AP Top 25 voter explains his top-10 ranking of Notre Dame in Week 4 poll

AP voter Koki Riley clarifies rank of winless Notre Dame in his top 10

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr and the Fighting Irish have an 0-2 record to start the 2025 college football season with losses to Miami and Texas A&M. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame football finds itself in a rare and controversial position. The Fighting Irish are 0-2, yet they remain ranked in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll after two excruciatingly close losses.

AP voter Koki Riley, who covers LSU for The Advocate and Nola.com, placed Notre Dame at No. 10 in his Week 4 ballot, the highest ranking of any voter. His decision has fueled debate across the college football world, especially after the Irish dropped to No. 24 in the official AP poll.

The Irish opened with a 27-24 loss to Miami before suffering a 41-40 defeat to Texas A&M at home. Both losses came against top-10 teams, setting up the debate over whether Notre Dame deserves its continued presence in the rankings.

Koki Riley Defends His Notre Dame Ballot Decision

Riley admitted that ranking a winless team in the top 10 is highly unusual. But he explained why Notre Dame’s unique start warranted the move.

“The Fighting Irish have lost to two top-10 teams in my poll by a combined four points,” Riley wrote. “If a couple of plays had gone their way, they’d probably be the No. 1 team in the nation.”

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) ran for 94 yards, caught four passes for 53 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Irish's 41-40 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

He emphasized that while results matter, context does too. “I’m not saying that Notre Dame is perfect, and it’s obviously important to win the games, but how you lose and who you lose to are also critical factors,” Riley said.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has thrown for 586 yards across the two losses. Against Texas A&M, he tossed for 293 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But critical mistakes, like a botched extra point snap after a late touchdown, opened the door for the Aggies’ comeback win.

Critics Push Back Against Irish Ranking

Not everyone agrees with Riley’s reasoning. College football analyst Josh Pate shredded the decision to keep Notre Dame in the poll during his Sunday show.

“They haven’t won a game yet. They’ve had two tries. They haven’t won a game,” Pate said. He argued that preseason expectations should not carry weight once games begin, and Notre Dame’s 0-2 record should remove them from the rankings entirely.

The latest AP top 25 poll is now out.

I explained my vote for this week and wrote about voting philosophy through the first two weeks. #LSU https://t.co/I3Ir3IF8P3

— Koki Riley (@KokiRiley) September 14, 2025

Pate described Notre Dame’s inclusion as proof of lingering bias, pointing to the Irish’s reputation and brand as factors that skew the voting. “What you thought would be hasn’t been. What you think will be should have no bearing on a team’s current ranking,” he said.

The split reaction highlights a long-standing frustration with early-season polls. Defenders see Notre Dame’s razor-thin losses to elite opponents as proof the team remains among the nation’s best. Critics counter that polls are about results, and results demand wins.

Notre Dame Faces Mounting Pressure To Deliver

Notre Dame’s 0-2 start has already sent shockwaves through its fan base. The Irish dropped from No. 5 in the preseason Coaches Poll to No. 21, while hanging on at No. 24 in the AP Top 25.

Head coach Marcus Freeman downplayed the rankings drama, choosing instead to focus on improvement. “You gotta go to work and practice and get better,” Freeman said. “So we’re 0-2, lost to two good opponents. We’ve got the next one coming up soon.”

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has the Fighting Irish off to a 0-2 start to the 2025 season. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Still, the Irish are under immense pressure. They have not won a national championship since 1988, and even a narrow 0-2 start puts their College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy. Dropping a third straight game could spark a full-scale crisis in South Bend.

Notre Dame will attempt to regroup when it hosts Purdue on Saturday.