College Football HQ

College football rankings: Winless team remains ranked in both AP and Coaches Poll

The latest college football rankings include the rarity of an 0-2 team remaining in the top 25. Find out why a winless Notre Dame remains in both the Coaches and AP Poll.
Jonathan Adams|
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The college football rankings have been released and a rare 0-2 team still remains ranked in both polls. Notre Dame sits at No. 24 in the AP Poll after dropping 16 spots as the Irish are one slot above a 3-0 USC team, thanks to a challenging schedule.

The Coaches Poll is slightly more bullish on Notre Dame as the Irish are ranked No. 21.

It is hard to ignore that the expanded College Football Playoff is impacting how voters view teams. No longer can the top 25 rankings simply move up all the undefeated teams while dropping programs following a loss.

Notre Dame would have likely cruised to a 2-0 start if the Irish opted for a lighter schedule instead of facing No. 4 Miami and No. 10 Texas A&M to kick off 2025. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish deserve credit for the strong schedule, but the reality is the program's College Football Playoff chances now hang in the balance, just one season removed from a national title appearance.

Notre Dame's College Football Playoff chances may be all but over by October

Notre Dame still faces plenty of challenging opponents as the team searches for its first victory. The Irish take on Purdue, Arkansas and Boise State in the team's next three games.

A loss to any of these teams would give Notre Dame three defeats. It is not impossible for a three-loss team to make the College Football Playoff, but it would certainly make it challenging for Notre Dame to have no margin for error before the leaves have started changing in most places around the country.

Notre Dame still face USC and Arkansas on the schedule

Even if Notre Dame goes on a run, an Oct. 18 matchup against USC still looms given the Irish already have two losses. Yet, if any team is used to succeeding after being written off it is Notre Dame.

Back in 2024, the Irish survived an early loss to Northern Illinois to go on to not only make the College Football Playoff but also reach the championship game. A strong argument can be made that a winless Notre Dame is still likely better than plenty of the undefeated teams around the country.

Notre Dame lost their first two games against top-10 opponents by a combined 4 points

Notre Dame lost the first two games against top-10 opponents by a combined four points. After giving up 41 points against Texas A&M, Freeman is focused on improving the team's defense.

"I spend a lot of time with our defense, that's obviously where my background is, and I'll continuously do it," Freeman noted following the team's loss to the Aggies, per ESPN. "Will I spend more time? Maybe. If that's what's necessary, I will, I'll spend more time there.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that we improve and we have a performance that we believe is the standard for Notre Dame football."

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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