Notre Dame vs. Navy prediction: College football odds, picks, bets Week 9
Notre Dame and Navy have played 94 times since 1927.This rivalry has always had juice, but the stakes haven’t been this high since 1978 when the undefeated Midshipmen traveled to Cleveland to take on the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish.This time, both programs have a legitimate chance to play their way into the College Football Playoff, but it will have to start with a win at MetLife Stadium on Saturday.This isn’t your granddaddy’s Navy offense.
The Mids average more than 44 points per game and have cracked the code when it comes to generating big plays.Through just six games, Navy already has burned defenses for plays of 40 yards or more on 13 occasions.There are two explanations for this offensive glow-up.
The first is quarterback play.Blake Horvath is piloting the offense to perfection, ranking third in QBR while leading the nation in yards per pass attempt (12.3).The second element that has contributed to Navy’s explosiveness has been the addition of Drew Cronic to the coaching staff.
The former head coach at Mercer has revamped Navy’s offense by introducing Wing T elements to the traditional triple option.The result has been players running wild in the second and third levels of opposing defenses.If you cherry-pick portions of their film, Navy’s passing attack has all the modern bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect from a Chip Kelly or Steve Sarkisian offense.
You’ll find a heavy dose of shotgun looks, run-pass options, screen passes to nearly every position on the field, naked bootlegs and a complex route tree for runners out of the backfield.Cronic’s philosophy centers around the idea of pre-snap motion, misdirection and sleight of hand in order to force defenses to defend the width of the field.The end result is that defenses are playing slower.
Paralysis by analysis, as coaches like to say.Notre Dame is going to have to cram for this football test and without a bye week to do it, Navy likely will continue to spark big plays through...