There are some different views on Notre Dame football’s preseason ranking, as it is No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the AP.
Many believe this is a pretty fair spot to place the Irish, but SEC expert Paul Finebaum doesn’t think so. On ESPN’s First Take, he shared that he believed that Notre Dame wasn’t ranked high enough. When speaking on the AP Poll, he said “I think Oregon and Notre Dame are really 1A and 1B.”
Finebaum didn’t mince his words, as he has the Irish as one of the best two teams in the country entering the season. He had a perfect opportunity to hype up an SEC team like Texas or Georgia, potentially also Ohio State or Indiana from the Big 10, but went with Notre Dame and a bit of the Ducks. To me this says plenty about
the nation narrative surrounding the Irish, as the majority of experts have them as one of a few true College Football Playoff contenders.
While there are plenty of stars and veterans on this team, there are still a few questions that will have to be answered during the season. Regardless of that fact, Notre Dame has a favorable view from the media and that’s a big part of the battle to make the CFP.
TRENDING: Paul Finebaum was asked on First Take what his biggest gripe with the AP Top 25 was and his response was:
— Ryan Fravel (@Fravel_Ryan) August 19, 2026
"I think Notre Dame is really too low at #4...I think Notre Dame & Oregon are really 1A & 1B"
One of Notre Dame's biggest haters is now saying Notre Dame is a Top… pic.twitter.com/TClDuljw0U
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: SEC expert Paul Finebaum confused on Notre Dame’s preseason rank
