Notre Dame and Navy are set to kick off their football seasons overseas as they face off in the beautiful backdrop of Ireland. This matchup has been eagerly anticipated, and with good reason.
Starting the season at 13th in the AP poll, Notre Dame is in for a challenging schedule this season. Their path to victory includes confrontations with the football behemoths like Ohio State, Clemson, and USC. Thankfully, two of these significant encounters will be played at home. For the Fighting Irish, slipping up is not an option, especially if they aspire to make it to the College Football Playoff. Yet, hope is in the air in South Bend, mainly due to their star quarterback.
The Fighting Irish have a powerful weapon in Sam Hartman. Many say he’s the best quarterback Notre Dame has seen since Brady Quinn. The betting odds lean towards an exciting matchup, with Hartman’s passing yardage prop starting at 232.5 and his passing touchdown prop at 2.5 with +162 juice to the over. However, the looming rain in the forecast and Navy’s time-consuming playing style might make things unpredictable. With a spread of 20.5 and a total of 48.5, this opening matchup has potential.
One can argue that Notre Dame’s athletic prowess will overshadow Navy’s, but there’s a wildcard element here: Navy’s secondary. Not much is known about Navy’s secondary, especially when it comes to facing Notre Dame’s receivers and the ever-threatening Hartman. Some stats hint at possible vulnerabilities in Navy’s defense.
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