Josh Pate calls out winless team in Week 4 AP Top 25

Josh Pate torches AP Poll for keeping 0-2 Notre Dame ranked.

College football personality Josh Pate called out the AP Top 25 for its inclusion of Notre Dame at No. 24 despite its 0-2 start to the 2025 season. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Josh Pate did not hold back when he saw Notre Dame listed at No. 24 in the Week 4 AP Top 25 poll. During Sunday’s episode of his College Football Show, the host blasted voters for ranking the Irish despite their 0-2 start.

“Miami's beaten Notre Dame, who by your own admission, not mine, is still a ranked team,” Pate said. He then delivered the line that defined his rant: “They haven’t won a game yet. They’ve had two tries. They haven’t won a game.”

Notre Dame opened the season with a 27-24 loss to Miami, then dropped a 41-40 thriller to Texas A&M on Saturday night. Those results left Pate convinced the Irish had no business being anywhere near the Top 25.

Texas A&M Hands Notre Dame A Crushing Loss

The loss to Texas A&M was as gutting as it was dramatic. Quarterback Marcel Reed found Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left to seal a 41-40 victory in South Bend. Randy Bond’s extra point extended the Aggies’ lead and delivered their first road win over a ranked team in more than a decade.

“I don’t think Nate had a target all game, but when his name was called, he was ready,” Reed said. He finished with a career-high 360 passing yards and two touchdowns, while receiver Mario Craver added 207 receiving yards.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 360 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 41-40 win against Notre Dame on Saturday. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Notre Dame held a six-point lead late after a 12-yard touchdown run by Jeremiyah Love, but a botched snap on the extra point left the door open. Texas A&M took advantage, marching down the field to stun the home crowd.

Head coach Mike Elko, a former Irish assistant, called it a game defined by toughness. “We just kept fighting, kept battling, kept scrapping,” Elko said.

Notre Dame’s Ranking Sparks Heated Debate

Pate mocked the logic of keeping Notre Dame in the Top 25 after consecutive losses. “I regret to inform you Notre Dame, according to our friends at the AP, is a ranked team as of sundown on Sunday, September 14th,” he said.

He hammered home the absurdity of their inclusion, repeating, “They haven't won a game. They've had two tries. They haven't won a game.” To him, the issue is rooted in preseason bias. “What you thought would be hasn't been. What you think will be should have no bearing on a team's current ranking. And yet there sits Notre Dame at 24.”

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr passed for 293 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the Fighting Irish's 41-40 loss to Texas A&M. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The debate over Notre Dame reflects the broader frustration with early-season polls. Defenders argue the Irish were a national title contender last year and have only lost by a combined four points to top-10 opponents. Detractors say the standard is simple: you must win games to deserve a ranking.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman acknowledged the difficult start. “We’re 0-2. So what do you control? You control getting better and getting ready for the next one,” Freeman said.

The Irish will try to rebound when they host Purdue next Saturday.