Miami Hurricanes Relevance Is Good For College Football, Says ESPN's Rece Davis

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CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) - For the first time in a decade, ESPN's College Game Day is setting up shop in South Florida to feature a Miami Hurricanes football game.

The iconic show will be on the team's Coral Gables campus for the first time ever, after previous trips had been made to the Orange Bowl stadium.

Clearly, the Hurricanes are back on ESPN's radar. Number 7 Miami's clash with 3rd ranked Notre Dame holds heavy implications for the College Football Playoff.

At 8-0, Miami is off to their best start to a season since 2002. Their Number 7 ranking is the team's highest since 2013. It might be too soon to say "the U is back," but they are certainly relevant again.

On Friday, the College Game Day hosts discussed the impact Miami can have on the college football landscape.

When asked if Miami football being relevant again is good for college football, ESPN's Rece Davis said, "Of course. They have such a rich history from the early 1980's on, that it still resonates with fans. They have a brand. They have a football playing alumni base that is second to very few, if any. For them to be good on the college scene is good for the sport, really good for the sport."

David Pollack gave his perspective on where the Hurricanes are as a team after dominating the Virginia Tech Hokies last week.

Pollack was asked if Miami is "for real," and if last week was a wake up call for the program's doubters.

"Last week was a wake up call because the previous four games weren't," said Pollack. " They were ugly. Miami fans get upset, and that's fine. I don't really care. It doesn't matter to me."

At that moment, it was beginning to feel like Pollack was about to cut a Paul Finebaum style promo on Miami fans, but he quickly shifted the narrative to one of praise.

"Last week, they actually showed me something. The defensive front-seven is dirty," noted Pollack, in a complimentary sense. "They bring it every week. It's fun to watch. The linebackers will smack you in the grill. I love that old school football."

Pollack brought up Miami not earning any style points in ugly wins over North Carolina, Syracuse, and Georgia Tech, but style points are of no concern in a matchup as difficult as Notre Dame, he says.

"At this point, it's just about winning. If you win ugly this week, you beat a good team ugly, so who cares? Just keep winning, and you have a chance to see Clemson in the ACC championship game."

Kickoff for Number 7 Miami and Number 3 Notre Dame is set for 8:00 PM on Saturday, November 11th from Hard Rock Stadium. You can listen to the game on 560 WQAM.