While Notre Dame appears to be in a good position for the college football playoff, ranked No. 10 in the first rankings, the Irish are not locked into a playoff spot, even if they go 11-1. Photo by The Irish Tribune SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- When the initial College Football Playoff rankings came out on Tuesday night, Notre Dame appeared to be able to control their own destiny. Being ranked No. 10 in the country, it appeared the playoff committee had accounted for Notre Dame's terrible loss to Northern Illinois, but acknowledged their two, current, top 25 wins against Texas A&M and Louisville. From the outsider's perspective, the answer to this statement is easy: If the Irish win out and finish their season 11-1, there is no way for Notre Dame to be bounced out of the playoff. Right? Well, no, not exactly. Let's break this down. Holding the Big 12 and ACC to One At the start of the season, I emphasized that Notre Dame's worst-case scenario was the ACC and Big 12 each having more than one playoff team. With Iowa State and Kansas State losing last weekend, the Big 12 will likely only get one playoff team, ideally BYU; yet, there is always this scenario: Say BYU goes undefeated in the regular season, going 12-0, but loses to a one-loss Iowa State club in the Big 12 championship game. Iowa State gets the automatic bid, but does a one-loss BYU get in over a one-loss Notre Dame? On Tuesday, CFP chairman Warde Manuel didn't give Rece Davis a straight answer when Davis inquired about the possible penalty of losing the conference championship game. Regardless of Manuel's discretion, I believe the committee wouldn't penalize a team's lone loss in the 13th game, which Notre Dame isn't even eligible to play in. Use code IRISH20 for 20% off your purchase - Subscribe Here Then, there is the ACC. The ACC is a bit different because of the quality teams is a bit better. In the rankings, the committee has Miami at No. 4, and SMU is just on the outskirts of the Top 12, sitting at No. 13. If the same scenario occurred, in which SMU beats Miami in the ACC championship game, the Hurricanes would, without a doubt, be ranked higher than the Irish. Knowing this, Notre Dame needs the Mustangs to drop one more game and needs Miami to continue on with their undefeated season. If either the Big 12 or the ACC get two teams in, it could spell trouble for the Fighting Irish. Limiting the SEC Immediately after the rankings were released, I outlined this nightmare scenario: In this case, the SEC would be left with six two-loss teams, all worthy at making the playoff. To simplify, this is what Notre Dame needs to happen over the course of the next month: No. 1. Go Dawgs. Notre Dame needs Georgia to beat Ole Miss and Tennessee. If Georgia wins both big games, Ole Miss would be eliminated from the playoff picture, and a two-loss Tennessee would certainly fall below the Irish. No. 2. Geaux Tigers The next biggest SEC domino to fall will be this weekend's matchup in Baton Rouge. Alabama vs LSU is being hyped up as a playoff elimination game, and rightfully so. I'd have the Irish leaning towards the Tigers because LSU has a harder schedule the rest of the way than the Crimson Tide, by a little margin, and the fact that Notre Dame and LSU have a mutual opponent, Texas A&M, that favors the Irish. No. 3. In-State Toss-up The biggest game returning to the college football schedule this year during rivalry week is undoubtedly Texas @ Texas A&M. This is where the schedule gets tricky. On one hand, a Texas A&M victory over Texas would look fantastic for Notre Dame's strength-of-schedule, but would it have the Aggies leapfrog the Fighting Irish? Would a two-loss Texas with no real quality win still be ahead of the Irish? Personally, I think that it is a toss-up, strictly based on SEC bias. On the other hand, say Texas dismantles the Aggies. While it weakens Notre Dame's best win, Texas A&M would be yet another team out of the playoff picture. Either way, I'd lean for an Aggies win, even though it might backfire and cause some pandemonium. Big Ten Slip-up Over the next few weeks, the Big Ten is the conference that will soon take shape, and it relies on only a few games. This week, there are two games to circle on your calendars. No. 1. Michigan @ Indiana The biggest question mark this year is simply, "Is Indiana legit"? Nobody knows. This week's game against the Wolverines will provide some answers, but not the full picture. Despite Michigan's offensive woes, the Wolverines still have NFL talent sprinkled across the board. Can Indiana keep up with Michigan's athletes across the field? Can Michigan win this game without a true answer at quarterback? With Indiana's poor strength-of-schedule how they look in their next two games, this week against Michigan and then against the Buckeyes, will be critical for the outlook of the Big Ten. No. 2. Washington @ Penn State Happy Valley. White Out. Packed House. Not directly a recipe for success for Jedd Fisch's team in his first year with the Huskies, but this is a game that Washington can win. After the mental and physical toll from last week's one-score loss to Ohio State, I'm intrigued to see how Drew Allar and James Franklin bounce back in this one. Penn State is the team that I thought the committee put the most blind faith into. Yes, the defense is legit on all three levels, but like the Hoosiers, who has Penn State beat? Illinois? Not exactly the most eye-popping win. After this game, the Nittany Lions are cruising the rest of the season, with only one more real scare on the road against Minnesota. If Penn State can navigate through this week with everyone's emotions on high, the Big 10 is likely to get four teams into the playoff. Wrap-Up I recognize that this is all speculation and that if Notre Dame loses, it becomes moot. While the Fighting Irish are looking at the task at hand, in this case the Florida State Seminoles, I am allowed to look at the bigger picture. I am not a player. I am not a coach. I am simply painting the possible future. But with Marcus Freeman constantly reminding his team about the ramifications of looking ahead, I am confident that the Irish will run the table and treat every opponent as if it is their last game of the year. