The Notre Dame football team entered the season ranked as the No. 6 team in the country in the first Associated Press poll before the season. They also entered the season ranked 5 in the first Coaches Poll.
They opened up play against the Miami Hurricanes who were ranked 10th in the AP poll and 10th in the Coaches poll. Following the loss, it was assumed by many that the Fighting Irish would fall in the standings to reflect their 0-1 record.
But how far did Notre Dame fall in this week's AP and Coaches Poll? Let's find out, as they were released on Tuesday afternoon.
Notre Dame football falls in the standings, but not as bad as some thought
Notre Dame officially checked in as the No. 9-ranked team in the most recent AP Poll and also 9th in the most recent coaches poll
Many fans were prepared for Notre Dame to fall out of the top 10 completely possibly, but voters kept the Irish in the top 10 of the rankings.
I think this is a reflection of the Coaches and AP voters really respecting Notre Dame taking on the challenge of going on the road and playing a true road game against another top 10 team in Miami. Rather than punish a team for playing a great opponent, they kept the Irish high in the standings.
Voters and Coaches took this same approach in ranking Texas 6th in the Coaches' poll and 7th in the AP poll, and Clemson, which fell from 4th to 8th.
I appreciate this approach as it encoruages teams to take on tough challenges, which is great for the sport and for the fans, instead of scheduling FCS or weak opponents to get off to an easy 1-0 start.
What does this mean for Notre Dame's chances of making the College Football Playoff?
Clearly, voters and coaches still view Notre Dame as a really good football team. If they did not, they would not have remained ranked so highly. With that being said, this still puts Notre Dame on the inside track to making the College Football Playoff.
12 teams will make the College Football Playoff this season, the same as last, with one small change. Rather than the top four seeds only going to conference champions, anyone, including Notre Dame, is eligible for those top four seeds and the bye that comes with that.
Now I am not suggesting that fans should be expecting that. I think had Notre Dame won their week one matchup, then a top four seed would have been firmly in play. However, at this point, just qualifying is the goal for the team, and it should be for the fans.
If Notre Dame can beat Texas A&M in Week 3, and after their performance against Miami, this is definitely an if, they should remain highly ranked moving forward as the schedule eases up. However, another tough loss would put them on the outside looking in.