While the Notre Dame football team is getting ready for Navy, there are some storylines that could effect the rest of the season for several of the Irish opponents.
As we all know, the college football world doesn’t operate in a bubble. One game’s outcome can affect another. A game’s outcome can also affect how a team players later in the year.
The Notre Dame football opponents have some big storylines this week that could have some very big impacts for the rest of the year.
3 massive Week 9 storylines for Notre Dame football opponents
Navy's faces first ranked opponent
While the Midshipmen are 6-0, their record could be seen as a bit of a mirage. Navy hasn’t faced off against any ranked team yet this year. They have however, beaten the 6-1 Memphis Tigers so it’s not like they haven’t played any good teams.
However, they haven’t faced anyone like Notre Dame this year. This is a test for the Irish of course, as they try and march to the playoffs, but it’s also a test of Navy as they too try to squeak into the playoffs on their own.
USC righting the ship?
The USC Trojans are Notre Dame football’s final opponent of the 2024 regular season. That means the Irish would love to have Lincoln Riley’s team looking as good as possible when the two teams do battle.
So far, not so good on that note as they entered the week with a 3-4 record. However, there are at least signs of life after a 42-20 win over Rutgers on Friday night. USC is at Washington, home against Nebraska and at UCLA for their final three games. While a 7-4 record isn’t great, the Irish beating a 7-4 team is better than a 6-5 or 5-6 game. Every little bit helps.
Can Florida State pull an upset?
The Seminoles being a resume padder ship has sailed as they are currently 1-6. In fact, if they win to in-state rival Miami today, they’ll clinch a losing season just one year after going 13-1. For playoff implications, an upset over the Hurricanes would help Notre Dame football. So we root for FSU today.