Notre Dame Ranked #10 in ’16 Pre-Season AP Poll
While the mood around Notre Dame football was a bit somber this weekend following the two separate incidents that resulted in six players arrested, the Irish received good news on Sunday with the first AP Poll of year. Notre Dame comes in ranked in the top 10 for the first time in a decade right at #10.
While the AP and Coaches Poll no longer play a roll in the determining the National Champion, a team’s placement in both polls are a good indicator of where they will eventually be ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings when they are eventually announced. Notre Dame will start the season in the top 10 of both polls after being ranked 9th in the Coaches Poll released earlier this month.
Voters in the AP Poll had to submit their pre-season rankings before news broke of the six players being arrested over the weekend. Prior to that news, however, AP voters thought highly of the Irish with Notre Dame being one of only nine teams to be listed on every ballot.
Only 9 schools listed by all 61 AP voters on preseason ballots: Alabama, Clemson, OU, FSU, LSU, Ohio St, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame
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Only one Notre Dame opponent is ranked higher than the Irish to start the season with Stanford coming in at #8. Week three opponent Michigan State comes two notches lower than Notre Dame at #12. Notre Dame’s opponent in the season finale – arch-rival USC – is the third and final Irish foe at #20. Miami, Texas, and Navy all received votes as well with the Hurricanes just outside the top 25 at #26.
Last season Notre Dame started and finished the season #11. Notre Dame hasn’t started the season within the top 10 since opening the 2006 season ranked #2 in Charlie Weis’s second season in South Bend.
How this weekend’s off the field issues impact the Irish this fall remains to be seen as no word on any disciplinary has been announced.
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
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