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Following its impressive 30-13 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday night, Notre Dame jumped one spot to No. 4 in the Associated Press college football poll released Sunday. The Irish are also ranked fourth in the USA Today coaches poll.
Alabama remains in the top spot, followed by Oregon and Kansas State while LSU is ranked fifth. Notre Dame earned 1,344 points in the AP poll while Kansas State recorded 1,382. Each of the top four teams has an 8-0 record. The No. 4 ranking is the highest for ND since the third poll of the 2006 season.
The BCS rankings will be released tonight.
The Irish and Sooners, who dropped six spots to No. 14, were tied in the fourth quarter Saturday night in Norman, Okla., before ND scored the game's final 17 points.
Notre Dame is 8-0 for the first time since 2002, Tyrone Willingham's first season at the school. After a victory at Florida State pushed the Irish to 8-0 that year, ND stumbled the following week with a home loss to Boston College. The Irish lost three of their final five games that season to finish 10-3.
The Irish host 4-4 Pitt on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC) at Notre Dame Stadium. The Panthers posted a 47-17 home victory over Temple on Saturday.
Notre Dame did allow its first rushing touchdown of the season Saturday night, but defensively the Irish continue to shine. ND ranks 11th nationally in total defense (293 yards per game), ninth in rushing defense (95.2 ypg) and second in scoring defense (9.8 points per game).
The Irish running game is ranked the nation's 33rd best with an average of 196.5 yards per game. ND scored all three of its touchdowns on the ground Saturday night with Cierre Wood, Everett Golson and Theo Riddick all reaching the end zone.
Individually, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o continued to make his case for the Heisman Trophy in Saturday's victory with 11 tackles and an interception. The interception was his fifth of the season, and he ranks fourth in the country in that category.
Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency (164.7) while the ND defense is 11th in pass-efficiency defense (102.3).