
Notre Dame is a top 15 program since the year 2000
Notre Dame is a top 15 program since the year 2000 Fighting Irish are behind rivals Michigan and USC.
Notre Dame has been ranked as the 13th-best college football program since the year 2000 by one college-football writer.
The Athletic's Ian Mandel has the Fighting Irish ahead of big-name programs like Miami (Florida) and Penn State, but behind luminaries like Alabama and Oklahoma. Ohio State is listed at number one.
Rival schools USC and Michigan are ahead of the Fighting Irish -- USC at No. 8 and Michigan at No. 13.
Notre Dame started the 2000s as a fairly middle-of-the-road team, but since Charlie Weis was replaced by Brian Kelly, the Irish have been to two national-championship games, four College Football Playoffs, and had at least 10 wins nine times. Kelly, of course, was replaced by Marcus Freeman when he departed South Bend for LSU.
That's a pretty good way to respond after the Weis era failed to bring much success, and hopefully, Notre Dame continues to get better going forward.
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