Not that it would satisfy the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Notre Dame football fans, but College Football Playoff selection chair Hunter Yurachek has provided an explanation about why the program received only the No. 11 spot in the first edition of the CFP rankings.

“They don’t have that signature win right now,” Yurachek said about Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish, via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “They have a great opportunity this weekend (against Miami).”

Notre Dame has only one loss so far in the 2026 college football season. The Fighting Irish started the season with six straight wins before falling to the then AP No. 8 BYU Cougars on Oct. 17 on the road, 28-24. The Fighting Irish bounced back with a 35-13 drubbing of the Navy Midshipmen in a neutral-site showdown on Oct. 31.

But if Yurachek and the CFP selection committee want a signature win from Notre Dame's resume, the Fighting Irish have a perfect opportunity to get it soon.

Notre Dame is on a collision course with the Miami Hurricanes, who got the top spot on the first edition of the CFP rankings. The Hurricanes are undefeated with an 8-0 overall record and will be showing up at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame this coming Saturday for a huge showdown with big CFP implications for both programs.

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That's the only game remaining on Notre Dame's schedule that gives the program a chance to secure a win big enough to convince the CFP committee to rank it higher.

After the Miami game, the Fighting Irish will face the Boston College Eagles, SMU Mustangs and Syracuse Orange.