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Notre Dame football: Purdue win should move Irish up in AP Poll

By Brad Weiss

Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton (14) intercepts a pass intended for Purdue tight end Payne Durham (87) in the end zone during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.Cfb Notre Dame Vs Purdue
Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton (14) intercepts a pass intended for Purdue tight end Payne Durham (87) in the end zone during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.Cfb Notre Dame Vs Purdue /
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The win for the Purdue Boilermakers against Iowa should have a ripple effect on the Notre Dame football team’s rank this week.

Despite the bye week, the Notre Dame football team could see themselves in an improved situation when the latest AP Poll is released later today. The Irish were dormant in Week 7, but after getting out to a 5-1 record, they went into the bye week as the No. 14 team in the country, their second straight week there.

Once a top-10 team, it has not been easy for the Irish this season, as every win has been tough to come by, and they also have a glaring loss on the resume. That loss came at the hands of now-No. 3 Cincinnati, a team that could be the No. 2 team in the country when the latest rankings are announced heading into Week 8.

Had the Irish beaten the Bearcats, they could very well be a top-3 team right now, despite their struggles, as it seems undefeated teams are knocked off weekly this season. The Notre Dame football team could very well stick at No. 14 for a third straight ranking, but after this weekend, they will likely improve.

Notre Dame football should move up in the latest ranking

Not only did the Purdue Boilermakers win on Saturday, a team the Irish beat, but they got the victory against the No. 2 team in the country in the Iowa Hawkeyes. That makes the Notre Dame win against Purdue a big one in terms of the rankings, and it will likely vault the Boilermakers into a top-25 ranking.

The truth is, there were a ton of upsets in Week 7, as the No. 17, 28, 19, and 20 ranked teams all lost to unranked opponents. No. 11 Kentucky lost to No. 1 Georgia, which was not an upset, and both Michigan State and Ole Miss, two teams ranked above Notre Dame, barely hung on against unranked teams as well.

The Irish do not play a ranked team the rest of the way and have a legitimate chance to run their record to 11-1 when all is said and done. If they can do that, and teams continued to get knocked off from week to week, they could be back in the CFP conversation, which would be an incredible achievement for this current roster.

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