Notre Dame football bizarrely drops in AP Top 25 after stomping Stanford

With the 49-7 win over the Stanford Cardinal, the Notre Dame football team seemingly shifted into "playoff mode." In that they convincingly beat a team they were supposed to convincingly beat.

Most Fighting Irish fans probably thought such a thorough whipping of the ACC team would help the Blue and Gold move up a couple of spots. After all, less impressive wins over worse teams saw them move up at least a spot the last few weeks.

However, it appears the Associated Press wanted to make it clear how hard it really is for a team with no conference affiliation to make the dance. In the just released AP Top 25, Notre Dame football actually dropped a spot, from 11th to 12th.

Notre Dame football drops unexpectedly after big win

Two things can be true at the same time. The Irish have not played a particularly tough schedule. However, when they blow the doors off a team that isn't good, but isn't the worst Power 4 program out there, they should be punished. Especially since almost everyone agrees this was a game where Notre Dame showed they're finding their footing.

That the Irish are hanging onto a playoff spot by a thread is just the first piece of bad news in this week's poll. There's also the fact that because USC couldn't hold onto a lead against Penn State, they've dropped out of the Top 25.

On the other hand, both Army and Navy are now ranked. Both armed forces academies are still on the Notre Dame football schedule. That means there is a chance the Irish will get to play a solid Georgia Tech team and then still have some ranked opponents to overcome later in the year.

It's clear Marcus Freeman and company need to do some convincing. There aren't many other ways they can do that in 2024. They're going to need to run the table. Another Notre Dame football loss likely means they're out of the playoffs. No matter who it's to.