See Where Notre Dame Football Ranks In Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll
The college football season is less than three weeks away.
It kicks off with a slate of five games, including Nebraska at Illinois, on Aug. 28. Notre Dame doesn't start its season until Sunday, Sept. 5 against Florida State in Tallahassee.
USA Today made that day feel closer than ever by releasing its preseason Sports AFCA Coaches Poll on Tuesday. Notre Dame checked in at No. 7 in the poll.
The Fighting Irish find themselves ranked in the preseason poll for the fourth straight season and ninth time in the last 10 years. The only years Notre Dame has not been ranked in the preseason poll in head coach Brian Kelly's 12-year tenure were before his first season in 2010 and in 2017 when the Irish were coming off a 4-8 season — Kelly’s only losing campaign in South Bend.
Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oklahoma
4. Ohio State
5. Georgia
6. Texas A&M
7. Notre Dame
8. Iowa State
9. North Carolina
10. Cincinnati
11. Florida
12. Oregon
13. LSU
14. USC
15. Wisconsin
16. Miami
17. Indiana
18. Iowa
19. Texas
20. Penn State
21. Washington
22. Oklahoma State
23. Louisiana
24. Coastal Carolina
25. Ole Miss
Notre Dame Opponents In Top 25
The Irish are set to play four teams that also made the poll. All of them appeared in the top 15 of the poll, and two of them ranked just behind Notre Dame in the top 10.
Notre Dame hosts No. 9 North Carolina on Oct. 30. The Irish will first welcome No. 10 Cincinnati to Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 2.
In between those two matchups, No. 14 USC will travel to South Bend for a date with the Irish on Oct. 23. The first probable ranked game on Notre Dame’s schedule will take place against No. 15 Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sept. 25.
Notre Dame is 8-2 against ranked opponents in the regular season in the last three seasons. The Irish also have a 24-game home winning streak. Three of the four preseason ranked teams on Notre Dame’s schedule have to take on the Irish in South Bend.
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @tbhorka and @ToddBurlage.
• Like us on Facebook.