Top-ranked Miami faces Notre Dame in a must-see showdown

No. 1 Miami Hurricanes at No. 11 Notre Dame — TV info, odds, keys.

The top-ranked team in the country heads to South Bend for a game that could shape the College Football Playoff picture.

No. 1 Miami (8-0, 6-0 ACC) visits No. 11 Notre Dame (7-1) on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

The line favors Notre Dame by 7.5 points.

Weather at game time is expected to be 42 degrees with a 9% chance of rain.

This is Miami's first game since the initial College Football Playoff rankings were released — and the Hurricanes sit at No. 1.

But the week leading up to this game has been anything but smooth.

Star wide receiver Malachi Toney suffered an ankle injury in practice on Wednesday.

He will undergo surgery, according to multiple reports, and is expected to miss at least four weeks.

Toney's absence is a brutal hit to Miami's offense, which ranks No. 1 in the nation in total offense.

No receiver on the roster can completely replace what Toney brings.

The Hurricanes will have to find someone who comes close to keep the offense humming.

Miami has a couple of different options to replace Toney in the slot.

The team will need to find players to fill the star's production.

Miami is coming off a close win against North Carolina last week.

The Hurricanes narrowly escaped Chapel Hill with a victory.

The offense has been clicking all season.

But the defense has been scuffling.

Miami ranks 122nd in pass defense, allowing 251.9 passing yards per game.

That inability to stop the opposing passing game nearly cost Miami the game against UNC.

Now the Hurricanes face Notre Dame's quarterback C.J. Carr.

Carr is completing 66.7% of his passes this season.

He has 18 touchdowns and only one interception.

Miami's defense will have to find a way to slow him down.

For Notre Dame, Saturday's game is crucial to the Fighting Irish's playoff chances.

Notre Dame does not have a win over a currently ranked opponent.

The playoff committee ranked the Fighting Irish 11th.

If Notre Dame loses on Saturday, it will be difficult for the Irish to make their way back into the top 12 in the last three weeks of the season.

Miami and Notre Dame have a rivalry stretching back decades.

It only got bigger last season.

The Hurricanes made the College Football Playoff last season by jumping over Notre Dame in the rankings at the last minute.

After missing the playoffs, Notre Dame skipped its bowl game.

The program also had a public rift with the ACC, the conference its non-football teams play in.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting this game for a year.

The environment at Notre Dame Stadium is expected to be electric.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is 43-19 at UM and 105-79 overall.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is 49-13 as head coach.

Three things to watch in this game.

First, how Miami replaces Toney's production.

The Hurricanes have multiple options to fill the void.

But no single player can replicate what Toney did.

Miami will need contributions from several players.

Second, Miami's defense needs to find answers against the pass.

The Hurricanes have struggled all season defending through the air.

Carr is the best quarterback Miami will face this season.

He has been efficient and careful with the football.

His 18-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is among the best in the country.

Third, the atmosphere.

Notre Dame Stadium will be loud.

The stakes are high for both teams.

For Miami, a win keeps them atop the playoff rankings.

For Notre Dame, a win keeps their playoff hopes alive.

There is bad blood between these programs.

Last season's playoff snub still stings in South Bend.

The Irish have had this game circled for a full year.

Miami also received good news this week.

On Thursday, five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright committed to the Hurricanes.

Wright, from Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 2028 class.

He is the No. 1 wide receiver and the No. 1 player in the state of Florida for that class.

Wright announced his commitment via Instagram live from an auditorium with family and friends present.

He chose Miami over Florida and Texas.

Wright is reclassifying to the 2027 recruiting class.

That makes him the 21st commit in Miami's 2027 class.

He joins five-stars Donte Wright (cornerback), Israel Abrams (quarterback), Nick Lennear (wide receiver), Jaiden Bryant (edge rusher), and A'Mir Sears (two-way athlete).

The incoming offense is projected to be very promising in Coral Gables.

Wright will join rising star Malachi Toney when Toney returns next season.

Wright received over 20 Power Four scholarship offers.