Notre Dame earned a massive win this past weekend when they knocked off the then No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes. That win jumped Notre Dame up six spots in the latest College Football Playoff Ranking. Notre Dame now comes in at No. 5 in the latest ranking, with the Irish two spots ahead of Miami, who fell to No. 7 in the latest rankings release.

Notre Dame began at No. 11 in the first rankings release, which was a little bit controversial. The Irish were 7-1 and had won all seven games in convincing fashion, but at the time the Irish had no ranked wins and a loss to No. 9 BYU. The Irish were seven spots behind Indiana, who also did not have any ranked wins and had won five of their games by one possession. Notre Dame's win over Miami clearly changed how the Irish resume was perceived, and the Irish were one of the biggest risers.

Notre Dame jumped ahead of Miami, Texas, Indiana, BYU and Ole Miss. It's no surprise the Irish passed up the Hurricanes, Cougars and Rebels, since all three teams lost this past weekend. BYU has the head-to-head win over the Irish (28-24), but the Cougars suffered their second loss this weekend when Utah beat them 28-20. Texas beat previously 18th-ranked Missouri this weekend and Indiana had a bye, but the Irish still leaped them after beating Miami 31-24 in a game the Irish led from start to finish.

A bit of a surprise in the rankings is SMU not jumping into the Top 25 after blasting Virginia Tech to improve to 7-2. SMU will get a chance to jump in next week if they can beat No. 13 Wake Forest in a game that will be played on their home field. That would give Notre Dame a chance to earn a second strong win.

If the season ended today, Notre Dame would have the five seed in the College Football Playoff. The Irish would face Boise State at home in the first round, as the Broncos are the only G6 team currently in the Top 25 rankings. That would be a rematch of a 2025 game the Irish won 28-7. Notre Dame would then play UCLA in the second round, should the Irish beat the Broncos.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS

1. Georgia Bulldogs - 8-1
2. Utah Utes - 9-0
3. Alabama Crimson Tide - 7-2
4. UCLA Bruins - 9-0
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 8-1
6. Texas Longhorns - 7-2
7. Miami Hurricanes - 8-1
8. Tennessee Volunteers - 7-2
9. Indiana Hoosiers - 8-1
10. BYU Cougars - 7-2
11. Kentucky Wildcats - 7-2
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders - 8-1
13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 8-1
14. Houston Cougars - 7-2
15. Iowa Hawkeyes - 7-2
16. Oregon Ducks - 6-3
17. South Carolina Gamecocks - 6-3
18. USC Trojans - 7-2
19. Ole Miss Rebels - 7-2
20. Ohio State Buckeyes - 6-3
21. LSU Tigers - 6-3
22. Missouri Tigers - 6-3
23. Arizona Wildcats - 7-2
24. Boise State Broncos - 9-1
25. Oklahoma State Cowboys - 6-3

---------

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook