Notre Dame vs. Navy: Live stream, watch online, TV channel, kickoff time, odds, prediction, pick, line
A top-25 showdown of two longtime rivals should be one of the better games in Week 12
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2 min read
Not everthing has to be about the College Football Playoff, does it? Of course not, and quite often that's a welcome change. Sometimes, football games can just be football games. That's what we have with No. 23 Navy traveling to No. 16 Notre Dame for another edition of a longtime rivalry. Make no mistake, though: There's still a lot on the line.
The Fighting Irish are trying to stay alive for a major bowl berth. (Jerry Palm currently has them slotted for the Camping World Bowl vs. Texas on Dec. 28). Navy, meanwhile, is trying to get its first win over a ranked opponent (as a ranked team) this season. Here's what you need to watch for in Saturday's matchup in an underrated rivalry between the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen.
Storylines
Notre Dame: The Irish can answer two questions against the Midshipmen, one on either side of the ball. How does the defense do against the triple option without star defensive end Julian Okwara and can quarterback Ian Book thrive against Navy's pass defense? The first question may be a bigger deal. Okwara suffered a fractured fibula against Duke and is out for the season. He was a potential first-round draft pick and arguably Notre Dame's top player. The Irish's defensive line has been a solid unit this year, so their play against Navy's offense without Okwara will be important. As for Book, he's been up and down this season, but Navy, while statistically good against the pass, has faced one team (Memphis) with a legit passing attack all season.
Navy: It'll be exciting to see what senior quarterback Malcolm Perry has against Notre Dame's defense. Perry's been around a long time and played a lot of football at a couple of different positions in this offense. He knows it inside and out, and has been the team's leading rusher this year and in 2018. His 16 touchdowns are fourth nationally and most by a quarterback. He's a big play waiting to happen and if he goes off, Navy has a legit shot to pull the upset.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Notre Dame Stadium -- Notre Dame, Indiana
TV: NBC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Game prediction, picks
I have the Midshipmen pulling the outright upset, but even if you're not willing to go that far, taking the points isn't a bad way to go. Navy is a good triple option team and I have my reservations about Notre Dame's ability to put the game away. If the Irish's defensive line is the best unit on the field, then they'll win -- maybe comfortably. But I like Perry and Navy to at least cover. Pick: Navy (+8.5)
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