After two weeks, Notre Dame football looks like a team on a mission, one that starts with a berth in the College Football Playoff.
With the Fighting Irish No. 3 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, they’re off to a solid start following victories over Wisconsin and Rice. ESPN has made updates to its Football Power Index, PFI, and it’s reflecting that Notre Dame is in fact a top-five team. Right now, ESPN’s analytics have them as the No. 3 team in the country, behind No. 1 Ohio State and Texas, who beat the Buckeyes this past weekend.
The top-5 remain unchanged from last week, but aside from the Irish, in different order. It’s safe to say that these are the best handful of teams in the country.
Notre Dame will host Michigan State in South Bend on
Saturday evening. The last time the Irish and the Spartans squared off was on Sept. 23, 2017, a game Notre Dame won 38-18 in East Lansing.
NEW: Updated ESPN FPI after week 2 of the College Football season📈📉https://t.co/6ZRYM9JgpG pic.twitter.com/Ue7PTTmwKp
— On3 (@On3) September 13, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame still a top-5 team in ESPN’s Football Power Index













