They called it “Separation Saturday” all across college football. For Notre Dame, it was more than that — it was life and death. Notre Dame’s entire season was on the line against the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes, and the Irish did the thing… they showed up, showed out, and got a win over the undefeated and top ranked Canes.
Notre Dame’s performance clearly resonated with voters, and this week the Irish move up to No. 3 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.
Notre Danme even received 5 first place
votes in the Ap Top 25 which didn’t seem to be possible just a few weeks ago. Miami’s drop wasn’t harsh despite the loss, and Notre Dame’s win over the Canes is the best win by anyone ranked inside the top 15.
Notre Dame could still have one more ranked matchup in a few weeks thanks to SMU crawling back into the AP Top 25 following a blowout win over Virginia Tech — but that barely matters right now. Notre Dame just needs to win three more games and they are in the CFP — although their rankings will tell us where they really sit come Tuesday night.
