The Coaches Poll is somewhat secondary to the AP Poll — it's not as publicized, doesn't have as much tradition, doesn't involve as many media personnel, doesn't get the same coverage and doesn't get as many voters — but in this College Football Playoff era, it's just as important as any other preseason college football ranking.
This is a coaches poll, so, you know, it's about the coaches, they're supposed to be experts in their field, they're supposed to know the college football landscape.
But any major football coach of all time would know that the last people to vote for the strength of 25 of 134 teams are the most focused coaches on the planet.
They know their team, they know the team they just played and the team they're going to play.
But it's fun.
This is a good way to get a sense of how the world is viewed by those directly covering the 2024 college football season — or by those in sports information departments covering it — but I digress.
It's about respect. It's about taking a snapshot of the public's view of college football. It's about the 2024 Preseason College Football Coaches Poll.
How much respect does Notre Dame command, how do the coaches on this poll view the Irish, and how do they compare to other elite teams?
2024 Preseason College Football USA LBM Coaches Poll Predictions: Notre Dame
First off, there's no way Notre Dame should be ranked anywhere outside the top 10. They went 10-3 last season and finished 14th, and the hype and buzz is enough to make you think they'd be highly rated in the coaches poll.
There's a non-zero chance they could finish in the top five… maybe.
There's a slight chance Notre Dame could slip into the No. 5 spot, but in one configuration, the top four would be Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. That's not to say it's true in terms of how good those four schools are, but the coaching staff almost certainly thinks so.
No. 5 is a tough pick. It could be Notre Dame, but Alabama, Mississippi, Florida State, Missouri and Michigan could also be in the running.
With that in mind, I would expect Notre Dame to finish somewhere around 6th or 7th. I'll do this poll again right before the preseason coaches poll is released, but here are my best guesses for the top 10 and where Notre Dame fits in…
10. Missouri
2023 preseason ranking: 44
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 8th
9. Michigan
2023 preseason rankings: 2
Final 2023 Coaches Poll standings: 1
8. Florida State University
2023 preseason ranking: 8
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 6th
7. Ole Miss
2023 preseason rankings: 22
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 9th
6. Notre Dame
2023 preseason ranking: 13
Final 2023 Coaches Poll standings: 14
5. Alabama
2023 preseason ranking: 3
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 5th
4. Oregon
2023 preseason rankings: 15
Final 2023 Coaches Poll standings: 7
3. Texas
2023 preseason rankings: 12
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 4
2. Ohio State University
2023 preseason ranking: 4
Final 2023 Coaches Poll standings: 10
1. Georgia
2023 preseason rankings: 1
Final 2023 Coaches Poll ranking: 3
AP Top 25 preseason college football poll projections: Where will Notre Dame rank?