Notre Dame football has its first weekend without playing a game during Week 8, as it was another wild Saturday for college football.
The top-10 once again saw plenty of movement, with three teams losing and others making big jumps in the rankings. The Irish moved up as well, benefitting from other teams beating up on each other.
As the season gets closer to its conclusion, it’s natural for most Notre Dame fans to start thinking about the College Football Playoff and where the Irish stand. Here are some thoughts on where the Blue and Gold are as the 2026 regular season campaign quick heads to its end.
US LBM Coaches Poll puts Notre Dame in a great spot
Notre Dame moves up after off-week in US LBM Coaches Poll post-Week 8 📸 Michael Caterina, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect https://t.co/lAU2beiZG9
pic.twitter.com/yKfzmlb8f6
— Fighting Irish Wire (@IrishWireND) October 25, 2026
The Irish watched multiple other team’s in the top-10 get beaten, and managed to move up two spots in the Coaches Poll. While not being the top ranked one-loss team, others will surely sufferer another as the season rolls on. A second-loss most likely won’t hurt Notre Dame in the polls, but it could with the CFP committee. It will be interesting to see how similar those first rankings, which get released on Tues., Nov. 3.
Notre Dame’s record strength was a mixed bag post-Week 8
F̶I̶G̶H̶T̶ ON, WISCONSIN! pic.twitter.com/bktyChItrM
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) October 25, 2026
What the Irish have to be aware of is strength of record, as it was good and bad news on that front. Obviously BYU losing hurts, as you would have loved to see them continue winning to show that the loss was to one of the best teams nationally. The Cougars are still inside the top-10, so that’s good news. Wisconsin upsetting USC was great to see, not only did the Trojans lose, they lost to a team that Notre Dame handed pretty easily. North Carolina had a chance to get its fifth win, but lost in overtime to Syracuse, who the Irish will face in the regular season finale.
Boise State could steal a spot
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝.
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) October 25, 2026
Boise State is bowl-eligible for the 29th season in a row, the second-longest streak in the nation! 😤#BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/EkzmatTBly
Last year it was two Group of 5 teams inside the top-12 field, and this year it’s looking like Boise State could be that team. This could potentially take an at-large bid away from the pool, thinning Notre Dame’s chances of being included. Their remaining schedule looks very manageable, and the Broncos could be a problem for the Irish come selection time.
Notre Dame’s fate will be decided between two games
GO CANES SAY IT BACK! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CCQNZbDjpe
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) October 24, 2026
Really it should be one, but as SMU continues to make a ruse up the polls, that game looks to be much more impactful for the Irish. The clear top game is Miami, and let’s be real, Notre Dame needs to win that one. The best case scenario is to win both of them, but if it ends up a split, the win has to be against the Hurricanes. Sure, a win over the Mustangs would be nice, but with just two top-10 teams on the schedule, the Irish can’t afford to drop both of them or we could be seeing a repeat of 2025.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame football: Thoughts on where the Irish stand post-Week 8
