Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Remains No. 2 In The Associated Press Poll

It can be lonely at the top, but this weekend it was also lonely among the Associated Press top five, with No. 2 Notre Dame the lone team to see action.

While No. 4 Clemson — a 47-40 double-overtime loser to the Fighting Irish a week earlier — was idle, No. 1 Alabama , No. 3 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas A&M had games cancelled at LSU, Maryland and Tennessee, respectively, because of coronavirus concerns.

Head coach Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish (8-0, 7-0 in the ACC) held on to their No. 2 spot with a 45-31 win at Boston College (5-4).

The top eight remained unchanged from last week, while the 4-0 Indiana Hoosiers continued their surprising ascent to No. 9 after a 24-0 shutout of Michigan State. The Hoosiers play Ohio State next.

Fellow Big Ten member Wisconsin (2-0) also cracked the top 10 with a 49-11 dismantling of reeling 1-3 Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Falling from No. 9 to 12 was Miami following a tight 25-24 victory at Virginia Tech.

Notre Dame, Clemson and Miami remained the three ACC representatives in the top 25. North Carolina (6-2), who Notre Dame visits Nov. 27 for its next contest, had 101 points to be the "first team out" at No. 26. Both the Irish and Tar Heels have a bye next weekend, with Notre Dame players in first-semester final exams Nov. 16-20.

Alabama received 60 first-place votes, while Ohio State and Notre Dame had one apiece.