Where Notre Dame football ranks in Week 6 Associated Press Poll after beating Duke
Notre Dame got back in the win column with a dramatic comeback victory over then-No. 17 Duke in Durham on Saturday night. Voters in the Associated Press Poll rewarded the Irish (5-1) by moving them from No. 11 to No. 10 in the Week 6 AP Top 25.
The Fighting Irish will play a third-straight game that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET this week at No. 25 Louisville (5-0). The Cardinals went on the road and barely edged NC State, 13-10, to remain undefeated. Notre Dame will play its third-straight game against a ranked, unbeaten team at the time of kickoff as well.
That likely won’t change the following week, either. USC and its high-powered offense still has a zero in the loss column, and the Trojans host 3-2 Arizona in Los Angeles on Saturday. Notre Dame welcomes reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and USC to South Bend for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Oct. 14. After that, eight games into the year, the Irish get their first bye week on Oct. 22.
It’s been a two-month spring out of the gates for head coach Marcus Freeman‘s team since opening the season in Ireland against Navy on Aug. 26. So far, the lone blemish on the résumé was a 17-14 home loss to then-No. 6 Ohio State on Sept. 23. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown from one yard out with one second left on the clock. The Irish only had 10 players on the field for the play.
It was neatly heartbreak for a second week in a row, but Notre Dame flipped the script with a 95-yard touchdown drive in the final three minutes of the game vs. Duke. The Buckeyes went 65 yards in the final two minutes to knock out the Irish a week prior.
With just one loss and multiple games against respectable opponents remaining on the schedule, Notre Dame still has a chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff if the Irish simply win out and post an 11-1 record against a stout slate of teams.
Week 6 AP Top 25
- Georgia (5-0)
- Michigan (5-0)
- Texas (5-0)
- Ohio State (4-0)
- Florida State (4-0)
- Penn State (5-0)
- Washington (5-0)
- Oregon (5-0)
- USC (5-0)
- Notre Dame (5-1)
- Alabama (4-1)
- Oklahoma (5-0)
- Washington State (4-0)
- North Carolina (4-0)
- Oregon State (4-1)
- Ole Miss (4-1)
- Miami (4-0)
- Utah (4-1)
- Duke (4-1)
- Kentucky (5-0)
- Missouri (5-0)
- Tennessee (4-1)
- LSU (3-2)
- Fresno State (5-0)
- Louisville (5-0)