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Photo via The Irish Tribune With Notre Dame basketball tipping off tonight against Stonehill, head coach Micah Shrewsberry is looking to build off the 13-20 season he put together in year one. While going seven games under .500, the rebuild of Notre Dame basketball is in the right hands. After rebuilding Penn State, Shrewsberry decided to return to his home state and take over for former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey after 23 seasons. The program was left in a difficult position, however, Shrewsberry handled it well, putting together a solid end of the year that included a win over at the time 20-8 Clemson and an ACC tournament win over Georgia Tech. Now entering his second season, the talent on the roster has increased, but so have the expectations. A major factor heading into the season is the returning production for the Irish. Despite Carey Booth transferring to Illinois and Matt Zona graduating, Notre Dame returns the six players with the highest minutes per game a season ago and their four leading scorers. The Irish are led by sophomore guard Markus Burton, who is getting national attention before his second season. He was featured on the Preseason All-ACC First Team with 41 votes after being the conference’s Rookie of the Year last season. The Mishawaka, Indiana native averaged 17.5 points per game, 4.3 assists, and an impressive 1.9 steals in his freshman season where he scored double figures in all but three games. His best performance of the year came against Wake Forest on February 27th where he finished with 31 points, four steals, three assists, and the game-sealing block. That stretch during the middle of February that trickled into March is where the Irish hung their hat during the 2023-24 season. In the Irish’s exhibition game against Purdue Fort Wayne on Oct. 30, Burton finished with 18 points while shooting 7-11 from the field, while also picking up six assists and three rebounds. However, Burton turned the ball over six times which was one of his biggest concerns in his freshman season. Adjustments are going to be a necessity in that department as he enters his second season. One area that Burton is going to have to leap in would be his leadership now entering his sophomore year. He’s already in a good position to fully become the leader of this Notre Dame team due to the small number of seniors on the roster a season ago. Now as he enters his second season, it will be interesting to see if his presence on the floor changes at all. Following a big win over Virginia on December 30th, Notre Dame would go 1-9 in their next ten games with the season considered a failure. However, after knocking off Virginia Tech on February 10th, the Irish entered a hot streak where they won five of six games including wins over Clemson and Wake Forest. During that streak, the entire team began meshing and working well on both sides of the ball, which allowed other young players to find their roles. Junior Tae Davis found his feet during this time, averaging 12.6 points per game during the final nine games of the season, scoring double figures in eight of those. Sophomore Braden Shrewsberry, who is going to be a huge piece in his second season, had an up-and-down freshman year. There were games where he looked lost and like a freshman, which is to be expected. However, like his dad in year two, we need to see more of the other side of the inconsistency in 2024-25. He was a huge part of the ACC tournament win over Georgia Tech in the opening round where he put up 23 points and hit five of his eight threes. Shrewsberry shot the ball well from beyond the ark in the exhibition game, going 4-7 from three, finishing with 18 points and a steal. He was exclusively contributing from long range in his freshman season, which was a problem for the offense due to his inconsistencies. However, if he can find himself getting good shots from the mid-range and inside, he will be a much more important piece on that end. Junior J.R. Konieczny was an important player on offense for Notre Dame last season, contributing 7.7 points per game on 40.1% shooting while also grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game. He found himself in double figures 11 times including the third game of the season against Auburn when he finished with 18 points on 7-11 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds. It was the first of four times Konieczny would grab double-digit rebounds, which Irish fans would love to see more of in his junior season. He found himself in double figures once again in the exhibition game as he totaled 11 points, going 3-4 from three, and grabbing six rebounds. After shooting 33% from three last season, that number going up would have a massive impact on the Notre Dame offense. Freshman Cole Certa also proved he can have a big role in the offense this season in his five minutes of play against Purdue Fort Wayne, finishing with six points and going 2-3 from three. Getting Certa and Sir Mohammed minutes in their first year in South Bend is something that Micah Shrewsberry is going to focus on. Both Sports Illustrated and CBS project Notre Dame to be the tenth-best team in the ACC this season as they return 85.9% of their scoring. This would be an upgrade from their 12th-place finish last season, however, you can expect Shrewsberry and the Irish to be looking to take a much higher jump than that. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The fall from grace that the Florida State (FSU) Seminole football program has experienced since the end of last season has been dramatic. The 1-8 Seminoles were expected to be College Football Playoff contenders this year, but FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell has led high-hoped Noles fans to one of the most disappointing seasons in all of college football.  Photo by The Irish Tribune Coach Norvell faced a large challenge offensively this offseason when he was tasked with replacing his leading passer, rusher, and top three receiving options. The quarterback situation was addressed when former Clemson and Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei announced his decision to join the Noles after last season.  