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Notre Dame

Where Notre Dame ranks in first 2025 College Football Playoff rankings

IMG_9992by: Tyler Horka5 hours agotbhorka
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, offensive lineman Joe Otting (64), safety Adon Shuler (8), defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka (44), quarterback CJ Carr (13) and defensive lineman Donovan Hinish (41) after the game against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. (Photo by Edward Finan-Imagn Images)

The leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting cooler and the College Football Playoff discourse is getting louder. It reached its loudest levels of the 2025 season so far Tuesday night when the first official CFP rankings of the year were revealed.

Notre Dame is No. 10.

Here’s a look at the entire set of rankings and what the bracket would look like if the playoff started now.

Nov. 4 College Football Playoff rankings — Notre Dame No. 10

1. Ohio State (8-0)
2. Indiana (9-0)
3. Texas A&M (8-0)
4. Alabama (7-1)
5. Georgia (7-1)

6. Ole Miss (8-1)
7. BYU (8-0)
8. Texas Tech (8-1)
9. Oregon (7-1)
10. Notre Dame (6-2)

11. Texas (7-2)
12. Oklahoma (7-2)
13. Utah (7-2)
14. Virginia (8-1)
15. Louisville (7-1)

16. Vanderbilt (7-2)
17. Georgia Tech (8-1)
18. Miami (6-2)
19. USC (6-2)
20. Iowa (6-2)

21. Michigan (7-2)
22. Missouri (6-2)
23. Washington (6-2)
24. Pittsburgh (7-2)
25. Tennessee (6-3)

CFP bracket if the playoff began according to Nov. 4 rankings

BYES
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (on home campus of higher seeded school)
No. 12 seed Memphis vs.
No. 5 seed Georgia

No. 11 seed Virginia vs.
No. 6 seed Ole Miss

No. 10 seed Notre Dame vs.
No. 7 seed BYU

No. 9 seed Oregon vs.
No. 8 seed Texas Tech

What it means for Notre Dame

• The Irish are the last at-large team to get in the field. If the Irish were No. 11 behind Texas, the Longhorns would be the last team to get in and the Irish would be on the outside looking in.

• Being the top-ranked two-loss team is a huge thing for Notre Dame. Will it last, though? What if Texas beats No. 5 Georgia, for instance? That’d probably be enough to leapfrog the Irish, who have games against Navy and Pitt between now and the time the Texas vs. Georgia game will go final. And if that game is close, do Texas and Georgia both get ranked ahead of Notre Dame?

• Scenarios like that abound, not just in the SEC. There will be a lot that happens in other conferences, like the Big 12, that affects Notre Dame down the stretch. All the Marcus Freeman‘s team can do is what it set out to do since losing to Texas A&M and dropping to 0-2, though — win every game. That’s all that matters.