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Notre Dame Ranked 20th By Athlon

Brian Kelly and his team are expected to return to the national rankings again in 2017.
Brian Kelly and his team are expected to return to the national rankings again in 2017. (Photo by Joe Raymond)

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Preseason college football magazines are about to hit the newsstands, and Athlon Sports was among the first to stock the shelves.

Despite last year’s stunning 4-8 ledger, Notre Dame is ranked No. 20 by Athlon in its Top 25.

The Fighting Irish are not alone when it comes to expecting significant improvement from last year's meltdown. The Oregon Ducks, who also finished 4-8 in 2016, are No. 21. Meanwhile, even though the Texas Longhorns were 5-7 in 2016, new head coach Tom Herman’s team is ranked No. 13 by Athlon.

Wrote Athlon: “Yes, Notre Dame finished 4-8 in 2016. However, the Fighting Irish lost seven of those games by eight points or less and finished No. 29 in the F/+ ratings. While there is certainly cause for concern in South Bend, coach Brian Kelly hired two standout coordinators this offseason (Chip Long on offense and Mike Elko on defense), and there’s a good core of talent in place. A quick rebound back to a winning record should be in order for 2017.”

Three Notre Dame opponents are ranked ahead of the Irish: No. 5 USC (Oct. 21 at home), No. 15 Georgia (Sept. 9 at home) and No. 17 Stanford (on the road in the Nov. 26 regular season finale). A fourth foe, the road game at Miami on Nov. 11, is ranked No. 23.

The publication also is projecting almost a repeat of last year’s Playoff that featured Alabama, Clemson (the national champion), Ohio State and Washington.

The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide is the pick to win the SEC, while the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 4 Huskies are the favorites to capture the Big 10 and Pac-12, respectively. The one change is at No. 3, where Florida State is predicted to supplant the reigning champion Tigers (ranked No. 7) for the ACC title. FSU visits Clemson on Nov. 11.

Last year Athlon picked Notre Dame to finish 10-2 and No. 8 in the country, with an Orange Bowl matchup versus Louisville.

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