AP Top 25 Preseason Poll: Where Will Notre Dame Rank? ND on SI Question

How much will the AP voters like Notre Dame in the preseason Top 25 poll? We try to answer this in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI Noon Question.

Pete Fiutak | Jul 23, 2024

Notre Dame defensive linemen Joshua Burnham (40) and Junior Tuihalamaka (44) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. / MANDATORY CREDIT GREG SWIERCZ / USA

In this story:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

How much respect will Notre Dame receive in the preseason AP college football top 25 poll? It'll be in everyone's top ten, but really, how high can it rank? We try to answer this in the latest Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI Noon Question.

Notre Dame should be just outside of the elite of the AP Top 25

Rich Cirminiello
@RichCirminiello

No. 6 … just behind Alabama and just ahead of Penn State and Michigan.

The top four spots will be some mix of Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, and Oregon.

After taking some body blows in the immediate aftermath of Nick Saban’s retirement, Alabama has rebounded under Kalen DeBoer. There’s a growing sense things will be just fine in Tuscaloosa in 2024 and beyond, so the Tide locks down the five hole.

This is where the Irish make sense.

The D is every bit as good as Penn State's and Michigan's. Now that Riley Leonard is headed toward full-strength, ND could have an edge at quarterback over the Lions and the Wolverines. Drew Allar still has a lot to prove in Happy Valley, and Michigan - it'll be Alex Orji - has yet to fully settle on JJ McCarthy’s replacement.

Notre Dame will be given a whole ton of love by the AP poll

Pete Fiutak
@PeteFiutak

Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon.

That's your top four in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. I'm only predicting it - not saying I agree.

The five is a wee bit up in the air. I THINK the AP types will put Alabama there on muscle memory, and it's a big enough voter size to assume some will put Michigan there, just because - you'd be shocked how many people buy the "still the champ until it's beaten" thing, like the Wolverines are 1985 Larry Holmes.

My guess will be Alabama at the 5, Notre Dame at the 6, Michigan 7, Ole Miss 8 ...

But, whatever. The fact that Notre Dame is easily in the top ten shows how much respect this team will receive early on. The expectations are there for something great this season.

(With that said, Notre Dame is only -4 against Texas A&M.)

Notre Dame will be in the AP preseason top ten, at least

Nick Shepkowski
@NickShepkowski

My pick is that Notre Dame will check in seventh or eighth. Georgia and Ohio State run away with the top two spots followed by Oregon and Texas at three and four.

Lane Kiffin is a media darling so expect that love to be shown in the form of a preseason top-five ranking for Ole Miss. Alabama is still loaded even with Saban gone so expect them to be right there. Anyone after that Notre Dame is at least on par with.

Michigan may get extra love for being the reigning champs and perhaps Drew Allar’s hype will help get Penn State some extra preseason love as the Nittany Lions should be as talented as they have to date under James Franklin.

Notre Dame should be just outside of the elite of the AP Top 25

Notre Dame will be given a whole ton of love by the AP poll

Notre Dame will be in the AP preseason top ten, at least

More ND on SI Noon Questions