#13 Irish, Overlooked in Preseason Coaches Poll

For decades, many would claim that Notre Dame Football has received the benefit of the doubt when it comes to preseason rankings.  A traditional power bias in favor of the most decorated college football program of the 20th century.  Another reason perhaps may have been that pollsters enjoyed propping up the Notre Dame’s initial ranking to help bolster early season intrigue on September matchups against the likes of rival Michigan, or rare home-and-homes against Texas, Georgia, or last year against Ohio State in-particular.  As we know, Notre Dame provides the biggest viewership of any school in America, and having the Irish as a Top 5-10 team just adds to the spectacle that comes with the shiny stage of the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus.

However, in recents years I’ve noted a shift in the initial rankings.  Now, it appears that the  Irish are being ranked lower than anticipated, with an outlier being last season of course.  As proof, Notre Dame has outperformed their preseason ranking on six of the past eight occasions.  Thus demonstrating that Notre Dame is consistently being undervalued and overlooked in August.  I believe that this season is no exception.  Therefore, Notre Dame clocking in at #13 in the Preseason Coaches Poll is a complete farce, and here’s why.

Defense

Despite losing the Ademilola brothers, as well as 2nd round NFL draft pick Isaiah Foskey along the defensive line, Notre Dame’s defense should be just as good, if not better than last year’s unit that carried the can for much of 2022.  

Considered a Top 10 group according to Pro Football Focus, the Irish linebacking corps will be as stout as we’ve seen it since the Manti T’eo era in 2012.  With the likes of grad students Jack Kiser, Marist Liufau, and JD Bertrand leading the unit coupled with some supremely talented youngsters in Jalyen Sneed, Drayk Bowen, and Jaiden Ausberry, amongst others, the linebacking corps will not only set the tone for the defensive side of the ball, but also provide excellent run stuffing, blitz, and passing coverage capabilities to stifle the opposing offense. 

Speaking of stifling opponents, the Irish secondary will be doing just that this fall as well! With Freshman All-America Benjamin Morrison back and now starting from the get go in Dublin combined with a pair of four star true freshman in Christian Gray and Micah Bell, as well as redshirt freshman Jaden Mickey, and seasoned veterans Cam Hart and Clarence Lewis, the Irish have itself a unit that will rarely let it’s opposition breath down the field. 

Offense

The Irish boast one of the most intimidating offensive lines in the country.  The line is bookended by tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fischer, two men that will gain All-America honors and 1st round NFL Draft grades come season’s end.  As a whole, the unit will contend for the Joe Moore Award as the Nation’s Best Offensive Line. 

In addition to the stout play upfront, the Irish bring back Doak Walker Award candidate Audric Estime! As I like to call him, “Baby Bettis”, the thumping, yet light footed tailback will easily eclipse 1,000 yards rushing, and may even get to 1,500 yards when the season is all said and done. 

Lastly on offense, Notre Dame will have an elite quarterback taking snaps under center and out of the shotgun this season, thanks to the addition of graduate transfer Sam Hartman! Unlike last year, when the Irish were seemingly inept at the position for the majority of the season and contributed most to the failures against Ohio State and Marshall specifically, this campaign will depict what an offense can look like under the guidance of an All-America caliber QB.  Hartman not only holds several all-time ACC passing records, but he’s also a veteran with immense leadership skills.  He’s already won over his teammates, who refer to him as “The Players’ Marcus Freeman”. In other words, Hartman is viewed by his colleagues as the coach on the field.  This combination of top-tier talent and leadership at the quarterback position is something that the ND faithful hasn’t seen for some time.  Ian Book was the closest thing to Hartman since Brady Quinn during the peak years of the Charlie Weis era, and Book served the program well en route to two CFP appearances, however, it’s unquestioned that Hartman is on another level from that of Book, and in time, perhaps we’ll see that the former Demon Deacon even eclipses Quinn in ND lore.

What would it take for that to actually happen with Hartman playing just one season in the Gold and Blue?  Whelp, that’d be to help lead this Irish squad to its first national title in the 21st century and end the winless run it currently holds in BCS and/or NY6 bowl appearances.  I believe that Hartman is in fact the missing piece that the Notre Dame program has been searching for, since what feels like forever.  As a result, I’m confident that we’ll see a Notre Dame team this season that reaches the standard of yesteryear, of the days when Lou Holtz toed the sideline in the late 1980’s.  So buckle those chin straps folks, because I believe that a championship is on the horizon for Our Lady this season!