When the new AP Top 25 poll dropped after Week 2, Notre Dame football made history — and not the kind Irish fans wanted.
Despite starting 0–2 with losses to Miami and Texas A&M, the Irish were ranked No. 24, becoming the first program since 1988 to remain in the poll while winless.
The move sparked plenty of debate. Should an 0–2 team be ranked ahead of undefeated squads fighting for national recognition? On the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show, Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt defended the Irish’s inclusion.
“Listen, this has got to be the best 0 and 2 team that we’ve seen in a long time,” Klatt said. “I’m glad that Notre Dame stayed in the AP poll because it tells me that they at least watched and kind of understood what they were seeing.”
Klatt’s point is rooted in context. The Irish haven’t lost to bottom-feeders — they fell 33–28 at Miami in the opener and then 41–40 in a shootout at Texas A&M.
Both opponents look like legitimate top-10 teams, with the Aggies flashing SEC speed that overwhelmed Notre Dame’s secondary. In other words, Notre Dame’s 0–2 doesn’t look the same as other programs’ 0–2.
Even so, Klatt believes the voters overcorrected. “I thought that they dropped a little bit too far,” he said. “I would have had them much further up or higher in the rankings than what they fell to. I believe they fell to 24 if I’m not mistaken.”
That fall has been steep. The Irish opened the year ranked No. 8 in the AP poll, riding high off last season’s College Football Playoff run.
Now, head coach Marcus Freeman’s team finds itself barely clinging to national relevance, staring up at programs like Auburn and Missouri who jumped into the rankings after Week 2.
The case for Notre Dame staying ranked rests on the data. Through two weeks, the Irish are averaging 32.0 points per game and 371.5 yards of total offense.
Quarterback CJ Carr, making just his second start, has completed 62.5% of his passes for 514 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love has become a stabilizing force, logging 147 yards and two scores against the Aggies.
This isn’t a broken offense — it’s one that has been undone by turnovers and a porous defense.
That defensive drop-off is striking. In 2024, Notre Dame ranked top five nationally in points allowed (15.5) and led the nation in takeaways (33).
Through two games this season, they’ve generated just one interception and one sack while allowing 74 points combined. That collapse is why Notre Dame is 0–2, not because they can’t score.
Still, being ranked at 0–2 is as much about reputation as performance. Notre Dame remains one of college football’s premier brands, and AP voters clearly believe this team is better than its record.
Whether they deserve the spot will be determined quickly — the Irish now face a stretch of must-win games where every slip could erase their Top 25 status.
Klatt may be right that Notre Dame is the “best 0–2 team we’ve seen in a long time.” But unless the Irish translate close calls into wins, history won’t remember their spot in the rankings — only that another season of high expectations slipped away in September.