Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Miami Hurricanes Game Preview: How to watch, start time, betting line, and prediction
WEEK 11 GAME PREVIEW HOME PAGE
NOTRE DAME OUTLOOK
I think it might be safe to say that Notre Dame had an off game last week, at least defensively. Wake Forest is a much improved team, but giving up 37 points wasn't exactly a domination. Every team has at least one game in which they struggle, no matter how good they are. "Struggle" is relative too, because putting up 48 points and winning is a struggle for how Notre Dame's been playing this year.
Who wins offensive MVP? It's not as obvious as you might think Josh Adams has been an absolute monster to stop. His size, speed, and skill make him dangerous everytime he touches the ball, and taking him down in the open field is a nightmare. However, Brandon Wimbush has been the key piece that makes the offense dynamic. Wimbush has improved as a passer, and leads the team with 13 rushing touchdowns. Or do you give it to the offensive line? Without them, Wimbush would be running for his life and Adams wouldn't have the lanes to run through. Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey are two NFL prospects that lead that line, and you can probably guess who Adams and Wimbush want to run behind when the games on the line.
Even though they have a loss, that loss continues to look good as Georgia stays at the top of the College Football Playoff committee rankings. If they Irish win out, there's no reason why they shouldn't make the playoff. It would be an outrage if they didn't. Hopefully this time around goes better than the last time. In 2012, the only topics people wanted to talk about in association with Notre Dame is Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend, and the number of defenders Eddie Lacy dragged with him to the end zone. 2017 is different. So far, the Irish actually belong, and they have a back that can do the dragging this time.
MIAMI OUTLOOK
Who says Miami's the convicts still? You might want to move on if you still think that, and you also might want to take this teams seriously. After a few weeks of struggling, the Hurricanes made a statement. Beating Virginia Tech 28-10 in prime time let the ACC know that this Miami team is here to stay. The ACC Coastal Division is theirs to lose, and that doesn't appear to be happening. If they want to continue their undefeated season, the offense needs to fix some mistakes.
Though the Hurricanes defense forced four Hokies turnovers last Saturday, their own offense committed three. Malik Rosier threw three interceptions, and that isn't something they can afford this week. Notre Dame can score in a hurry, and Miami doesn't want to go down that road again despite their strong defense. Luckily, it was Rosier's worst game this season, and fans don't expect a duplicate performance. You know what still sucks though? Mark Walton being hurt. At least his backup is doing his best to ease the pain of his loss. Travis Homer has done a great job of replacing Walton, and the 2018 Hurricanes are going to have a deep backfield with Walton's return.
Manny Diaz continues to work his magic on defense, and the turnover chain is the key figure in that success. Still one of the coolest new traditions in college football, I hope it's here to stay. You should see how excited these players get when someone forces a turnover. They go insane. Not sure what this is? Take a look.
Dope. The swag is coming back to Miami whether you like it or not.
PREDICTION
Miami simply cannot afford for the offense to struggle like it did last week. We've seen former teams win games by tight margins and while making mistakes, but that ends up hurting them. It might be time where the struggles catch up to Miami. If the Hurricanes are going to pull off the upset this week, Rosier simply has to play better. Diaz's group can only don the turnover chain so many times before the offense has to do their part. Stopping Josh Adams is their top priority and containing Brandon Wimbush is next. I'm not sure if they can do both.
My pick: Notre Dame 30 Miami 20
