1. USC- This ranking for the Trojans of Troy was one that I will say surprised me. With Matt Barkley coming back for his senior year, I understand the optimism but #1 in the country, after coming back from a two-year bowl ban, as well as a myraid of NCAA sanctions? I don’t know about that one. USC’s schedule is not really one of great difficulty but if I were picking the rankings I would have probably had them somewhere in the 10-15th spot range. Record Prediction: 9-3

3. Alabama- Since when is a defending national champion not ranked 1st in the country? When they lose 15 players to the NFL in a span of three days, that is when. It all started with crafty running-back Trent Richardson, being selected with the 3rd overall pick and ended after Phelon Jones was singed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent. The Crimson Tide should be fine though with potential Heisman candidate, AJ McCarron leading the squad at the helm of starting quarterback.

9. Arkansas- Even with the Bobby Petrino mess, the Razorbacks end up in the 9th spot in the ESPN polls. John L. Smith will have a tough task at hand though, dealing with a team, school, and fan base looking ahead a year to when Arkansas gets a permanent coach and rebuilding begins. Tyler Wilson is an NFL ready QB but may not have much help around in the form of wide-receivers. Overall, I do not think that the players will be committed to John L. Smith because in the long run he won’t be there. This could be beneficial to him, but not necessarily to Arkansas. Record Prediction: 7-5

22. Texas- This one comes as a surprise to me because I honestly did not see a team that went under .500 in the Big 12 lat season getting a ranking in the Top 25. Despite quality wins last season against BYU and Texas A&M, the Longhorns went 4-5 in conference play including being blown-out by Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Baylor. Also, do not forget that the Hook ‘em Horns scored a weak 5 points against Missouri, last season even after coming off of a two-game winning streak. Record Prediction: 7-5

24- Notre Dame- Even as a life-long Notre Dame fan and and as someone who covers the team every day, this one took me by surprise. Last season was admirable but not what was expected in Domer country. Some had the team being BCS worthy but they ended with an 8-5 overall regular-season record which to some looks good and it is, but if you’re Brian Kelly, you want a 9-3 season that could potentially earn you a BCS birth. The Champs Sports Bowl also was a doozy for the Irish as they failed to show up in an 18-14 loss to the Seminoles of Florida St. With all of that being said, this year’s recruiting class is very, very good and the addition of 2nd overall player in the class of 2012, Gunner Kiel, makes for a bright future in the Bend. Obviously, the losses of Michael Floyd, Jonas Gray, Robert Blanton, Harrison Smith, and Darius Fleming hurt but if the new players can step into their roles, there could be bright things happening in the land of Rockne. Oh and the quarterback conundrum? It isn’t a bad problem to have. Record Prediction: 9-3

Overall, the very early pre-season poll looked pretty good to me, with a few exceptions as noted above but as always once the college football season starts, it will be thrill as is every season.

Apr. 21, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (1) , quarterback Tommy Rees (11) and quarterback Gunner Kiel (5) warm up before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Kiel and Golson traded numbers for the game so Kiel could wear number five in honor of his uncle and former quarterback Blair Kiel who died April 8, 2012. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

How did our opponents fair? Notre Dame’s opponents will provide them with a challenge this year. As they did last year.  teams received votes to be ranked in the top 25, and 3 are ranked in the top 25. Standford is ranked 7th, Michigan State is ranked 17th, and USC is ranked 25th. Michigan, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Maryland, and Air Force received votes to be put in the top 25, but weren’t placed in it.

Is 15 a good spot for Notre Dame? I think yes and no. Yes becuase they are expecting to perform like a BCS team this year. I believe they should finish higher then 15th this year. However, no because they didn’t have a record last year to prove this. 8-5 isn’t that strong (granted they finished well). But; overall, there were some issues with this team.

Notre Dame nation sure believes there is a BCS Bowl coming in the near future. ESPN has put Notre Dame’s expectations to the national level, ranking them 15th overall. Do you think 15 is a good spot for Notre Dame? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

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This is good start for Notre Dame as they look for a spectacular season. I believe they will finish higher than that (my full prediction will come out later this month).

Image from prohibitionsend.com

What do you think? Is 18th a good spot for ND right now? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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