Where Notre Dame Ranks In The Preseason Magazines, With An ESPN Shocker

Preseason magazines and national outlets are bullish on Notre Dame heading into 2026, consistently placing the Irish among the nation's elite while projecting them as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. The show compares where ESPN, Sporting News, Lindy's, and Athlon rank Notre Dame and its opponents, while also diving into playoff predictions and one surprising ESPN evaluation that stands out from the rest. Shop for Irish Breakdown gear at our online store: https://ibstore.irishbreakdown.com/ Join the Irish Breakdown premium message board: https://boards.irishbreakdown.com Stay locked into Irish Breakdown for all the latest news and analysis about Notre Dame: https://www.irishbreakdown.com​ Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/irish-breakdown/id1485286986 Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/irishbreakdown Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/irish-breakdown-newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.