Notre Dame football finishes No. 18 in Associated Press Top 25
For the sixth consecutive year, Notre Dame finished inside the Associated Press Top 25 at the conclusion of the season. The Fighting Irish (9-4) landed No. 18 in the final set of 2022 rankings.
Notre Dame went into the year as the No. 5 team in the country. An 11-point loss to then-No. 2 Ohio State, who finished No. 4 in the final rankings, kept the Irish inside the top 10. But a home defeat to unranked Marshall dropped head coach Marcus Freeman‘s team out of the polls.
The Irish returned to the rankings after a 35-14 drubbing of then-No. 4 Clemson on Nov. 4. The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 30 was one of the few postseason matchups outside of New Year’s Six games that pitted two ranked teams against each other. No. 21 Notre Dame beat No. 19 South Carolina, 45-38, in front of a pro-Gamecocks crowd in Jacksonville, Fla.
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The wins over Clemson and South Carolina were the only two victories for Notre Dame over teams that appeared in the final AP Poll. The loss to Ohio State and a regular season-finale shortcoming vs. USC ended up being the only two ranked losses. The Trojans finished No. 12 in the final poll.
All signs point to the Irish being ranked toward the top of the poll to begin the 2023 season. Notre Dame brought in one of the crown jewels of this offseason’s transfer portal cycle in former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman. Freeman and company also signed another top-10 recruiting class. Several key starters and important depth pieces on both sides of the ball are set to return, and as it stands on Jan. 10 the program’s on-field coaching staff has remained entirely intact.
Final 2022 Associated Press Poll
1. Georgia (15-0)
2. TCU (13-2)
3. Michigan (13-1)
4. Ohio State (11-2)
5. Alabama (11-2)
6. Tennessee (11-2)
7. Penn State (11-2)
8. Washington (11-2)
9. Tulane (12-2)
10. Utah (10-4)
11. Florida State (10-3)
12. USC (11-3)
13. Clemson (11-3)
14. Kansas State (10-4)
15. Oregon (10-3)
16. LSU (10-4)
17. Oregon State (10-3)
18. Notre Dame (9-4)
19. Troy (12-2)
20. Mississippi State (9-4)
21. UCLA (9-4)
22. Pittsburgh (9-4)
23. South Carolina (8-5)
24. Fresno State (10-4)
25. Texas (8-5)
Notre Dame AP Poll finishes since 2010
2010: NR
2011: NR
2012: No. 4
2013: No. 20
2014: NR
2015: No. 11
2016: NR
2017: No. 11
2018: No. 5
2019: No. 12
2020: No. 5
2021: No. 8
2022: No. 18
