Notre Dame got their signature 2020 win last night, a double-overtime thriller against Clemson, where the Irish outlasted the Tigers 47-40. Yes, presumed No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence didn’t play, but does that really matter at all?
No, Clemson has been a dominant force in college football without Lawrence and will continue after he moves onto the the NFL. What the Irish did last night was something no other ACC opponent can claim to do since 2017, beat the Tigers in a conference game.
This is a night many Irish fan’s wont forget, we certainly won’t. They were rewarded for their effort in the latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports by being ranked No. 2, two spots ahead of Clemson who they just defeated.
In other games in the ACC, No. 10 Miami, FL barely got by NC State, 44-41, Liberty beat another member of the conference on the road in Virginia Tech, and No. 24 North Carolina waxed Duke, 56-24.
Here is the full Amway Coaches poll, with ACC teams in bold and last weeks ranking in parenthesis.
1 Alabama (2)
2 Notre Dame (4)
3 Ohio State (3)
4 Clemson (1)
5 Florida (8)
6 Texas A&M (7)
7 Cincinnati (6)
8 BYU (9)
9 Miami, FL (10)
10 Indiana (13)
11 Georgia (5)
12 Oregon (14)
13 Oklahoma St. (12)
14 Wisconsin (11)
15 Marshall (15)
16 Iowa St. (17)
17 Coastal Carolina (16)
18 Oklahoma (19)
19 SMU (18)
20 USC (20)
21 Auburn (21)
22 Liberty (NR)
23 Northwestern (NR)
24 Texas (NR)
25 Army (21)
Dropped out: No. 23 Boise St., No. 24 UNC, No. 25 Michigan