Notre Dame Football: Irish Hold Steady in Polls, Projected in Cotton

The Notre Dame football team held steady in the Coaches and AP Polls following a 24-17 victory over the Midshipmen. With another victory, the Irish are now 9-2. Their chances of landing in a “New Year’s Six” bowl game remain intact. In fact, Notre Dame probably needs a victory against Stanford this week to clinch a birth.

AP & Coaches Poll

The Top 9 and the Top 12 of the AP and Coaches poll remained exactly the same following “Cupcake” Saturday.

Notre Dame still ranks No. 9 in the country in both polls.

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As for Notre Dame’s opponents, USC, Georgia, Miami (FL), Michigan State and Stanford find themselves in the Top 25 of both polls.

USC ranks No. 11 and No. 10 in the AP and Coaches poll respectively following a victory over rival UCLA.

The two opponents who defeated the Fighting Irish, Georgia and Miami (FL), land at No. 7 and No. 2 in both polls.

Michigan State ranks No. 21 and No. 22 in the polls. The Spartans defeated Maryland, 17-7, to move to 8-3 on the year.

Notre Dame’s next opponent, Stanford, comes in at No. 20 in both polls. The Cardinal defeated Cal in “The Game” on Saturday.

Bowl Projections

Notre Dame continues to trend towards playing in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29. Another possibility is the Orange Bowl. Here are the current projections for the Fighting Irish.

Jerry Palm (CBS Sports): Cotton Bowl – Penn State vs. Notre Dame
Sports Illustrated: Cotton Bowl – Auburn vs. Notre Dame
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Orange Bowl – Clemson vs. Notre Dame
David M. Hale (ESPN): Orange Bowl – Clemson vs. Notre Dame

Depending on who wins the ACC could determine where Notre Dame plays. If Miami (FL) wins the ACC, the Orange Bowl probably becomes a very real possibility. If Clemson wins the ACC, the Cotton Bowl might be more likely.

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Regardless, the Fighting Irish must take care of business in the regular season finale.

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