Notre Dame football: Irish right where they need to be in AP Poll
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team was ranked No. 5 in the first AP Poll of the 2022 college football season, and that is right where they need to be.
It is almost time for the Notre Dame football team to take the field to kick off the 2022 college football season. On Monday, we got one more indication of how close we are, as the Associated Press laid out their first AP Poll of the 2022 campaign.
Within the top-10, there were not many surprises, as Alabama once again kicks off a college football season as the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the country.
As we continue to move down the top-25 ranking, we see the No. 2 team in the country is the Ohio State Buckeyes, who just happens to be the first team the Irish play this season. That will be the first regular season game with Marcus Freeman at the helm, and to add to the game’s intrigue, Ohio State is Freeman’s alma mater.
Georgia, the reigning national champions, came in at No. 3, with the Clemson Tigers rounding out the top 4. At No. 5, the Notre Dame football team is in a perfect spot to do some real damage to this ranking when all is said and done.
Notre Dame football to face a daunting 2022 schedule
Looking at the 2022 schedule for the Irish, it is clear they have a very tough go of it, as they play the No. 2 team in the country, as well as No. 4. Those two matchups are going to make or break their season, and to end their 2022 schedule, they take on USC, who was ranked at No. 14 in the initial AP Poll on Monday.
Three games against preseason top-15 teams is a great way for Freeman to let people know Notre Dame is back, and they can win the big games against top-ranked programs.
Of course, there are going to be bumps in the road for Freeman and the Irish in 2022, and we have already seen it this summer, with guys going down with injuries, and position battles raging on even a few weeks from the Ohio State matchup. One thing is for sure, however, the Irish will be ready, and if they can knock off a few of these top-ranked teams, they could be destined for the College Football Playoff in Freeman’s first season at the helm.