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Notre Dame

Where Notre Dame football ranks in Week 9 Associated Press Poll

Kyle Kellyby: Kyle Kelly10/22/23ByKyleKelly
Marcus Freeman
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. (USA Today Sports)

Despite being on the bye week, the Notre Dame football program moved up one spot in the Week 9 Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Fighting Irish (6-2) are now the No. 14 team in college football. 

Notre Dame also slotted at No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

No. 14 in the AP Poll is the highest Notre Dame has ranked since falling to Louisville, 33-20, on Oct. 7. The Irish were the No. 10 team in the country before losing to the Cardinals. After that game, they dropped to No. 21, only to climb six spots to No. 15 after knocking off USC, 48-20, on Oct. 14.

Notre Dame opened the season at No. 13. The highest it ranked during the 2023 season was No. 9 in Week 4. The Irish lost to then-No. 6 Ohio State on Sept. 23. 

On Saturday, the Irish host unranked Pittsburgh (2-5) at Notre Dame Stadium. The Panthers have not been ranked in the AP Poll or received any votes this season. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. EDT. NBC will televise the game. 

Notre Dame is 48-21 all-time against Pittsburgh and has won the last three games. The Irish last faced the Panthers in South Bend on Oct. 24, 2020. Notre Dame won that game 45-3. The Irish have a 26-11 record at home in the series. They have not lost to Pittsburgh in Notre Dame Stadium since Nov. 1, 2008. 

Pittsburgh is coming off a 21-17 loss to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. They upset No. 14 Lousiville, 38-21, the previous week at home. 

After taking on the Panthers on Saturday, Notre Dame plays at Clemson (Nov. 4), hosts Wake Forest (Nov. 18) and is on the road at Stanford (Nov. 25). Similarly to Pittsburgh, those three teams are unranked and did not receive any votes in the AP Poll. The Irish have a second bye week after the Clemson game. 

ND is already eligible for a bowl game by already achieving six wins. The Irish beat South Carolina in the Gator Bowl last December. That was coach Marcus Freeman’s first bowl game victory as a head coach.

Week 9 AP Top 25

  1. Georgia (7-0)
  2. Michigan (8-0)
  3. Ohio State (7-0)
  4. Florida State (7-0)
  5. Washington (7-0)
  6. Oklahoma (7-0)
  7. Texas (6-1)
  8. Oregon (6-1)
  9. Alabama (7-1)
  10. Penn State (6-1)
  11. Oregon State (6-1)
  12. Ole Miss (6-1)
  13. Utah (6-1)
  14. Notre Dame (6-2)
  15. LSU (6-2)
  16. Missouri (7-1)
  17. North Carolina (6-1)
  18. Louisville (6-1)
  19. Air Force (7-0)
  20. Duke (5-2)
  21. Tennessee (5-2)
  22. Tulane (6-1)
  23. UCLA (5-2)
  24. USC (6-2)
  25. James Madison (7-2)