What’s in a number?

Last year’s preseason AP Poll had Alabama ranked one and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  At the end of the year,  Auburn was undefeated and ranked number one with a National Championship while Alabama was ranked 10^th with three loses.   The story was similar in the USA Today Coaches Poll, with Alabama receiving a preseason number one ranking and Auburn ranked 22^nd.  When it was all over, Alabama was down to 11^th.  Just because Oklahoma is the preseason number one this year doesn’t mean they will finish that way, but it doesn’t that they won’t either.  So when Brian Kelly says he doesn’t worry or pay too much attention to the Irish’s preseason 18^th, I have to believe him.

I am, however, excited to be in the preseason rankings - there are positives to it.  First, it’s always recruiting season and being ranked is attractive to high school players.  Some may say that Notre Dame get a few extra votes for being Notre Dame.  That may be true, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  Pollsters may have some reverence for the echoes of the past but teams facing the Irish on the field this year don’t care about South Bend’s history, they aren’t intimidated by touchdown Jesus or the Golden Dome.  This is why Kelly and his team need to keep their perspective on what is written and said about them and do their talking on the field of play.