Unfortunately for FSU, Uiagalelei has been out since week six with a hand injury that required surgery. There is a possibility the former top high school passer returns this season but the looming expectation is he remains out to secure another year of eligibility. This decision makes more sense given the disappointing season FSU has experienced: Florida State 2024 Results (1-8): at Georgia Tech (in Ireland) (24-21, Loss) vs Boston College (28-13, Loss) vs Memphis (20-12, Loss) vs California (14-9, Win) at SMU (42-16, Loss) vs Clemson (29-13, Loss) at Duke (23-16, Loss) at Miami (FL) (36-14, Loss) vs North Carolina (35-11, Loss) There is no question in Tallahassee that offense is the largest issue facing the Seminoles. Their 13 total offensive touchdowns are the fewest among FBS teams. In addition, their 264.6 total yards and 14.4 points per game are both second-fewest among FBS teams. The Noles have not helped themselves in terms of protecting the ball. This offense has committed 15 total turnovers (fourth-most among ACC teams), consisting of 11 interceptions and four lost fumbles. Another aspect of this offense that ranks among the worst in the country is third-down success. The Noles have converted just 31 of 120 third-down attempts (25.8%), which ranks second-lowest in the nation. FSU’s quarterback carousel is perhaps one reason they have struggled offensively, especially passing the ball. Including Uiagalelei, the Noles have played three different quarterbacks. Given Uiagalelei’s absence, it is expected that young, inexperienced backups Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek should receive snaps on Saturday.  Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn has received most of the opportunities since Uiagalelei’s injury. The former four-star recruit has completed 43 of 93 pass attempts for 515 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Glenn showed flashes of potential in his first start this season versus a good Clemson defense when he threw 23 of 41 for 228 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He has struggled immensely on the road compared to at home, so this could spell trouble for Glenn against an elite Irish defense. He also has recorded 24 rushes for 82 yards this season, not a true rushing threat but he is not scared to scramble at the right time. True freshman signal-caller Luke Kromenhoek has received snaps in each of the past three games. The former four-star and third-highest-rated quarterback in the 2024 class (ON3) has been very shaky in his outings this season. He has completed 11 of 28 passes for 116 yards and two interceptions, with no touchdowns. He finished last week's contest versus UNC two for seven through the air for 36 yards and two picks. It could be assumed that FSU’s staff would like to save Kromenhoek’s redshirt status this year so there is a chance he does not appear in Saturday’s contest. Like Glenn, Kromenhoek is a pass-first quarterback but he is not scared to run with the ball either, he rushed for 71 yards on 11 carries against Miami. Combined, these three quarterbacks have led FSU’s passing offense to the bottom of the ACC. Here are some FSU passing stats and where they stand relative to ACC and FBS competition: 102.47 passing efficiency (third-lowest in FBS) 49.6% completion rate (fourth-lowest in FBS) 11 interceptions thrown (third-most in ACC) 188.4 pass yards per game (third-lowest in ACC) Things should not get any better Saturday night when the Noles are matched against a top-five passing defense in the country. Let’s take a look at some Seminole receiving options: FSU’s leading receiver is redshirt senior Ja’Khi Douglas. He entered this season with 45 receptions for 737 yards and five touchdowns in 37 game appearances. The redshirt senior is enjoying his career-best season this year as he enters Saturday with 25 catches for 404 yards and three touchdowns. He has recorded seven games with at least two receptions and 20 yards including his best performance versus Cal when he recorded four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Douglas is the most polished receiver on FSU’s roster as he leads the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. The Seminoles’ second-leading receiver is former number-one overall JUCO prospect and Alabama transfer Malik Benson. Last season at Alabama, Benson finished with 13 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. This season, the transfer has recorded 23 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown. He has recorded at least one reception in each game and his best performance came versus Memphis when had five catches for 99 yards. In general, Benson is a solid receiver who has only underperformed once this year, when he only brought in one of four targets against Duke.    Another receiver to keep an eye on is sophomore Hykeem Williams. In eight game appearances last season, he recorded five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. This year, Williams missed the first two weeks due to a hamstring injury. In seven games played, he has 13 catches for 153 yards this season. After a four-catch, 53-yard performance versus Clemson, Williams has struggled. He has just three receptions on 10 targets in the past three games, including being shutout against Miami. Although he has not posed much of a threat this year, Williams has real potential to be a top receiving option in the future. The final true wide receiver to highlight is redshirt senior Kentron Poitier. The underutilized receiver recorded 20 catches for 419 yards and four touchdowns in 24 games across the last two seasons. He enters Saturday with 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns this year. His best performance came against Boston College when he racked up 79 yards and a touchdown on just three receptions. Poitier’s role has seemingly diminished in the last two weeks as he has only been targeted once in each game. Poitier is an overall solid receiver who has not received real opportunities for reasons unknown to me. FSU’s leading tight end is redshirt senior Kyle Morlock. The two-time Division II All-American finished his first season in Tallahassee with 19 receptions for 255 yards. Morlock was awarded FSU Offensive Newcomer of the Year for these efforts. This season he has recorded 10 catches for 123 yards. He had back-to-back