College Football AP Top 25: Winners and losers of Week 9

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumbled punt in the second quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

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SOUTH BEND, IN – OCTOBER 21: Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumbled punt in the second quarter of a game against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 13 up to No. 9)

Is there a team in college football that is more overlooked this year than Notre Dame? Probably not. The Fighting Irish have won five straight games after a tough one-point loss at home to red-hot, No. 3-ranked Georgia.

The streak began with a blowout win over suddenly-hot Boston College and then a 20-point win over now-ranked Michigan State. The Irish then blew out Miami (OH) and North Carolina, but no way they would beat No. 11 USC in comfortable fashion, right? We were all wrong.

Notre Dame took it to the Trojans in South Bend on Saturday night, 49-14. Everyone expected a close, down-to-the-wire game, but Brian Kelly’s team poured it on. It seemed as if Notre Dame could do no wrong as it raced out to a big lead and never turned back.

The Irish are finally getting respect as a top-10 team and it’s good to see that this offseason hard work is paying off. They have completely turned things around after a rocky 2016 campaign and are now bowl eligible through seven games. However, the Irish are thinking College Football Playoff, not just any meaningless bowl game.

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