Notre Dame opens season at No. 7 in AP and Coaches Polls

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On Monday, the Associated Press released their preseason NCAA College Football rankings, and the Irish were listed as the No. 7 team in the country. 

Last Monday, the Coaches Poll also had the Irish as the No. 7 team in the nation. 

AP Top 10 Preseason Teams:

• No. 1 - Georgia Bulldogs
• No. 2 - Ohio State Buckeys
• No. 3 - Oregon Ducks
• No. 4 - Texas Longhorns
• No. 5 - Alabama Crimson Tide
• No. 6 - Ole Miss Rebels
• No. 7 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• No. 8 - Penn State Nitty Lions
• No. 9 - Michigan Wolverines
• No. 10 - Florida State Seminoles

The Top 10 of the Coaches Poll is nearly identical to the AP Top 10, with the exception of Penn State and Michigan being switched at No. 8 and No. 9. 

Notre Dame currently has three AP Top 25 teams on their schedule starting with No. 20 Texas A&M on Aug. 31.  The Irish will also take on No. 10 Florida State on Nov. 9, and No. 23 USC on Nov. 30.

While the AP Poll is voted on by sports writers, the Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

"The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate," poll organizers state. "Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th."