Notre Dame football 2023: Preseason AP Poll Reaction

The last time Notre Dame was rated 13th to start the season…

The 2023 Preseason AP poll has been released, and it is very interesting, to say the least. While preseason polls should carry very little practical weight, perceptually, they do tell a story. What teams does the media believe in? Who do they not trust and why? How much of this year’s rankings are based on last year’s results with players that aren’t even on said teams anymore?

Notre Dame has landed in the 13th spot. Ahead of them are from 1-12, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, USC, Penn State, Florida State, Clemson, Washington, Texas, and Tennessee.

In case you were wondering, the last time Notre Dame started a season ranked 13th in the AP Poll was 1988.  Anyone remember what happened then?

Let’s take a deeper look at where the Irish stand and what lies ahead of them in relation to these rankings.