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Notre Dame Tops Preseason Poll | Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football News
Notre Dame jumps to No. 5 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll, marking their third top-five start under Marcus Freeman — and setting high expectations ahead of the 2026 season. With a brutal schedule featuring ranked foes like Miami, BYU, and SMU, they’re facing stiff competition — but not unlike other elite teams. While the poll isn’t a playoff guarantee (Texas was No. 1 last year and missed out; Penn State at No. 3 fired their coach), history shows most champions started in the top five — with Alabama’s 2017 title being the lone exception at No. 1. The rankings confirm what we already knew…
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