Douglas Farmer, Sports Editor
Well, it's Christmas season, which means every Notre Dame student is walking along snowy South Quad humming, "All I���want for Christmas is U."
Yes, it's all about The U.
Unfortunately, Notre Dame and Miami are not exactly at the same level they were back in the 80s, when The U actually meant something. Nonetheless, the Sun Bowl could not have asked for a more fitting match-up for New Year's Eve. Brian Kelly and his hopeful rise against coachless and likely punchless Miami? I'll take Kelly and his three-game winning streak.
Now, back to Mariah Carey.
FINAL���SCORE:���Notre Dame 27, Miami 17
Sam Werner, Sports Writer
A month ago, not many people thought the Irish would be bowling this holiday season. But a red-hot month of November gave Notre Dame a world of confidence against Miami. The trick for the Irish will be allowing the winning habits they've developed over the past three games to continue after a month-long layoff. This may not be the classic Notre Dame-Miami rivalry your father told you about, but it should provide a nice springboard for the resumption of the series in 2012. For the Irish, a win here would also have them as one of the hottest teams in the country heading into 2011.
FINAL���SCORE:���Notre Dame 30, Miami 21
Matt Gamber, Sports Writer
Like USC, Miami has plenty of talented athletes — then again, so does "Pinky Fingers," the walk-on-laden flag football team my squad of scrubs plays against in tonight's co-rec champinship. (My pick, by the way: Woody's in an upset. Not really. We forfeit.)
I expect this game to go much like the one against the Trojans, where the Irish offense struggles to sustain drives but the defense hangs in there and gives an inconsistent Miami offense trouble. If Notre Dame can avoid giving up big plays and can run the ball as they did against USC, I think they'll pull this one off to close 2010 on a high note.
FINAL���SCORE:���Notre���Dame 16, Miami 10
Eric Prister, Associate Sports Editor
No Lou Holtz. No Jimmy Johnson. No National Championship hopes on the line. But that doesn't mean that Notre Dame's Sun Bowl game against Miami won't be heated, and won't be exciting. Even though it's been nearly two decades since these two teams last clashed, a tradition of dislike bordering on hatred is still present.
I���have a set of rules when picking bowl games. One is ‘never pick a team who fired their coach at the end of the year,' which Miami did when the showed Randy Shannon the door. Another recently has been ‘never pick Notre Dame to win a bowl game,' but this is a new era and a new Notre Dame team.
FINAL SCORE: Notre Dame 23, Miami 17
Laura Myers, Sports Writer
Notre Dame already watched one ball drop this year, through Ronald Johnson's hands before the Irish defeated USC for the first time in nine years.
When they watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, it will be after a fourth straight win, their first against Miami in 21 years.
Senior kicker David Ruffer, who is perfect on the season and tonight will find out whether he is the winner of the 2010 Lou Groza award, has not had a chance to shine lately, as Notre Dame has been content to score via touchdown. But against the tough Hurricanes defense, Ruffer will be a major part of a Notre Dame victory.
FINAL���SCORE:���Notre Dame 30, Miami 27
