#35 Notre Dame
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Notre Dame (FBS Independents) is ranked 35th in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 6-1 and a score of 69.7 out of 100. That is unchanged from week 7. That puts it in the Feeling Good tier (ranks 26-50). Its strongest factor is win/loss record (85.7 out of 100). Its weakest is recent results (0.0 out of 100).
The best win on the résumé came in week 1, 41-13 over T-24 Wisconsin at a neutral site. The loss that stings most in the formula is the week 7 loss, 28-24 to #38 BYU on the road.
On the road it is 2-1. The average margin is +27.7 points per game, with a biggest win of 52 points. 1 of 7 games was decided by a touchdown or less.
Notre Dame is 5th in the AP poll (30 spots higher than the Davis Rankings); 6th in the Coaches poll (29 spots higher than the Davis Rankings).
Next up is #120 Navy in week 9, at a neutral site. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 10 against #2 Miami. 2 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin (neutral site) | W 41-13 |
| 2 | Rice (home) | W 52-0 |
| 3 | Michigan State (home) | W 27-10 |
| 4 | Purdue (away) | W 49-10 |
| 5 | North Carolina (away) | W 37-26 |
| 6 | Stanford (home) | W 58-7 |
| 7 | BYU (away) | L 24-28 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Navy (neutral site) | (ABC) |
| 10 | Miami (home) | (NBC, Peacock) |
| 11 | Boston College (home) | (NBC) |
| 12 | SMU (home) | (NBC) |
| 13 | Syracuse (away) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #35, Feeling Good (week 8). Best #2 (week 6). Lowest #35 (week 7). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left. A poll is a top 25, so its line breaks in the weeks the team is not in it. The poll lines are drawn a little apart so equal ranks do not hide each other: point at a week for the exact ranks.
Week 8 TDR #35 (69.7, 6-1) Feeling Good AP #5 Coaches #6
Week 1 TDR #7 (92.8, 1-0) AP #3 Coaches #4
Week 2 TDR #6 (94.5, 2-0) AP #3 Coaches #3
Week 3 TDR #2 (94.7, 3-0) Winning AP #3 Coaches #3
Week 4 TDR #3 (94.5, 4-0) Winning AP #3 Coaches #3
Week 5 TDR #3 (94.8, 5-0) Winning AP #3 Coaches #3
Week 6 TDR #2 (94.4, 6-0) Winning AP #2 Coaches #2
Week 7 TDR #35 (69.8, 6-1) Feeling Good AP #4 Coaches #8
Week 8 TDR #35 (69.7, 6-1) Feeling Good AP #5 Coaches #6
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier | AP | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #7 | 92.8 | 1-0 | - | #3 | #4 |
| 2 | #6 | 94.5 | 2-0 | - | #3 | #3 |
| 3 | #2 | 94.7 | 3-0 | Winning | #3 | #3 |
| 4 | #3 | 94.5 | 4-0 | Winning | #3 | #3 |
| 5 | #3 | 94.8 | 5-0 | Winning | #3 | #3 |
| 6 | #2 | 94.4 | 6-0 | Winning | #2 | #2 |
| 7 | #35 | 69.8 | 6-1 | Feeling Good | #4 | #8 |
| 8 | #35 | 69.7 | 6-1 | Feeling Good | #5 | #6 |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 85.7 |
| recent results | 0.0 |
| road-win bonus | 82.1 |
| opponent record at game time | 69.3 |
| opponent record today | 67.5 |
Something look wrong on this page? Report a data problem. It opens an email with this team and week filled in; if it does not, write to justwin@thedavisrankings.fyi.