Notre Dame football did what the College Football Playoff committee wanted on Saturday, upsetting former No. 1 Miami.
The Irish were looking for a signature win, and that’s exactly what happened in South Bend, as the US LBM Coaches Poll
placed them at No. 3 on Sunday afternoon. While that is nice, what is obviously more important are the CFP rankings, and the second set of 2026 will be released later tonight.Entering the week, Notre Dame was No. 11, but is surely to rise. The biggest question is how far, as you have to except a jump over every team that has two-losses. That means at worst, the Irish are No. 5, but I’d expect higher.
Jumping Indiana makes plenty of sense, as their loss to Ohio State doesn’t look as good as it once did. That puts
the Irish at No. 3, which is a reasonable spot for them. Unlikely to jump Utah or Georgia, who should be the top-2 teams in the country.
Regardless of what happens later tonight, Notre Dame is in a great spot to make the CFP with just three games left in its regular season,
A night we’ll always remember ☘️#GoIrish☘️ | @icyhot pic.twitter.com/kkdrBZaFP9
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 9, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Projecting where Notre Dame lands in second CFP Poll of 2026













