Notre Dame Must Respect Army—But Not Too Much

Notre Dame must approach Army with respect but avoid changing what it does.

Notre Dame wide receiver Jordan Faison (6) celebrates scoring a touchdown on a fake punt play that would later be called back during a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame & Army's ranked matchup will help determine the CFP field

As Notre Dame begins its "Rockne Roadtrip" to end the regular season with a "Bronx Battle" against Army, both teams are flying high with everything to play for.

One wouldn't naturally think that a Notre Dame vs. Army game would be must-see TV, but in this case, it truly is, as playoff hopes and dreams hang in the balance not only for those playing in this game but also for other teams around the country whose playoff dreams will be altered by this outcome as well.

I do not believe Notre Dame can make the CFP field with a second loss for a myriad of reasons. The Irish must go 2-0 to finish in the CFP field, possibly even with a hosting seed. Period.

As for the 9-0 and 19th-ranked Army, it'd like to find out just how high it can climb in the CFP rankings with a 10-0 record and an upset win over the Irish. The stage is set for a pressure-packed battle in the Bronx.

#6 Notre Dame vs. #19 Army

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 39-8-4.
Notre Dame is currently favored by 14.5 points.

My Prediction: The Fighting Irish win 38-10 pic.twitter.com/hkW8YS3AaI

— CFB Tracker (@MatchupTracker) November 20, 2024

Army's impressive numbers must be considered with nuance

Army has a very impressive 9-0 record. It also features the second-best scoring defense in the country allowing just over 10 PPG and sits one spot ahead of Notre Dame in this category. Both squads are top ten units in turnover margin and top 15 in rushing offense.

On paper, this seems like a very even matchup. Make no mistake about it, the Irish must respect Army fully to emerge with a victory Saturday night, but there are limitations to the respect levied.

Army's impressive statistics have been compiled against Lehigh, Florida Atlantic, Rice, Temple, Tulsa, UAB, East Carolina, Air Force, and North Texas. Even when compared to Notre Dame's "light" schedule this year, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

It's appropriate to respect Army, just not too much. The Irish need to know they have an athletic advantage and lean into it Saturday night. Their playoff hopes depend on it.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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