team has serious question marks, I think he will find a way to mold them and push them back into the playoffs in maybe a decent run.”
Notre Dame enters the 2025 season ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25.