games with at least three receptions and 20 yards against Memphis and Cal earlier this year. In general, Morlock poses more of a threat as a blocker rather than a receiver. The last receiving option to preview is dual-threat running back Lawrance Toafili. The redshirt senior entered this season with 67 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns in 43 appearances. This season, Toafili has recorded 19 receptions for 156 yards. He has recorded at least one reception in each game and has four games with 20-plus receiving yards. Overall, Toafili is a reliable pass-catching back who also provides value as a pass blocker. As bad as the FSU passing game has been, their rushing offense has been even worse. The Seminoles’ 76.1 rushing yards per game are the second-fewest among FBS teams. The running back and offensive line rooms have had some injury concerns throughout the season but the talent is better than what has been shown. Toafili, the dual-threat running back, is the Seminoles’ leading rusher. The 2023 ACC Championship Game MVP entered this year with 1,439 yards and 12 touchdowns on 231 carries. In last season’s ACC Championship, Toafili rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown in the win over Louisville. As FSU’s leading rusher this season, he has recorded 303 yards and two touchdowns on 78 carries. His best game this year came in the win versus Cal when he rushed for 80 yards and a score. Overall, Toafili is an average running back who provides the most value when he is involved as a pass-catcher. Behind Toafili, freshman back Kam Davis should be set to return from an injury that has sidelined him the past two games. The former four-star recruit has 38 carries for 131 yards in seven appearances this season. Davis was experiencing his best game against Duke when he had 63 yards on 14 carries before exiting with the injury. The freshman has been solid when given opportunities and has shown flashes of great potential this year. Given Davis’ absence the past two games, redshirt senior and former Penn State transfer running back Caziah Holmes has stepped up. He entered this season with 85 carries for 439 yards and four touchdowns across 26 games played. This year, Holmes has 12 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. However, with Davis being sidelined recently, Holmes saw his usage increase as he capitalized with 34 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in the past two weeks. FSU has been without transfer running back Roydell Williams since week four, a big loss, and it is unclear when or if he can return this year. The most surprising disappointment from this Seminoles' offense has been their offensive line. Entering the season, they were hyped as one of the top units in the country. Injuries have played a factor but this unit is allowing 3.33 sacks per game (30 total), the second-most in the ACC. They also allow seven tackles for loss per game which ranks fourth-most among ACC teams. Despite the poor numbers, the talent is there, here are three linemen that the Irish defense should scheme around: FSU returned both of their starting tackles from a year ago. Left tackle Darius Washington was named First Team All-ACC last season. He has missed two games this year but he has been effective in pass and run block when on the field. He has allowed three sacks this year. Washington should be ready for Saturday. On the right side is Jeremiah Byers, the other returning offensive tackle for FSU. The former UTEP transfer excels in pass blocking with only two sacks allowed, however, he has struggled in the running game. Byers has missed three games this year but, like Washington, should be ready for this week’s contest. The final key piece to this offensive line is left guard TJ Ferguson. The Alabama transfer has allowed just one sack this season but struggles with run blocking. The former four-star recruit has missed one game this year but should be ready for Saturday night. In conclusion, I struggle to find any way this Florida State offense bests Notre Dame’s defense barring a miraculous effort that has yet to be seen from the Seminoles this year. Expect another slow day for FSU’s lackluster offense. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame Hockey just sent waves through Notre Dame's athletic fashion history with special uniforms for their trip to Northern Ireland Photos by Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame Hockey has unveiled their specialty uniforms for the 2024 Friendship Four, which will be held in the capital city of Belfast, located in Northern Ireland. Notre Dame will play its first game there against Harvard, followed up by either Merrimack or Boston University. The uniforms are already receiving raving opinions from Notre Dame and hockey fans across social media. The specialty uniforms are inspired by the Book of Kells: "An illuminated manuscript and Celtic Gospel book in Latin , [1] containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables." according to Wikipedia. Press Release: SOUTH BEND, Ind. - With the University of Notre Dame hockey program's first ever international trip fast approaching, the team, in partnership with Under Armour and Fanatics, have released a specialty jersey for the Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The navy jersey features a gold script "Irish" across the chest along with a unique, stylized nameplate font specifically for the tournament. Each letter is inspired by the letter-forms seen in the historic Book of Kells. The numbers on the back and both sleeves of the jersey are also inspired by those found in the Book of Kells, with the numbers adorning the back of the sweater featuring the Notre Dame Celtic Knot running through the center. The shoulder patches are a design specific for the tournament with a specialized celtic knot woven into the shape of two hockey sticks and face-off circles, representing the two games set to be played by the Irish in Belfast. Official reveal video: Notre Dame fans can purchase gear and replica jerseys at shop.fightingirish.com Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Photo by The Irish Tribune It's no secret that this coming weekend for Notre Dame will be huge in terms of recruiting. In fact. one source I spoke to said