Where Notre Dame ranks in FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt’s early top 25
It appears FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt has had enough of putting Notre Dame in the top 10 of the preseason poll every year. The Irish have appeared somewhere in the top 10 prior to the start of the last four seasons.
Klatt would not make it five. He ranked the Fighting Irish No. 13 this week.
Still, Klatt was optimistic about one key component of Notre Dame’s game.
“Listen, Notre Dame is going to be upgraded at quarterback,” Klatt said. “I think Sam Hartman is an upgrade for Notre Dame at quarterback. This guy threw 110 touchdown passes at Wake. He’s a good player. This is better than what they had.
“Which, by the way, read between the lines, if Tyler Buchner is starting for Alabama and he was the starter last year for Notre Dame and I’m telling you Notre Dame has now upgraded at quarterback with Sam Hartman, that tells you that Notre Dame is in a better position at quarterback right now than Alabama, which I think is interesting.”
By putting Notre Dame No. 13, Klatt is essentially implying the Irish would be a fringe playoff team in the new format but not in the one that has existed since 2014 and will be in place for one last season in 2023.
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That’s fair. The Irish have now gone back-to-back seasons without a CFP appearance, and they’re coming off a 9-4 season in the first year of head coach Marcus Freeman’s tenure. Freeman has a lot to prove, and he has players at multiple positions who can say the same.
“I think Notre Dame is going to be very good on the offensive line,” Klatt said. “They’re going to be very good at quarterback, and they needed to be because their offense was not very good last year. And I do still believe they’re going to be solid on the defensive side with Marcus Freeman.”
Here’s Klatt’s entire top 25.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
5. Penn State Nittany Lions
6. USC Trojans
7. LSU Tigers
8. Florida State Seminoles
9. Washington Huskies
10. Tennessee Volunteers
11. Utah Utes
12. Oregon Ducks
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
14. Clemson Tigers
15. TCU Horned Frogs
16. Oregon State Beavers
17. Texas Longhorns
18. Kansas State Wildcats
19. Oklahoma Sooners
20. Ole Miss Rebels
21. North Carolina Tar Heels
22. Iowa Hawkeyes
23. Wisconsin Badgers
24. Texas Tech Red Raiders
25. UCLA Bruins
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