Notre Dame vs Navy: The Irish Can Earn Third Win Over a Ranked Team

Notre Dame faces a ranked Navy squad with a chance to secure its third win against a top team in 2024, proving its resilience this season.

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Latest AP poll features both past and future Irish opponents

Notre Dame's schedule hasn't played out the way anyone thought it would in 2024. Teams that were expected to be CFP contenders on the back half of Notre Dame's slate have fallen on tough times like FSU and USC, while unexpected teams like Army and Navy reside inside the top 25 with perfect records.

So far, Notre Dame has defeated the now 14th-ranked team, Texas A&M, and what used to be the 15th-ranked team, a then-undefeated Louisville squad. Next up for the Irish is a matchup with 24th-ranked Navy and a November 23rd battle in Yankee Stadium against 23rd-ranked Army.

The AP Poll's Week 9 rankings dropped ‼️📊

Do you agree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GGtOmfJRgy

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 20, 2024

How will the CFP committee view Notre Dame?

Notre Dame currently features the 15th-best strength of record per ESPN, reflecting the chances that an average top-25 team would have said team's record or better, given the schedule. The Irish will certainly be rooting for Texas A&M to continue winning and for Navy & Army to do the same outside of the matchups with Notre Dame of course, to help bolster this rank.

At this point in the season, we have a pretty good idea of what teams on Notre Dame's schedule are having good years or bad years, but there is still one big question with no answer. What will the CFP committee think of the Irish's odd resume blend given that they aren't full-time conference members?

It'll be ultra interesting to see how the CFP committee views an Irish team with such a unique win-loss scheduling combination this year as compared to full conference members' resumes. Will Notre Dame have an advantage or be hurt by their independence? Only time will tell.

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