Close enough to have the preseason coaches poll out, and Notre Dame ranks fifth in the initial rankings. Is it too high? Is it too low? And honestly, in the College Football Playoff era, do preseason rankings even matter?

Texas gets an early chance to prove it belongs. A showdown with the No. 2 Buckeyes in the season opener on Aug. 30 in Columbus looms large as a potential defining moment in the Longhorns' pursuit of their first national title in two decades.