that "it will be a massive weekend and a pivotal one for the future of recruiting and Notre Dame football." The list of future talent that will be in attendance for this game is filled with talent from top to bottom. With many high-profile talent visiting such as C/O 2025 4-star LB Nathaniel Osuwu-Boateng, C/O 2025 4-star DL Jalen Wiggins (currently committed to Florida), C/O 2025 4-star TE Andrew Olesh (currently committed to Michigan), C/O 2026 4-star LB Thomas Davis Jr., C/O 2026 4-star LB Tank King, C/O 2026 4-star WR Connor Salmin, and C/O 2026 4-star Edge Simote Katoanga, among others. As you can, see the talent that will be present for this game is some of the best in the country, but the headliner has yet to be mentioned. Several media outlets were hinting that a certain blue-chip WR would be present for the game. I was able to confirm through a source that Derek Meadows would be present for the Florida State game. The Irish Tribune broke the story in a previous article on Saturday evening. Irish fans across the country are very familiar with the name Derek Meadows, after Notre Dame lost out on the highly touted WR when he committed to LSU back in July of this year. But that didn't stop Notre Dame from pursuing him. and they have kept constant communication with Meadows which has proved to pay off; as he'll be visiting Notre Dame instead of LSU, who will be hosting Alabama at home. Getting Meadows (a 4-star WR who is ranked No. 47 nationally and the No. 7 best WR in the country) back on campus is a huge win, and a true testament to what Marcus Freeman, Chad Bowden, and the rest of the staff have done in the recruiting office. Will they be able to flip him? Only time will tell, but they've never given up on the pursuit to land him. Notre Dame will also be hosting multiple commits to help fill out an already star-studded cast of visitors. C/O 2026 4-star QB Noah Grubbs, C/O 2025 3-star S Brandon Logan, C/O 2025 4-star WR Elijah Burress, C/O 2025 4-star WR Antavious Richardson, and C/O 2025 4-star RB Justin Thurman have all been confirmed as visitors for the big weekend. With such a big weekend ahead and all the buzz surrounding it, I was interested to hear what some of the recruits and commits were saying. I caught up with several of them to see what they were looking forward to most about the visit and the excitement surrounding it. For C/O 2026 4-star QB Noah Grubbs, it's a bit personal when it comes to Florida State, and he cant wait to watch Notre Dame beat them. He's also very excited to be back around the coaches that have always believed in him. "I’m excited to be back home this Saturday to watch ND beat my home state team that missed out on recruiting me. This is my second time back this season, and it means a lot to have one of my brothers traveling with me, along with my QB trainer Baylin Trujillo, and my parents. I'm also very excited to be back around the coaches who have believed in me from day one. I look forward to representing the ND program in less than 14 months!" For C/O 2026 4-star LB Tank King, the excitement to watch them play at home was something he didn't want to miss. After being in attendance for the first game against Texas A&M, he wants to witness the Irish home game atmosphere and a chance to see all the coaches as well. "I'm ready to be on campus to see the home game atmosphere because I watched them play away vs. A&M and it was electric. I'm looking forward to seeing Coach Freeman, Coach Golden, Coach Max, Carter Auman, and getting to catch up with the team. I'm excited to see how the LBs have progressed since the A&M game. Also, I want to sit down with more players to see from them how ND is as a school overall. But I'm very excited to be back up there. I always say ND is family because they really are." C/O 2025 3-star WR Antwaun Parham (currently committed to Tulane) was recently offered by the Irish, so I was curious to see what that offer meant for him. "Getting the offer from ND meant the world to me. I have been following the program for a while and to finally receive the offer helped solidify that my hard work and grinding is paying off. " Shortly after receiving an offer from Notre Dame, Antwaun scheduled a visit for the Florida State game. So what is he looking forward to most? "I'm looking forward to the intensity of the game day atmosphere at Notre Dame. I'm also looking forward to seeing how I would fit in with the team, the University, and the coaches." What is Parham looking for when it comes to his recruitment? "I’m looking for the best situation that can prepare me for the next level, get a degree that can change my life for the future, and make my dream to play in the league a reality." C/O 2026 4-star DE Simote Katoanga is excited to witness the game day experience, as he visited this past summer, but this will be his first fall visit for a game. "I can’t wait to experience game day in South Bend! I visited during the summer, but I'm excited to see what Notre Dame is like in the fall. What I look forward to the most about the trip is being able to watch a live game at the historic stadium and see all the coaches and staff!" And C/O 2026 4-star WR Connor Salmin is excited to get back to campus for game day and to see the coaches again. "I'm excited to get back, to see the coaches again, and to experience the game day environment at Notre Dame." The buzz for next weekend is at an all-time high, with many big-name commits and recruits coming to town. I was told by a source that Notre Dame will be rolling out the red carpet and pulling out all the stops next weekend in hopes of landing some of this highly touted talent. This coming recruiting weekend will be massive for the future of Notre Dame football, and all eyes will be watching when the Irish take on Florida State to continue their goal of being a playoff team. To make this a perfect weekend, they not only have to win over the recruits, but they also must win on the field. