Notre Dame football vs. Navy Midshipmen: 3 things to watch in Week 10

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Sep 18, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman leaves the field after Notre Dame defeated the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football vs. Navy Midshipmen: 3 things to watch in Week 10

Complete domination

Speaking of a gap in talent between the two programs, the Irish have to show just how much better they are against the Midshipmen on Saturday, dominating on both sides of the ball. They have done a nice job stacking wins the past two weeks, and only have a loss to No. 2 Cincinnati on their resume this season, but convincing wins have to be the goal from here on out.

The truth is, the Irish’s schedule is soft the rest of the way, so it is going to be hard to turn enough heads to get themselves back in the conversation for a College Football Playoff. They cannot afford a one-score victory against Navy this weekend, especially as a 22-point favorite, because those are the kind of games the voters look at.

Oct 23, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Notre Dame Leprechaun carries a Notre Dame monogram flag after a Notre Dame touchdown in the fourth quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame football: Games to keep an eye on in 2021 Week 10 slate

The Notre Dame football team has a chance to continue to move up the rankings, and here are two games to keep an eye on this weekend.

This is a statement game for the Irish, who need to dominate this one from the outset if they want to continue to move up the rankings. Navy is one-dimensional, in the middle of a down year, and if the Notre Dame football team cannot make this one a laugher, it will be hard for them to move up in the next AP Poll.

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