Notre Dame Football: Should Irish be No. 1 if they beat Miami in Week 11?

Say what you want about not playing in a conference, but Notre Dame football has earned their College Football Playoff ranking this year.

The Irish enter a crucial Week 11 showdown on the road with Miami this Saturday night ranked third in the latest CFP. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, sit at seventh after securing the ACC Coastal title with a win over Virginia Tech last week.

Georgia and Alabama remain at first and second, but could Notre Dame (8-1) leap both of them with a victory over Miami (8-0)?

You bet they could.

The Irish have won seven in a row since a one-point loss to Georgia back in September, including victories over Michigan State, Southern Cal and NC State. The Trojans are 11th in the CFP, with the Spartans 12th and the Wolfpack 23rd.

Brian Kelly has Notre Dame back among the best of the best after a down season a year ago that saw them go 4-8 with seven of those defeats coming by eight points or less.

Brandon Wimbush has stepped in at quarterback, throwing for almost 1,300 yards and rushing for another 639. Josh Adams is quickly moving up the Heisman charts, rushing for almost 1,200 yards despite missing most of last Saturday’s game.

It is very intriguing that the top three in the CFP all go on the road this week, as the Crimson Tide are at Mississippi State and the Bulldogs take on Auburn.

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But a win on the road over Miami would be one of the keynote triumphs by any of the CFP contenders this year, and with it coming this late in the season, the perfect time for the Irish to jump to the front of the pack.