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Joel Klatt Predicts Final Score in Notre Dame–Miami

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Grunfeld | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 11:28 AM ET

To the delight of football fans everywhere, Week 1 of the college football season will feature numerous high-level games. One such matchup is between the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the No. 10 University of Miami Hurricanes. This late-night Sunday showdown will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Entering the game, Notre Dame hopes to start its season hot following its loss in last year's College Football Playoff National Championship to the Ohio State Buckeyes. On the other hand, since the inception of a four-team playoff system in 2014, Miami has yet to reach the College Football Playoff. With the introduction of the 12-team system in 2024 and the stakes of this opener, Miami aims to make history.

Joel Klatt, previously an exceptional quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes and with experience at Fox Sports as its lead college football game analyst, shared his thoughts on "The Joel Klatt Show." He is all in on Notre Dame.

“Favored by 2.5, that run game, that offensive line, Notre Dame goes on the road, and they get a win,” Klatt said. “I like Notre Dame to cover. I think they win it 24-17. They cover the 2.5, and [Notre Dame head coach] Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are on their way to another playoff berth.”

Klatt simply trusts the Fighting Irish more.

"Let's face it now, if you're looking at these two teams and these two coaches, who do you trust more in a large, matchup style game?" Klatt said. "I told you about those [Notre Dame's] big wins. Meanwhile, [Miami head coach] Mario Cristobal hasn't won a big one yet for Miami."

Klatt also touched on Notre Dame's physicality and line of scrimmage play.

"I think that they do all the things fundamentally that you need to do to win at the top level," Klatt said. "They're physical, they're great at the line of scrimmage, and they win big games," citing their victories over the Indiana Hoosiers, Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions last year in the College Football Playoff.

A Rivalry Reborn

The Notre Dame–Miami rivalry, infamously dubbed “Catholics vs. Convicts” in the late 1980s, is now being reignited after conference realignment and periods of relative mediocrity cooled the rivalry.

This is their first meeting since their home-and-home series in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, the Irish won 30-27, but in 2017 the Hurricanes returned the favor with a dominant 41-8 showing.

With both teams ranked in the top 10 again this time around, this Week 1 showdown serves to revive one of college football’s most historically heated matchups.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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