Notre Dame football received a comfortable position in Thursday's release of the Amway Coaches Poll, opening the season at No. 9 nationally.
Between a promising—though admittedly unknown—quarterback situation and head coach Brian Kelly's earned benefit of the doubt, the Fighting Irish claimed a spot among the country's best teams.
Within three weeks of the 2016 campaign kicking off, though, Notre Dame will show whether or not it belongs in the Top 10.
Amway Coaches Poll Top 10
| Rank | School |
| 1 | Alabama |
| 2 | Clemson |
| 3 | Oklahoma |
| 4 | Florida State |
| 5 | Ohio State |
| 6 | Louisiana State |
| 7 | Stanford |
| 8 | Michigan |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Tennessee |
Preseason polls are a combination of the previous season's results and expectations—or, in perhaps a better word, hype.