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Chop Chat’s 2016 Preseason College Football Top 10: No. 10

By Jason Parker

Apr 16, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Malik Zaire (8) looks to throw in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. The Blue team defeated the Gold team 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Malik Zaire (8) looks to throw in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. The Blue team defeated the Gold team 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here’s a look at the next team in Chop Chat’s 2016 Preseason College Football Top 10 Rankings.

As we are in the final month without college football (thank God that nightmare is almost over), teams from across the country will be hitting the practice fields getting ready for the 2016 season. For 25 of those teams, the season will start being ranked in the first polls for the 2016 campaign.

From Tallahassee to Tuscaloosa and Norman to South Bend, everyone from the traditional powers to the upstart programs will look to find their name with a number beside it for (at least) the opening weekend of the 2016 season.

Here at Chop Chat, we aren’t different from anyone else…we have the teams we think will start off the year ranked way too high and those who aren’t getting enough respect. So, here is our list of the top ten teams entering the 2016 season.

Before we get hate mail from fans of schools who are mad we didn’t rank their team high enough (or didn’t rank them at all), know that this is just a preseason list entering week one. In no way are we saying that this list is the way things will end up on January 10, 2017 after the national championship team. After all, with (spoiler alert) a lot of our top 10 teams playing each other this season, there will be plenty of changes before the month of September is even done.

No. 10 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

In 2015, the men from South Bend were within four points of making it into the College Football Playoff, having lost by just two points each to both Clemson and Stanford. Considering how many injuries head coach Brian Kelly’s team had to deal with over the course of the year, that was an accomplishment within itself.

After losing starting quarterback Malik Zaire in the opening month of the season, the keys to the offense were handed over to DeShone Kizer. In the remaining 11 games, the offense scored less than 28 points in just three contests, making for an interesting battle now that Zaire is back and looking ready to be under center again. The biggest question mark for whoever the quarterback is could be at the wide receiver position, where the Irish are losing almost 80 percent of their production from last year’s team.

On defense, Notre Dame loses seven starters from last year’s team that (quite frankly) underachieved considering the type of NFL talent that was on the squad. Considering the fact the defense will likely be breaking in three new starters at linebacker, the pressure is going to fall on the defensive line and returning starters Daniel Cage and Isaac Rocehll.

Game of the Year

November 26th at Southern Cal – With most of the Fighting Irish’s tough games this season at home (Michigan State, Stanford, Miami), the season finale may very well be for a spot in the playoffs…again.

Biggest Chance for an Upset

September 4th at Texas – Since we aren’t sure which Notre Dame team is going to show up this season (and which Texas team will as well), this could actually be the most important game for the season for both squads. After last year’s beat down, the Longhorns are angry for revenge.

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