Notre Dame Ranked #10 in Coaches Poll and #12 in AP Top 25

Irish are Gearing Up For a Top 15 Matchup Next Week

Week 3 Top 25

Quick Hitter

Notre Dame Fighting Irish remained steady at #10 in the coaches poll and #12 in the AP Top 25 Poll after a 27-13 win against the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday Afternoon. The Irish defense looked solid throughout and multiple players stepped up with Michael Mayer and Kevin Austin not making much of an impact. Next week is the first “real” test for the Irish and their ranking.

Notre Dame Opponent Rankings Quick Hits

• Cincinnati Bearcats: Dropped to #9/#9. Cincy looked vulnerable against an Indiana team that has looked very underwhelming this year. Like everyone Notre Dame plays, they will have a bye week before heading into South Bend
• Wisconsin Badgers: Up to #15/#15. The Badgers had the week off before heading to Soldier Field against the Irish next weekend. Mertz/Coan bowl will be one for the ages!
• Virginia Tech Hokies: Dropped out of the Top 25. The Hokies came out very flat against West Virginia and couldn’t complete the late game comeback. It’s still a bit tough call of what to make of these Hokies.
• North Carolina Tar Heels: Dropped to #20/#21. The offense definitely clicked, but this defense is very much Swiss cheese. They gave up ridiculous numbers to Virginia, but also found their offensive football. The Bad news for the Irish is that Sam Howell is looking more and more like Sam Howell.

Next Up

The Fighting Irish will “host” the Wisconsin Badgers next weekend in a marquee matchup. Though technically an away game, Chicago is flooded with Notre Dame fans and should be a crowd that skews Irish. Game Day and Big Noon Saturday will be there, which will only add to the hype. Yours truly will also be onsite and sitting in the press box, in what will be one of the coolest experiences in my life. As a die hard Bears and Notre Dame fan, this is really a dream come true. GO IRISH