Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman pitches at CFP committee after upsetting Miami

Nearly a year after the College Football Playoff selection committee toyed with Notre Dame before pulling them out of the final bracket, the group slapped the Fighting Irish in the face with a No. 11 ranking despite having a 7-1 record.

In fairness to the committee, Notre Dame played only one ranked team before Saturday night, losing 28-24 on the road to BYU in a controversial finish. While the Irish were robbed of a final second against the Cougars, Notre Dame survived Miami getting an opportunity for one final play with a second on the board.

The Irish prevailed with a 31-24 win over the No. 1 Hurricanes at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday.

When speaking on the NBC broadcast after the game, Freeman made comments that appeared to pitch the selection committee about the 2026 Irish. He pointed out that Notre Dame beat a “dang good” Miami program.

“A special moment for them,” Freeman said of the Irish fan base. “I’m so happy for our players because they put a lot of work in to achieve this. They’re a dang good football team, and they beat a dang good football team.”

Notre Dame-Miami: A battle through adversity

Nov 7, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Micah Gilbert (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Irish extended their lead in the third quarter to 24-3 before Miami scored 14 unanswered points to get back in the game. The Hurricanes traded blows for the rest of the second half.

Freeman said his team proved they were capable of winning a tough fight.

“When it mattered the most, we executed,” Freeman said. “It got a little ugly in that second half, and we talked about this moment before the game. I said at some point in the game, there’s going to be a struggle. I don’t know when it’s going to be, but they battle through it and they execute it when it matters the most.”

Coming into the season, Notre Dame knew they had to beat either BYU or Miami to get into the CFP. The Irish won the latter. They’ll host Boston College in Week 11 before finishing the season against SMU and Syracuse.

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