Darkseid Sports

Collision Course: Days of Future Past

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

LAS VEGAS — There it was. The fall of 1987. By the time Notre Dame and Miami (FL) would meet on the gridiron in November, Black Monday would be a month and change in the rearview mirror, The Cosby Show would be the biggest show on television and top box-office releases of the day such as Beverly Hills Cop II, Full Metal Jacket, Wall Street and Lethal Weapon would aid in defining the year of commercial appeal and social optimism. Back to College Football now. There was another box-office blockbuster brewing in the fall of ‘87 with the continuing rivalry between the Miami Hurricanes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who would meet the Saturday after Thanksgiving said year.

Up to 1987, Miami (FL) and Notre Dame hadn’t both competed as top 10 teams nationally during the decade. 1987 set the tone for the defining rivalry in the sport at the end of the 1980s as Miami would be top-ranked nationally when they’d meet in 1988. The Fighting Irish would be fourth (4th). The Hurricanes would be ranked 7th and Notre Dame would be top-ranked when they’d joust in 1989.

“This rivalry is good vs. evil. It is the Hall of Justice vs. the Legion of Doom. It is the Jedi Knights vs. the Sith Lords…” – former Miami Hurricanes’ WR Randal Hill on the Miami – Notre Dame rivalry.

Miami (FL) and Notre Dame played every year in the 1980s except for 1986. UM was 6-3 versus Notre Dame for the total of the 1980s including a 20-0 UM shutout of the Irish on 9/24/83 and a 58-7 desecration on 11/30/85 in what would infamously be the Fighting Irish Head Coach (at the time) Gerry Faust’s final game. Both games were at Miami’s world famous Orange Bowl.

Flash forward to the realties and events in College Football today and the more things change the more they stay the same. Once again, the Miami (FL) – Notre Dame rivalry is at the forefront of the sport and once again these two teams are slated to meet in November as top 5-10 ranked teams if all things go according to plan and stay true to preseason rankings. Once again both are bonafide national title contenders. Both have a place in the NIL landscape and both recruit at the higher level of the sport. The rivalry isn’t good versus evil anymore — if it ever was — but it is still very relevant to the final decision of the College Football season. Even with all the change in the sport…the NIL…the mega conferences…the playoff expansion…it’s still Miami and Notre Dame. Maybe it’s always going to be Miami and Notre Dame?

Nevertheless, I’m poised to do one better here. I’ll go a step further and ultimately deliver the point of this writing:

It is the Official Position of Darkseid Sports to proclaim Miami (FL) and Notre Dame are on a collision course to meet in the CFB Playoff National Championship game to start 2027.

THE TIMELINE

— NOTRE DAME OVER 11.5 SEASON WINS (2:1)

📚: Circa Sports

— MIAMI (FL) OVER 10.5 SEASON WINS (-115)

📚: Circa Sports

— MIAMI (FL) TO WIN THE ACC (-50)

📚: BetMGM

— NOTRE DAME: NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (+675)

📚: Circa Sports

— MIAMI (FL): NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (11:1)

📚: BetMGM, FanDuel

— CONFERENCE OF NATIONAL CHAMPION: INDEPENDENT (7:1)

📚: BetMGM

— CONFERENCE OF NATIONAL CHAMPION: ACC (8:1)

📚: BetMGM

— HEISMAN TROPHY: TO WIN

• CJ Carr (ND), +750, BetMGM
• Malachi Toney (UM), 35:1, FanDuel, BetMGM, Circa Sports
• Darian Mensah (UM), 12:1, Circa Sports

— GOTY: MIAMI AT NOTRE DAME, 11/7/26

• NOTRE DAME -6.5

📚: BetMGM

MY TAKE

I’m of the opinion it’s prudent to get involved with anything and everything (reasonably priced) I can get my hands on which reflects a huge season from both these teams: over the season win totals, conference titles, Heisman accolades and National Championships. If a Miami – Notre Dame Exacta was offered, I’d endorse such too.

KEY OPINIONS

• I honestly and truly believe these two teams will prove to be the two best nationally by the end of the season.
• As for the B1G: it’s too hard to repeat for Indiana and I just don’t think Ohio State has enough this go. Oregon is quality but I like UM and ND better.
• As for the SEC: the league has become so tough, I question how much its teams have left come the playoff. I like UM and ND better than Georgia. Texas still has to prove it to me in the big spot. Is Alabama even decided at QB? It’s a bridge too far for Lane Kiffin in year one at LSU.

TEAM PREVIEWS

In 2026, you can get team previews virtually anywhere. You get your rosters, your schedules, your recruits and all that. I’ll let you rely on such while I focus on the gaming perspective. Might I recommend Phil Steele and his CFB preview?

BEYOND THE PLAYS

A TOTALLY RANDOM PHOTO TO CLOSE THE SHOW…

REFERENCES:

• X
• Various individual and entity social media accounts on X as referenced in this work
• CBS Sports App
• ESPN (web)
• College Football Reference
• Phil Steele’s College Football Preview
• BetMGM
• FanDuel
• Circa Sports
• Getty Images
• Schutt Sports
• Darkseid Sports Intellectual Properties

DISCLAIMER: Darkseid Sports has no affiliation, whatsoever, with the NCAA and/or any of the football programs, athletes, social media accounts, universities, sports betting entities, sports betting social media accounts, or corporate entities digitally written about or depicted in corresponding images in this writing. The author of this writing is an ardent and serious College Football and Miami Hurricanes fan circa the Jimmy Johnson regime.