College football rankings: Winless team remains ranked in both AP and Coaches Poll

Notre Dame would have likely cruised to a 2-0 start if the Irish opted for a lighter schedule instead of facing No. 4 Miami and No. 10 Texas A&M to kick off 2025. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish deserve credit for the strong schedule, but the reality is the program's College Football Playoff chances now hang in the balance, just one season removed from a national title appearance.

Notre Dame's College Football Playoff chances may be all but over by October

Notre Dame still faces plenty of challenging opponents as the team searches for its first victory. The Irish take on Purdue, Arkansas and Boise State in the team's next three games.

A loss to any of these teams would give Notre Dame three defeats. It is not impossible for a three-loss team to make the College Football Playoff, but it would certainly make it challenging for Notre Dame to have no margin for error before the leaves have started changing in most places around the country.

Notre Dame still face USC and Arkansas on the schedule

Even if Notre Dame goes on a run, an Oct. 18 matchup against USC still looms given the Irish already have two losses. Yet, if any team is used to succeeding after being written off it is Notre Dame.

Back in 2024, the Irish survived an early loss to Northern Illinois to go on to not only make the College Football Playoff but also reach the championship game. A strong argument can be made that a winless Notre Dame is still likely better than plenty of the undefeated teams around the country.

Notre Dame lost their first two games against top-10 opponents by a combined 4 points

Notre Dame lost the first two games against top-10 opponents by a combined four points. After giving up 41 points against Texas A&M, Freeman is focused on improving the team's defense.

"I spend a lot of time with our defense, that's obviously where my background is, and I'll continuously do it," Freeman noted following the team's loss to the Aggies, per ESPN. "Will I spend more time? Maybe. If that's what's necessary, I will, I'll spend more time there.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that we improve and we have a performance that we believe is the standard for Notre Dame football."