Notre Dame’s win over Purdue did more than keep the Irish rolling - it nudged them a little higher in the eyes of the US LBM Coaches Poll.
The Fighting Irish held firm at No. 3 in the Week 4 rankings, behind No. 1 Texas and No.
2 Georgia, but they did pick up one additional first-place vote. That pushes Notre Dame’s total to three.
At the top, Texas remained in front with 45 first-place votes, while Georgia stayed right behind with 17. Indiana is next in line at No. 5 and collected eight first-place votes.
Miami sits at No. 4, also unbeaten, while Ohio State checks in at No. 6.
The biggest shakeup in the top 10 came from Ole Miss. After losing a top-25 matchup to Florida, the Rebels tumbled to No.
- Florida, meanwhile, made the week’s biggest jump, climbing from No. 22 to No.
Several teams also made their way into the poll, including UCLA at No. 23, Duke at No.
21, Houston at No. 20 and Mississippi State at No. 16.
For Notre Dame, the ranking comes with a clear reminder of what’s ahead. Among the Irish’s remaining 2026 opponents, BYU is No.
9, Miami is No. 4 and SMU is No. 19.
The schedule gets tougher from here, and the Irish are already seeing that in the poll.
Here’s the full Week 4 Coaches Poll:
- Michigan Wolverines 3-1 (18)
- UCLA Bruins 4-0 (NR)
- Penn State Nittany Lions 3-1 (14)
- Duke Blue Devils 4-0 (NR)
- Houston Cougars 3-1 (NR)
- SMU Mustangs 3-1 (25)
- USC Trojans 4-1 (12)
- Tennessee Volunteers 3-1 (13)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs 4-0 (NR)
- Oregon Ducks 3-1 (16)
- Iowa Hawkeyes 4-0 (17)
- Utah Utes 4-0 (15)
- Ole Miss Rebels 3-1 (6)
- LSU Tigers 3-1 (11)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders 4-0 (10)
- BYU Cougars 3-0 (9)
- Florida Gators 4-0 (22)
- Alabama Crimson Tide 4-0 (8)
- Ohio State Buckeyes 3-1 (7)
- Indiana Hoosiers 4-0 (4, first place votes: 8)
- Miami Hurricanes 4-0 (5)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4-0 (3, first place votes: 3)
- Georgia Bulldogs 4-0 (2, first place votes: 17)
- Texas Longhorns 4-0 (1, first place votes: 45)
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Is Taking Heat While Notre Dame Gets More Good News
While USC coach Lincoln Riley was drawing criticism for his remarks after linebacker Desman Stephens II was ejected for targeting against Oregon, Notre Dame had a different kind of Sunday mood around its program. The Irish also picked up a pair of encouraging notes from their own side, with Jeremiyah Love and Joey OBrien both turning in performances that added to the positive buzz around the team.
Rileys explanation for keeping Stephens on the sideline after the ejection, and his claim that he did not see the celebrations, only added to the noise around USCs loss and the way it was handled. Notre Dame, meanwhile, kept its focus on the field and on a stretch of good news that extended beyond its own roster, with Purdue coach Barry Odom also weighing in after the Irish game. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Lost A Transfer WR In The Most Frustrating Way
Quincy Porters time at Notre Dame has hit an especially cruel snag before it ever had a chance to get started. Marcus Freeman said the transfer wide receiver will undergo season-ending patella surgery later this week, officially shutting down a 2026 campaign in which Porter never got to take a single snap for the Irish after coming over from Ohio State.
Porter had already been battling injury issues that kept pushing back his return, and the timing makes the setback sting even more. Under recent NCAA eligibility rule changes, he also cannot redshirt this season, which means 2025 is effectively gone from a roster-building standpoint and leaves Notre Dame waiting to see what comes next for a player who was supposed to add depth to the receiver room. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Got The Early Break Purdue Couldnt Recover From
Barry Odom had plenty to sort through after Purdues 49-10 loss to Notre Dame, but the Boilermakers defense drew the sharpest criticism. The first-year head coach pointed to several calls he believed hurt his team early, and the Irish took advantage as the game quickly slipped out of hand. Purdue also put itself in a difficult spot with a fake punt attempt that came close to working before turning into another swing moment for Notre Dame.
For a team trying to steady itself against FBS competition, the concern is less about one bad night than the trend it now sits in. Purdue has lost three straight games to FBS opponents, and the margins have grown each time, which only adds to the pressure to clean up the defense and avoid giving away momentum so early. [Read more 🡒]