Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Slides in Coaches Poll After Loss — Here’s Where They Rank Now

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:23 PM ET

The new USA Today Sports Coaches Poll is out and as expected, Notre Dame fell in the rankings, following Sunday night's 27-24 loss at Miami.

Just how far did the Irish drop?

Notre Dame went from 6th in the preseason rankings to ninth this week. Meanwhile, Miami jumped from being ranked 10th in the preseason poll to seventh this week.

Next Up for Notre Dame: No. 22 Texas A&M on September 13

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Next up for Notre Dame is a rematch with Texas A&M, after the two opened the season against one another last year. Notre Dame won that game 23-13 in College Station, and hosts the Aggies this time around.

Texas A&M is also down one spot in the rankings this week, falling to No. 22. This comes after a 42-24 victory over UTSA on Saturday in which quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns.

Also worth noting is that Texas A&M allowed UTSA to run the ball very successfully. Roadrunners running back Robert Henry, Jr. ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries last week.

College Football Playoff Outlook: Does Notre Dame Have to Win Out?

Notre Dame has very little, if any, wiggle room left after Sunday night's loss at Miami. It will depend on how the rest of the year goes for others, how many one loss teams there end up being, as well as how many two loss programs there are.

The most important thing Notre Dame can do is take care of its own business, and another challenge comes against Texas A&M in two weeks.

Notre Dame's offensive and defensive lines were both overmatched against Miami, something you don't generally see with the Fighting Irish. Texas A&M is going to bring what should be another of the nation's best offensive lines to South Bend, so Notre Dame will need to adjust and improve in a hurry to prevent another loss from coming.

Entire Updated USA Today Coaches Poll

The entire freshly released USA Today Coaches Poll is as follows:

1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Georgia
4. LSU
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. Miami
8. Clemson
9. Notre Dame
10. Arizona State

11. South Carolina
12. Illinois
13. Michigan
14. Ole Miss
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Tennessee
18. Iowa State

19. Florida State
20. Alabama
21. Indiana
22. Texas A&M
23. Texas Tech
24. Oklahoma
25. BYU

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought:

Polls this early in the season are laughable. Lose and its just pick a spot to re-rank all the one-loss teams.

Florida State only one spot ahead of Alabama after the way they handled the Tide on Saturday?

And what did Penn State or Georgia do that was more impressive than LSU, besides be ranked higher in the preseason poll?

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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