Notre Dame Edges Miami 31-24 in South Bend Thriller

We're talking a little bit about that game in South Bend we saw this past weekend between the University of Miami and Notre Dame. Look, there is no doubt this was one of the biggest games. This will be one of the most highly rated games of the year. And did it live up to some of the billing? A little bit, but not really until the second half of this football game. Notre Dame ends up winning 31-24 and really saves their season. The committee on Tuesday of last week, Basically told them, you had to win this game. Miami still has the conference championship of the ACC. Probably and most likely, they're going to play Wake Forest again. So your five came out with the Associated Press. We'll see what the college football playoff committee does on Tuesday. One, two, three, four, and five. Georgia, one. Utah, two. Notre Dame 3, UCLA 4, and Miami 5. That sounds right with Indiana and Alabama and Texas right there knocking on the door in the top five. Look, I got asked all weekend long, what was my takeaway on Miami getting job in South Bend? My first initial take was it was a touchdown. Then I started thinking about the history of South Bend. And I've said this before, and Jimmy Johnson said it 38 years ago. If you go to South Bend. And you're going to rely on the referees in a close football game to give you a call? That's not going to happen. That is not going to happen on the road in South Bend. And we did not play a very good first half. Mario Cristobal was not very happy with the referees and their decision to negate that touchdown in the back of the end zone. You know, really, really disappointed that they negated Elijah Lofton's touchdown with two hands on the ball and two feet inbounds. But like we told our team before we left Miami, do not leave it in the hands of the officials, because that's what you're going to get out here. So, aside from that, a very hard-fought game. Congratulations to Notre Dame for winning the game. And very disappointed in the way that was called with the game on the line and clear possession of a football inbounds. Um... So, anyways, questions please. Did the referees give you any information? Zero. Zero. Did Damon come over and talk to you? Zero. Explanation. Zero. Mario, there's another one where Jalen Upshaw was pretty roughed up in the end zone as well. Yeah. And I don't know how you guys saw that one, but Damon called that one in. You know, I could sit here and go all day, and those games get called back and forth. Certain plays that determine certain games when you have instant replay. This is pretty good for Mario. I mean, what do you want me to say? I mean, it's bull. This is pretty good for him. I'll leave it at that. And, again, that's the way it was seen by them, so I've got to live with it and respect it. And our players have got to live with it, and we've got to do better. And you know what? Again, don't leave it in the hands of the officials. Play better, coach better, find a way to win. But, again, I don't need to be criticizing officials. I just need to move on. You have to understand something, folks. He was in the building in 1988 as a player with the Cleveland Gary play that his knee was down. It wasn't a fumble. His knee was down. So as a player, Mario Cristobal has been on the end of both of these now. So he's going to be a little more sensitive, having been there as a player, getting jobbed in South Bend, and now, in his opinion, getting jobbed in South Bend as a coach. Look, I said this before. I was kind of posting it all on my ex-account all weekend long. The college catch rule is completely different. In the college game, two feet established, you get it, he's going out of bounds, they knock the ball out. And the pros, that's not a catch. In college football, that is a catch. All that being said, don't leave it up to the referees in South Bend. You're not getting that call. Play better. Now look, I think they stumbled around in the first half of that game without Malachi Toney. If they get him back, and if he's on that field, is that a completely different football team and a completely different game? Most likely it is. I thought Notre Dame really held on at the end and in the second half. It wasn't really a football game that they played four quarters. They got the lead, and they held on. Miami was able to rally back. I don't think Miami really played their best game, and I don't really think Darian Mensah played his best game. I do think that C.J. Carr probably played one of his signature games that he's had so far in his career. He wasn't very good last year in the opener against Miami down in South Florida. I thought he was pretty good. I thought their defense was really good and ran to the football. Notre Dame's got a lot of guys that were out also on that defensive side. So both units going into that ball game were playing with a lot of pressure. Obviously, Miami still got an opportunity to get one of the buys in the opening round of the college football playoff. Notre Dame had to win this. They had to win this football game because really on their schedule, there's nothing that's going to be a signature win if they were going to lose that football game. Plus, you'd already lost to BYU. Earlier in the year. So they had to have that football game. They had to get that signature win. No question about it. Do I think we'll see them again in the playoff? I do. Most likely.