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Sources confirmed with The Irish Tribune that Derek Meadows will be in attendance for Notre Dame's matchup against the Florida State Seminoles next week. Photo by Derek Meadows Notre Dame football's wide receiver recruiting has gone through quite the rollercoaster ride for its 2025 class. Notre Dame had locked in commitments from NFL legacy prospects Elijah Burress and Jerome Bettis Jr. early in the recruiting cycle, but as the Irish looked to grow on their class, they struggled to find a headliner talent. Over the course of summer, the Irish whiffed on three major prospects, losing Tanook Hines to the rival USC Trojans, Dylan Robinson to the Washington Huskies, and Derek Meadows, the highest rated prospect on the Irish's big board, to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers. After Meadows announced his commitment to the Bayou Bengals on July 20, general manager Chad Bowden made it clear that the Fighting Irish weren't out of the picture. Three months later, and Bowden's persistence has the Fighting Irish in a dogfight for Meadows' commitment late in the cycle. Use code IRISH20 for 20% off your purchase - Subscribe Here With a towering 6'6 frame, Meadows has the ability to win 50/50 balls while also possessing elite downfield speed. Meadows serves as a rare prospect, a prospect that Notre Dame isn't necessarily accustomed to landing. While the Irish still have a long way to go in this recruitment battle. still fending off LSU and also Michigan who Meadows visited today for their matchup against Oregon, this signals Notre Dame’s growing chances of bringing the Las Vegas star to South Bend. It is extra encouraging considering that Meadows is electing to visit South Bend over the LSU next weekend as the Tigers are hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide. Meadows has had a rather successful senior campaign, already amassing a career highs in receptions (19) and yards (445). He plays for Las Vegas powerhouse program Bishop Gorman that also produced former Notre Dame standout and first round pick Ronnie Stanley. Irish fans: This news was first reported by our very own Bruce Straughan. Subscribe to Tribune+ today to know the news before it’s reported, and help support our independent coverage of Notre Dame Football: https://www.theirishtribune.com/plans-pricing Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame continues to eye a bid for the College Football Playoff. Being more than halfway finished with the regular season, how does Notre Dame fair in their odds of being the third team in program history to make the playoff? Photo by The Irish Tribune With Notre Dame entering the final stretch of the season, and real playoff chances on the line, the conversation of the 12-team playoff has become a lot more interesting. Notre Dame finds themselves No. 8 in the AP poll, but that could change in a little under a week when the playoff committee comes out with their first college football playoff rankings. At 7-1, the Irish are squarely in the conversation for a playoff appearance, but let’s take a look at some of the positives and negatives at play, and what Notre Dame will need to do to secure their spot in the playoffs. Positives The first positive Notre Dame has going for them is their schedule. Their schedule has been a bit up and down, with some games appearing more winnable than before, while others have become more difficult. As it stands now, the remaining schedule will be a plus for Notre Dame in these final four games. Winning out is the name of the game for Notre Dame, and with favorable upcoming opponents, they must avoid another slip up. Notre Dame will be favored in each of these games, but that doesn't mean it will be a walk in the park. They still must face an undefeated Army team, and a game in Los Angeles against USC to close the year. Notre Dame's quality wins are another reason why they have a serious chance to make the playoff. As it has turned out, Notre Dame's week one win over then No. 20 Texas A&M in College Station, has become one of the best wins in college football. A&M currently sits alone atop the SEC, making them one of the premier teams in college football. As long as A&M keeps winning, this win will continue to propel the Irish up the rankings if they do the same. This isn't the only quality win Notre Dame has, though, with wins over Louisville and Navy adding to a strong resume. Both teams were ranked when they played Notre Dame, making that three ranked wins on the season. With Army and USC still on the schedule, there is even more potential for quality wins, which would really bolster an already solid resume. The third positive for Notre Dame is time. The loss to NIU may still loom over the team, but at this point in the season, it feels like forever ago. Marcus Freeman and the rest of the team have done well to prove that their singular loss was a fluke by dominating opponents both physically and on the score board. If Notre Dame continues to play at this level, they will help change the perception of the team, showing the country that they are a lot better than the team that lost to NIU. Negatives It goes without saying that the biggest negative of this season has been the unexplainable loss to NIU. This loss came in week two of the season, and Notre Dame has done all they can to rectify that mistake. The biggest aspect of this loss is it is considered to be one of the worst losses for any team still fighting for a spot in the playoff. This reality could do a lot to hold Notre Dame back, possibly losing the chance to host a playoff game. A loss like that puts a ceiling on how high a team can get in the polls, and the committee could; and should hold it against them. Although Notre Dame's remaining schedule may be a positive, their schedule, as a whole doesn’t leave much room for error. Notre Dame currently ranks 59th in strength of schedule, according to ESPN. This number is similar to other schools contending for a playoff birth, but with one loss already, there is no margin for error. With a strength of schedule like Notre Dame's, a team that good is expected to go undefeated. There may be room for losses, but they can't come at the hands of NIU. SEC and Big Ten teams get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to conference wins and losses, even if those opponents aren't considered "good". This means Tennessee's loss to Arkansas is looked at a lot differently than Notre Dame’s loss, making it necessary for them to finish 11-1. It goes without saying that Notre Dame's independent status is always a topic of