FIW staff picks winners of Notre Dame at Miami and the top matchups of Week 1

The staff here at Fighting Irish Wire pick who wins between Notre Dame and Miami and the best other games of Week 1’s action.

The season is finally upon us, as Notre Dame will start its year off on the road against the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday evening.

While it will be nice for Irish fans to sit back and relax on Saturday while the majority of other teams get to play, they still have work to do before the game. It will be an exciting weekend, as there are plenty of top matchups that we will be paying attention to.

The staff here at Fighting Irish Wire of Tim Healey, Dave Miller and Michael Chen all pick the winners of the best games of Week 1 along with who wins between Notre Dame and Miami.

No. 3 Ohio State at No. 1 Texas

Sept. 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA;
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA Division I football game on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Healey - Ohio State

Miller - Texas

Chen - Ohio State

No. 8 Alabama at Florida State

Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) leaps past Mercer safety Chris Joines (14) as he scores at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News

Healey - Alabama

Miller - Alabama

Chen - Alabama

No. 4 Clemson at. No. 9 LSU

The Clemson football team runs down the hill, dubbed as the most exciting 25 seconds in college football, before the game against Syracuse in Clemson, South Carolina Saturday, Oct 24, 2020.

Healey - LSU

Miller - Clemson

Chen - Clemson

Tim Healey

Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman smiles as he walks off the field after the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

It won’t be easy for Notre Dame, as Miami should put up a pretty good fight against the Irish. The defense should carry the way, with help from the running game as first-time starter CJ Carr continues to get his feet wet. His play won’t inspire a ton of confidence, but it will be a good start off point to what we hope is a very good Notre Dame career.

I see this game going like Texas A&M of last year, as the two teams slug it out for four quarters, and the Irish pull away late.

Notre Dame 27, Miami 17

Dave Miller

Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) throws a pass during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Sure, Notre Dame could struggle, but I just don’t see that happening. The Hurricanes just don’t seem like they have as much talent as the Irish, and it should show during this game. Carr isn’t going to light up the stat sheet, but he’ll do enough to keep the chains moving, and the scoreboard lighting up.

The defense is where I’m most confident, I just don’t think that Miami will be able to move the ball. The defensive line is underrated, the linebackers and secondary are going to be elite. Not many teams will be able to score on the Irish.

Notre Dame 31, Miami 10

Michael Chen

Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver KK Smith (11) lines up during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

If this game wasn’t the season-opener, I’d take Notre Dame in a blowout, but that isn’t the case. There are going to be times when the Irish are going to struggle moving the ball, but the defense will put them in a few good spots, or even score themselves.

The run game will look dominant, as there are plenty of players behind Jeremiyah Love who can get the job done. This alone should be enough to put points on the board, while the defense does its job.

Notre Dame 27, Miami 13

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: FIW staff picks Notre Dame at Miami and the top matchups of Week 1

Category: General Sports