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Notre Dame's first loss of the season to BYU over the weekend did not drop the Fighting Irish out of the top-10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Similarly, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt released his top-10 rankings on Monday, and he placed Notre Dame at No. 5.
On The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt emphasized that despite the loss, Notre Dame is still very much in the College Football Playoff conversation. He stated, "I still think people are going to have to deal with Notre Dame," and specifically mentioned that Miami will have to deal with the Fighting Irish when the time comes.
Klatt pointed out that Notre Dame came close to beating BYU on the road in a raucous environment. He also noted that the team should have had another play with a second left because the play should have gone to replay review. Klatt expressed confusion over how the officials missed that call.
The rest of Klatt's top 10, in order, is BYU, Ohio State, Miami, Indiana, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UCLA, and Texas Tech.
Key Analysis
Klatt's ranking indicates that he views Notre Dame's loss to BYU as a competitive road defeat rather than a damaging setback. His comments suggest that the Fighting Irish remain a formidable team that opponents, including Miami, will need to reckon with. The emphasis on the officiating error also highlights that the game's outcome might have been different with an additional play. Overall, Klatt's perspective reinforces Notre Dame's standing as a playoff contender despite the early-season loss.
Originally reported by yahoo.