Week 6 Preview: Notre Dame vs Navy

After last week's heartbreaking defeat at Clemson, the 15th ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (4-1) will look to get back on track against the Navy Midshipmen (4-0). Although Notre Dame's playoff hopes took a devastating blow last Saturday, there still might be a shot if they win their remaining seven games. And, tomorrow afternoon's contest might prove to be one of the toughest assignments left on the schedule. What do the Irish need to do to avoid an upset in a trap game?

1. Come ready to play. Navy looks at this game as their biggest game of the year, and will bring intensity from the opening kickoff. On the other hand, the Irish just had their dreams of an undefeated season end, and could be looking ahead to their rival USC. Notre Dame can't afford to come out sluggish and sloppy against Navy. If they do, Navy can easily rip off a couple long scoring drives by gashing the Irish defense. Thus, giving themselves more motivation and putting more pressure on the Irish.

2. Get ahead. If Notre Dame has the option to receive, I would take the ball and try to get a touchdown on the opening drive. Much like Georgia Tech, Navy is not built to play from behind. Judging by the previous four seasons, and the success of the Irish offense this season, Navy should have a very difficult time defending the Irish offense. But, the key will be extending the lead and not swapping score for score with Navy.

3. Expect a better option offense. With no disrespect to Georgia Tech, they weren't ready for the Irish defense to play that well. Having said that, the Yellow Jackets offense hasn't looked good the last two weeks either. With a full game of film to study, a disciplined team, and a great head coach, I expect Navy's offense to play much more efficiently and effectively than Georgia Tech's. Also, Notre Dame's defense needs to be ready for plays they may have not seen before. I can guarantee Navy has found a few holes that they can exploit, so it'll be up to the Irish defense to adjust on the fly.

I expect this game to be very close and very competitive early on. Ultimately, I think Notre Dame's offense will score too much, and their defense will adjust to Navy's offense in the second half.

Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Navy 31

-Eric Tichelbaut

@etichel07