No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 19 Army are set to revive their rivalry Saturday evening as they clash inside New York’s Yankee Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2016, and just the fourth since the turn of the century.
This will be the first time that both hold a spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and the first that both are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll entering a matchup since 1958. That’s good news for Army: the Black Knights walked out of South Bend, Indiana with a 14-2 win on Oct. 11, 1958.
That was Army’s last win in the series. Notre Dame has ripped off 15-straight victories in the interim years — the longest win streak in the rivalry’s history. The Irish hold a 39-8-4 advantage in the all-time series.
As the rankings may suggest, there are plenty of stakes in this game. Notre Dame likely needs to finish the year undefeated if it wants to feel good about its College Football Playoff standing, given that the Irish don’t have a conference championship to play for in the postseason. Army, on the other hand, has already secured its spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, but the Black Knights can establish themselves as a serious threat for more with a win against Notre Dame.
Notre Dame vs. Army: Need to know
Notre Dame is on a tear: Remember when Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois? The Fighting Irish have done everything they can to put that low point in the rearview mirror. They have ripped off eight straight wins since, most of which have come in dominant fashion. In fact, Notre Dame has outscored its opponents by 32.3 points per game during its current run, which is its best points-per-game differential over an eight-game span since 1977 when Joe Montana was quarterbacking the Irish. Their only real test came on Sept. 28, when they eked out a 31-24 win against Louisville. Every win since has come by at least two possessions and Notre Dame has held seven of its last eight opponents under 20 points.
Army on the brink of history: Army is in the midst of a truly special season. The Black Knights have steadily climbed the rankings and now they have a chance to start 10-0 for the first time in program history. It’s not going to be easy, obviously. Army has lost 28-straight games against top-10 opponents, with its last such win coming in 1963 against Penn State. This is also a real “prove it” opportunity for Army, which can cement itself as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender with the win. The Black Knights don’t have the best résumé otherwise, even if they are undefeated. All of their opponents to this point boast a combined record of 27-53. Army has just one win against an opponent with a record above .500 and it allowed a season-high 28 points in that game.
Points could come at a premium: Army currently ranks fourth in the American Athletic Conference with 35.2 points per game. Notre Dame’s 38 points per game are good for 11th in the nation. Given that, one might expect a high-scoring affair in New York. That is, until you consider Army and Notre Dame field two of the best defenses in the FBS. The Black Knights currently rank second nationally — just .03 points behind Ohio State for first place — while surrendering 10.33 points per game. Notre Dame and its 11.4 points allowed per game are not far behind in third place. Both teams also rank top 10 nationally in total defense.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Army live
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, New York
TV: NBC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Notre Dame vs. Army prediction, picks
Army has enjoyed a great year thus far, and the Black Knights are a good team. But we’ve already seen a similar game play out this year when Notre Dame beat Navy 51-14. Now, Army looks like a more complete team than Navy did at any point. The same issues should arise for the Black Knights, though. Simply put: Notre Dame has a significant size advantage in the trenches. The Irish also have the athletes to cover the edges and erase a lot of what Army’s triple option tries to accomplish to compensate for the size disparity. So long as Notre Dame can stick to its assignments and not get wrapped up in any motion, this should be a comfortable win. Pick: Notre Dame -14.5 (-110)
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