Miami closed the gap on Notre Dame in both major polls Sunday, even after each team handled business in different ways over the weekend.
The Hurricanes climbed after a 41-13 win at Clemson, while the Fighting Irish stayed ahead with a 37-26 road victory over North Carolina. In the latest Associated Press Top 25, Notre Dame checked in with 1,532 points and Miami had 1,524. In the AFCA Coaches Poll, Notre Dame sat at 1,630 points and Miami followed at 1,622.
That tightened the race from last week, when Notre Dame held 1,581 points in the AP Top 25 and 1,641 in the Coaches Poll. Miami had 1,501 in the AP poll and 1,569 in the Coaches Poll.
The Hurricanes are off this week, while Notre Dame returns home to face Stanford on Saturday with a chance to widen its edge. Miami’s next game comes Oct. 18 against Florida State.
Before the two teams meet, Miami will also host Pittsburgh on Oct. 25 and play at North Carolina on Oct. 31.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, goes to BYU on Oct. 17 and hosts Navy on Oct. 31.
The showdown between Miami and Notre Dame is set for Nov. 7 in South Bend, a game that could carry major College Football Playoff seeding weight.
Both teams also have closing stretches that could shape how the committee views them. Miami finishes with home games against Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College.
Notre Dame’s final regular-season slate includes Boston College, SMU and a trip to Syracuse. SMU stands out as a chance for Notre Dame to pick up a quality win.
Strength of schedule figures are another piece of the puzzle. Miami is 70th in ESPN Football Power Index strength of schedule, while Notre Dame is 61st.
Looking at remaining schedule strength, the Hurricanes are at 38th and the Fighting Irish are 51st. That metric is expected to matter when the CFP committee makes its decisions in December.
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