No. 4 Notre Dame's win over No. 1 Miami is payback for 2025 and solidifies its positioning for CFP

No. 4 Notre Dame had Saturday night's game against No. 1 Miami circled on its calendar for a year, and it was well worth the wait.Beaten by the Hurricanes in the 2025 season opener and edged out by them for the last College Football Playoff bid, Notre Dame had plenty of motivation. Add to the mix their No. 11 ranking in the initial CFP rankings, and the Fighting Irish were in a near must-win situation to keep their 2026 playoff hopes alive.They're alive and well after a 31-24 victory that will knock Miami out of the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and put a new team atop the CFP rankings Tuesday.Notre Dame's CJ Carr outplayed Darian Mensah in a matchup of Heisman Trophy candidates, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah, playing without injured star receiver Malachi Toney, threw for 276 yards and three TDs.For all the stars on the field, it was a former walk-on from Cody, Wyoming, Luke Talich, who made the biggest defensive plays. Talich's interception la