A big season opener awaits Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They face the Miami Hurricanes to kick off the 2025 season, which had college football analyst Paul Finebaum give his take on the matchup.

Notre Dame is coming off a remarkable 2024 campaign, reaching the national championship game before losing to Ohio State. They will look to pick up where they left off, hoping to continue that momentum against a potent Miami squad.

Finebaum appeared on a “Crystal Paul” segment on ESPN's SportsCenter show on Sunday, giving his thoughts on the upcoming matchup. Even though the Fighting Irish are the road team, the analyst likes their chances at beating the Hurricanes.

“I want to talk about one team here, because I am nervous,” Finebaum said Sunday afternoon. “There’s a game a week from tonight in Miami, you probably heard about this. (It will be) the luck of the Irish, as Notre Dame beats Miami. Guaranteed, right here.”

What lies ahead for Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman smiles as he walks off the field after the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium.
Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

It's an intriguing take for Paul Finebaum to have about the matchup between Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes.

Notre Dame boasts a 6-2 all-time record over the Hurricanes in their matchup history. They even won four straight games between 1990 and 2016 before Miami routed the Irish 41-8 in their last encounter on Nov. 11, 2017.

Notre Dame stands out as the sixth-ranked team in the AP Top 25 heading into the season opener. On the other hand, Miami controls the 10th spot. Both squads aspire for College Football Playoff contention, especially with the former on the quest for a title pursuit.

Miami finished with a 10-3 record last year, standing out as the third-best team from the ACC. Their season ended with a 42-41 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Fighting Irish will have their hands full in the season opener, but if they can grab a crucial road win, they could have a great trajectory for the whole schedule.

The showdown between the Fighting Irish and Hurricanes will commence on Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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