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Notre Dame Football: Bold predictions for each Irish opponent in 2019

By Sonny Martinez

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Clay Helton of USC Trojans hugs wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. #6 after they lost to Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 24-17, on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Clay Helton of USC Trojans hugs wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. #6 after they lost to Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 24-17, on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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EVANSTON, IL- SEPTEMBER 17: David Cutcliffe head coach of the Duke Blue Devils questions a call during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats on September 17, 2016 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Duke: Blue Devils win half the games they did last year

Duke is hard enough to win at, but now they must replace 7 offensive starters, including the 6th overall pick in the NFL draft. But if there’s one coach in America that gets more out of his players than he should, it’s David Cutcliffe.

Aside from Notre Dame, Duke has an impossible non-conference game against Alabama to open the season. A crossover game against Syracuse doesn’t help, either. Back-to-back home games against Pitt and Georgia Tech could mean the difference between a 3-win team and a 5-win team. Still, don’t count out Cutcliffe and his Blue Devils.

Navy: The Midshipmen miss a bowl again

Navy wasn’t great last year, suffering their worst record since 2002. Two of their three wins, against Memphis and Tulsa, are on the road this year. Just a few years ago, Navy was a solid team. Now, there are questions everywhere.

With just 8 starters back, Navy has to replace 5 of its top 7 rushers, which is the heart of its offensive attack. The defense wasn’t good either, 87th in the country. They lost a ton of production there, and they also play in a league that features Memphis, USF, Houston and a potentially solid SMU offense. Ken Niumatalolo has been a solid coach at Navy for 10 years, but may soon find himself on the hot seat.

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