conversation when it comes to making the playoffs. In a year where the SEC may get four or five teams, and the Big Ten might get four teams, there is not a lot of breathing room. Notre Dame will also have to deal with the same thing they deal with every year, which is not playing on championship Saturday. Teams will always get a bump for contending in a conference championship, even if they lose. Notre Dame's seeding could also be affected during conference championship week if there is a bid stealer. Remember, conference champions get an automatic bid, so if a team won their conference that was on the outside looking in, that would mean an at large bid would likely be taken up by another team. These spots are valuable to Notre Dame, and on championship Saturday, they will just have to wait and see. As it looks right now, Notre Dame is in a good spot. They can almost guarantee their bid in the playoff if they win the remainder of their games. However, with this being the first year of the 12-team playoff, and potentially some chaos in the last few weeks, nothing is for certain. The SEC and the Big Ten still have a lot of consequential games to be played, and conference champions to be decided. All of this will have a huge impact on the playoff picture, and the hardest part for Notre Dame and their fans will be to sit back and watch it unfold. 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Analyst Max Uretsky takes a deep dive into stand-out 2025 receiver Elijah Burress, a Notre Dame commit. Max grades out Elijah's abilities, from separation to competitive toughness. Photo via Elijah Burress, Instagram ( @elijahburress ) Anyone who follows Notre Dame football would not be shocked when I say they have lacked consistent explosiveness on the perimeter for some years now. Big plays from the running backs, yes, reliable tight end play, yes, but the days of players like Golden Tate and Michael Floyd making flash plays on the outside seem like too long ago. That's not to say there has not been talent at the position, it just hasn't resulted in the type of big-time plays that can blow a game open. Some of that can be attributed to some inconsistent quarterback play, and overall play calling, but overall there just has not been a spark out wide. Some of those woes may be alleviated very shortly, with some incoming playmakers such as Elijah Burress. Use code IRISH20 for 20% off your purchase - Subscribe Here The 2025 4-star receiver has an NFL pedigree, with his father Plaxico Burress winning a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2007, and looks to have an extremely bright future for himself. The DePaul Catholic senior is much more polished than a lot of his peers and will challenge for playing time from the minute he gets on campus. I came away very impressed after watching his film and these are the things that stood out. In this evaluation, each trait will have a grade of 1 through 7, with 1 being poor, and 7 being elite. Athletic Ability: Very good (6) I tend to start with athletic ability no matter the position because it is an important trait regardless of where on the field a player lines up. As an offensive lineman, athletic ability might present itself in your lateral agility and ability to get down the line of scrimmage on zone runs, as a linebacker, you need to have good sideline-to-sideline speed or balance when fighting through traffic to make a tackle, but as a wide receiver, your AA is monumental, and Burress checks every box. Elijah gets off the line and into his route with suddenness and explosiveness. He has very good acceleration and can hit his top-end speed quickly when going vertical. Elijah also has very good agility and smoothness both in and out of breaks, and with the ball in his hands in the open field. He is a big play waiting to happen and can really inject some life into an offense. Separation Quickness/Route Running: Elite (7) I was very impressed with how polished of a route runner Burress already is. He has a good jab step at the line that he utilizes to get press corners off balance and quickly stacks the DB when getting vertical. He does an excellent job of getting corners to open up their hips early and then making sure he crosses their face on inbreaking routes. On comebacks and hitches, he doesn't take unnecessary choppy steps when breaking down to come back for the ball instead sinking his hips and and turning in one smooth motion, making it difficult for DBs in off-coverage to make a break on the ball. Burress gets good separation at the top of his routes, using his length to keep corners at a distance. This is the best part of his game and gives him the ability to line up both in the slot and outside. Hands: Very Good (6) If you're going to make a name as a wide receiver, you better be able to catch. Burress can win his one-on-one match-ups in a variety of ways, displaying the ability to highpoint the ball and outjump the defensive back, as well as his ability to deal with hand fighting and contact while still plucking the ball out of the air. He does a very good job of tracking deep shots over his shoulder, and has an impressive catch radius, being able to adjust around his frame to catch less accurate throws. He has good body control on sideline grabs, keeping his feet in bounds. Burress proves himself to be a reliable target on film, and there is no reason that shouldn't continue during his time at South Bend. Recruiting intel, fan community, and more + 20% off (IRISH20) - Subscribe Here Concentration/Courage: Elite (7) It's easy for young players to get caught up losing concentration on an incoming pass because they know a big hit is incoming, leading to "alligator arms" or just flat-out drops. That is not the case with Elijah Burress. There are multiple reps on film, where he works inside a corner knowing the safety or linebacker is going to be able to lay a big hit on him, and it still does not affect his aggressiveness when attacking the ball to make a play. At 175 pounds, he plays tougher than his size and shows he can catch through contact when going over the middle of the field. This will be another reason he will be able to be lined up all over and used in multiple ways. Competitive Toughness: Elite (7) One of the most overlooked aspects of playing