Tuesday evening as a big one around college football, and for Notre Dame it found out exactly where they stand with the College Football Playoff committee.
The first rankings were announced, and the Irish came in at No. 11, a terrible spot that gives them some caution that 2026 will be much different than 2025. Unfortunately, the manta of “Leave No Doubt” has left some, especially if Notre Dame falls short against Miami this weekend.
A win will help them be in a much better position, but with the Hurricanes being No. 1, but it will move them closer to not having to worry about being left out again. The Irish would have liked to see BYU ranked higher, as they would have benefitted from that, but obviously the head-to-head played a big role for
the committee.
Georgia came in at No. 2, with Utah, Indiana and Alabama in the top-5. Former Irish quarterback Kenny Minchey led Kentucky, Texas, UCLA, the Cougars and Ole Miss round out the top-10.
BREAKING: Initial College Football Playoff Ranking🚨https://t.co/qbML5lQgjb pic.twitter.com/4fr27wLSFh
— On3 (@On3) November 4, 2026
Ohio State came in behind Notre Dame, rounding out the field if the season was ended. This is very discouraging for the Irish, but they’ll have a chance this weekend to make up plenty of ground.
1️⃣1️⃣ in the College Football Playoff Rankings#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/WN5KEz7qwa
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 4, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame in bad shape as first CFP rankings announced Tuesday
