Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Loses To Miami: Time For Patience Or Panic with the Irish?

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 3:35 AM ET

Notre Dame fought back, but didn't deserve the win Miami earned

Like many things in life, how something is perceived and processed is "in the eye of the beholder". Such is the case with Notre Dame Football in its season-opening loss against Miami. Many folks cannot accept any loss, much less one to the Hurricanes in the season opener.

For these people, this loss hurts in multiple categories. First, bragging rights. Secondly, the Irish are up against the CFP wall after just one week, with the odds stacked against a 2024-ish type run in back-to-back years.

Then, on the other side of the ledger, some folks take a more reserved approach to this issue. Notre Dame didn't play great, but it climbed back and fought until the very last play. And while the loss hurts, folks in this camp are firm believers in the "teams make their biggest jumps from game 1-2" mantra.

They will also be quick to point out that the Irish just proved they could go on a mega winning streak just a year ago, and with a few tweaks, could do so again.

The good news is that this debate will soon end when the Irish face another stiff test against Texas A&M, albeit at home. If ever there was a must-win game, this is it.

FINAL

Miami 27
Notre Dame 24
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 1, 2025

Notre Dame vs Texas A&M becomes season-defining

Everyone knows how much pressure Notre Dame was under after losing in week two last season. Each week felt like a CFP elimination game, and the Irish just kept winning, all the way to the title tilt.

Now, similar pressure is being applied again, but with a tougher schedule, an inexperienced QB, and major improvements being needed to the entire defense and offensive line.

Sure, with a tough schedule, the Irish could make the CFP field with 2 losses. This would most certainly place Notre Dame in a lower seed with a brutal first-round road game, but it's better than missing the field completely.

The bigger question at that point would be, if Notre Dame starts out 0-2, who out there will still believe a 10-0 is likely to follow?

Notre Dame needed to beat Miami to provide a win cushion for the Texas A&M matchup. That didn't happen. As a result, to salvage the season, it feels like the Texas A&M game is a must-win for the Irish in 2025. The pressure is on, again.

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This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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