Notre Dame Ranked 15th In ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25
Notre Dame finishing 11th or better in each of the last four seasons, including a pair of No. 5 rankings, wasn't enough for ESPN to view the Fighting Irish as a top team heading into next season. ESPN ranked the Irish 15th in its way-too-early Top 25 for the 2021 season.
"With their 31-14 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One, the Fighting Irish fell to 0-7 in BCS or New Year's Six bowl games since 1998 and have been outscored by 161 points in those games, with all seven losses by at least 14 points," wrote ESPN's Mark Schlabach. "While the Irish have been very good under coach Brian Kelly, they're still not at the level of Alabama (along with just about every other FBS program)."
While that is a true statement, I'm not sure what that has to do with ranking 15th in a poll behind programs like North Carolina, Iowa State, USC, Indiana, Cincinnati, Iowa, Oregon and Washington. Each of those programs would have suffered the same fate as the Irish against Alabama, if not worse.
The decision to rank North Carolina, a program that went 8-4 and lost to Notre Dame by two touchdowns, at home, was quite curious. North Carolina returns quarterback Sam Howell, but it also lost a pair of 1,000-yard rushers, a 1,000-yard receiver, its second best receiver and its best defensive player.
USC ranking ninth was also a head scratcher. The Trojans were less than impressive this season, and they also suffered enormous personnel losses, including their top two receivers, their best offensive lineman, their two best defensive linemen and their best overall defensive player.
North Carolina (No. 7), USC (No. 9), North Carolina (No. 11) and Wisconsin (No. 17) are all 2021 Notre Dame opponents that cracked the Top 25.
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