Notre Dame’s first College Football Playoff ranking of the 2026 season brought a familiar kind of frustration. The Fighting Irish came in at No. 11 on Tuesday, a full seven spots behind where they sat in the most recent Associated Press poll.
At 7-1, Notre Dame is in the mix, but the committee clearly wasn’t dazzled by the résumé. The biggest reason appears to be the schedule, which has produced only one win over a team currently above .500: Wisconsin.
That sets up a tricky message for Marcus Freeman to deliver, especially with No. 1 Miami coming to town this weekend. Freeman didn’t try to downplay the ranking so much as turn it into fuel.
"Use it. Don't tell them, don't pay attention to it," Freeman said.
"Who cares? Like, that's what everybody's going to say, right?
Like, don't know. It doesn't matter.
Use it. Use it to remember to get back into the moment.
The minute you start thinking about the playoff rankings, and you hear, or you look on your phone, and somebody tells you where you rank, use it as a reminder to win this moment.
"I don't want to lose it. Let's use it.
And so we're going to use that as a reminder. At some point, it's Tuesday, I guess, so Tuesday after practice, I'll tell them, hey, tonight the playoff rankings come out.
If you read it or hear about it, use it as a reminder to go to bed early."
The ranking also brings back an uncomfortable memory for Notre Dame. The Irish finished 11th in the final playoff ranking last season and were left out of the postseason.
Freeman responded to that miss with his "Leave No Doubt" message, and the committee’s first reveal of this year suggests there’s still work to do. Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevaqua signed a memorandum of understanding with the committee that guarantees the Irish a playoff spot if they finish inside the top 12, but Tuesday’s placement makes Saturday’s game feel especially important.
Notre Dame is listed as a 5.5-point favorite against Miami, but the lower-than-expected ranking gives that matchup extra weight.
BYU, the only team to beat Notre Dame this season, checked in at No. 9.
The Cougars beat the Irish 28-24 on Oct. 17.
And with Miami the only remaining opponent currently in the top 25, Notre Dame doesn’t have much room left to impress the committee against the rest of its schedule.
The full top 25 opened with Miami at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama. Kentucky landed at No. 6, with Texas, UCLA, BYU and Ole Miss rounding out the top 10 ahead of Notre Dame at No.
- Ohio State was No. 12, followed by Tennessee, LSU, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, Houston, Missouri, Iowa, USC, South Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Florida and Boise State.
In Other News...
Notre Dames 2027 Schedule Shift Carries Bigger Stakes Than Fans Realize
Purdues latest schedule update quietly changes the shape of Notre Dames 2027 slate, with the Boilermakers dropping the Irish and replacing them with West Virginia in their non-conference lineup. At the same time, Notre Dame has filled that opening by announcing a home-and-home series with Illinois for 2027 and 2028, keeping its future schedule full while adding another familiar Midwest opponent to the mix.
The move also nudges a long-running rivalry further into the background, even if it does not erase its history. Notre Dames 2027 schedule is already taking shape around the usual balancing act of tradition, travel and strength of schedule, and losing Purdue from the calendar is a reminder that even the old regional series are never guaranteed to stay put. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Just Framed What Notre Dame Means To Miami
Mario Cristobal spent part of the buildup to Miamis matchup with Notre Dame making clear that the conversation inside the Hurricanes program is less about the noise around the game and more about the work required to win it. The Miami coach praised the Irish and their quarterback, then steered the focus back to the basics, stressing fundamentals, preparation and the kind of technique that tends to decide big games in November.
Cristobal also framed the matchup as one that demands intensity without distraction, which is a useful reminder of how much this game still means on both sidelines. For Notre Dame, that kind of respect from an opponents head coach is another sign of the standard the Irish bring into these meetings, even if the real test will come down to whether Miami can match that level when the ball is actually kicked off. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Reopened The Door To A Dream 5-Star Flip
A high-profile recruiting visit is coming back into focus for Notre Dame, and it could matter a lot in the 2027 class. Kaden Henderson, a five-star linebacker who is already committed to Texas A&M, reportedly plans to be in South Bend on Nov. 7 to watch the Irish take on Miami, giving Notre Dame another chance to make its case in front of one of the nations top defensive prospects.
Henderson has been reconsidering his options as Texas A&M has stumbled and Notre Dame has kept building momentum on the field, which has reopened a door that once looked closed. No change has been made yet, and this one figures to stretch all the way to Signing Day in December, but the Irish have at least put themselves back in the conversation for a potential flip. [Read more 🡒]