Notre Dame is once again sitting near the top of the preseason college football conversation.
When the Associated Press preseason media poll dropped Monday, Aug. 17, the Irish checked in at No. 4 nationally, one spot ahead of where the coaches placed them in the US LBM preseason poll released Aug. 4.
The top of the AP ranking is packed with familiar heavyweights: Ohio State is No. 1, Oregon No.
2, Georgia No. 3 and Texas No. 5.
The first two are Big Ten teams, while Georgia and Texas represent the Southeastern Conference.
Notre Dame’s 2026 regular-season slate includes three opponents that are also in Monday’s AP poll. Miami comes in at No.
7, Brigham Young at No. 14 and Southern Methodist at No. 19.
Those rankings line up closely with the coaches’ poll as well. Miami was also seventh there, BYU landed at No. 15 and SMU at No. 20.
The first of those ranked matchups comes Oct. 17, when Notre Dame travels to Provo, Utah, to face BYU. Miami visits Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 7, and SMU follows two weeks later.
The Irish open the season Sept. 6 against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Marcus Freeman is entering his fifth full season in charge, and Notre Dame is favored by three touchdowns.
There’s also a reminder in the AP poll of how much can change over the course of a season. A dozen teams from last year’s preseason ranking ended up finishing unranked, including four that began in the top 12: Penn State at No.
2, Clemson at No. 4, LSU at No.
9, Arizona State at No. 11 and Illinois at No. 12.
Notre Dame arrives at this preseason high after winning 10 straight following last season’s opening losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Even after reaching the national title game against Ohio State after the 2024 season, the Irish were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
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Notre Dame Is Back At The Center Of College Footballs Same Debate
Curt Cignetti brought an old argument back to the surface this week, taking aim at Notre Dames football independence and suggesting the Irish ought to be willing to play more games at Indianas home field. The Indiana coachs comments drew an immediate boost from former Florida State quarterback and analyst Danny Kanell, who backed Cignetti publicly and questioned the advantages Notre Dame enjoys as one of college footballs last true independents.
The backdrop matters here: Indiana had previously backed out of a scheduled home-and-home series with Notre Dame, and Cignettis critique came in the shadow of that decision. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of familiar debate that never really goes away, with independence remaining both a point of pride and a target for critics who see an uneven playing field. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Defensive Depth Battle Is Starting To Get Interesting
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Among the most interesting pieces is DJ McKinney, whose talent and experience stand out, even as Ash said he still has to get comfortable in the system. Jaylen Sneed is another name worth tracking on the defensive side, with Ash noting his growth as a pass rusher and his readiness to battle for playing time as Notre Dame looks to sort out its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Receiver Crowd Just Added More Pressure On Billy Napier
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The broader piece treats them as part of a larger wave of receivers changing schools and trying to turn previous promise into production in new uniforms. Porter and Graham are being slotted into roles where opportunity matters as much as talent, and Notre Dame will be watching closely to see which of the two can carve out the bigger lane. In a market where breakout candidates often decide how deep a receiver group can go, their development feels like one of those storylines that could end up shaping the Irish offense more than it does now. [Read more 🡒]