the WR position is perimeter blocking. It can often be the difference between a seven-yard pick-up for a running back and springing a game-changing play. It takes competitive toughness and a willingness to do something that will not show up on the stat sheet. Burress is not afraid to stick his nose in and be aggressive at the point of attack as a blocker. As mentioned earlier, Burress is currently on the lighter side at 175 pounds, but that does not stop him from consistently locking up with defenders and attempting to steer them out of lanes trying to help his teammates pick up extra yardage. I was sold on this part of his game when I watched him sprint seventy yards downfield to throw the final block on what would be a long touchdown run. Effort can not be taught, and his willingness to block mixed with his ability to go over the middle without flinching makes him an extremely tough competitor and someone Irish fans should be happy will be on their side come next fall. Final Thoughts For all the talk of who Notre Dame has missed out on recruiting-wise at the wide receiver position, some of the focus should be shifted back to who IS going to join the blue and gold. Burress is an excellent athlete, an advanced route runner, and the type of competitor who can spark an offense. I would love to see him add a little more size to be able to hold up against bigger more physical corners at the next level, and once he does there is no reason he will not be able to contribute in a meaningful way. The receiver position may be a sore spot for some fans, but Burress has the skill set to bring some explosive plays back to South Bend sooner rather than later. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame hosted 56 recruits in total for the weekend of the Stanford game. Many talented recruits were on campus that weekend, and one of them was Lincoln “Tucker” Smith. Tucker is a C/O 2026 dual sport athlete at Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Glendale, Arizona, where he competes in both football and wrestling. Photo via Tucker Smith, X (@TuckerSmith77) Tucker is a 6’5" 280lbs IOL who’s quickly gaining a lot of attention from D1 schools. He currently holds offers from notable schools such as Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Arizona, Arizona State, and Minnesota.   I caught up with Tucker to find out how his visit went, and what he thought about the game. We talked about his recruitment, the game itself, what his favorite part of the visit was, and more.   I was curious how the recruiting process was going for Tucker and his family, as it really has started to pickup fast. For Tucker, it’s been very exciting. “Recruiting has been really exciting for me and my family so far. I am so fortunate that so many schools and coaches believe in me and my ability to play football.”   So, what was it like for Tucker to be invited to Notre Dame for the Stanford game? For him it was his time on campus, and he enjoyed every minute of it. “The Stanford game was the first time I had ever been to Notre Dame campus. It was an amazing visit and experience. The campus and stadium are beautiful to see in person and there’s so much history there. I consider myself blessed to be able to visit.”   There is always a favorite part of any trip for a recruit, but for Tucker, there was a really cool connection for him in South Bend. “My favorite part of my trip was going to the game and seeing Luke Talich. Luke’s dad and my dad were teammates in college, so it was so cool to see Luke on the field playing for Notre Dame.”   How is his relationship with the coaching staff developing? For Tucker, he’s really enjoyed working with Caleb Davis (Director of Recruiting for Notre Dame Football), and meeting Coach Rudolph was an awesome experience for him.   “I have mostly been in touch with Caleb Davis. He has been absolutely great throughout this whole process so far. It was awesome getting to meet Coach Rudolph in person. He is such a great coach, and I could definitely see myself playing for him one day.”   Getting an offer from any D1 school is special for any recruit, but for Tucker, an offer from Notre Dame would be an incredible opportunity. “Getting an offer from Notre Dame would be incredible. My Catholic faith is a huge part of my life, so getting to go there would be the best of both worlds for me.”   Tucker is a very talented and humble young man who has a bright future ahead of him. We at The Irish Tribune would like to wish Tucker good luck on his journey to the next level, wherever that may be. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame's offense was an unstoppable force, and Navy's turnovers ultimately decided their fate as the Irish took down the undefeated Midshipmen 51-14. Photo by The Irish Tribune EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Navy needed a near perfect game to defeat Notre Dame, and by no means did the normally disciplined Naval Academy play one, as Notre Dame dominated on all fronts and routed the Midshipmen 51-14. Even though Navy had many self-inflicting blows, the credit absolutely must be given to the Fighting Irish who were clicking on all cylinders. The Notre Dame offense only punted twice all game, and both resulted in muffed punts recovered by the Irish. Riley Leonard continues to grow into an elite-level passer and has Mike Denbrock's offense rolling. Week by week, I keep highlighting Leonard's progression as a passer. His awareness and confidence in the pocket now compared to week one is night and day. He ended the day with 178 yards on 13/21 throwing, including two touchdowns through the air. He also added 83 yards with his legs and a rushing touchdown. Jeremiyah Love extended his every game touchdown streak as well with an explosive 64-yard home run. He added a two-yard touchdown score later in the game and ended with 102 yards. Multiple wide receivers made key impacts in this game as well. Jordan Faison was the leading receiver as he had his best game of the season ending with four catches and 52 yards. Beaux Collins added onto his stellar season with a 37-yard touchdown catch, and Kris Mitchell added another touchdown catch, as well. The Irish defense played a stout game. Besides two explosive runs from Navy's Blake Horvath, Al Golden dialed up a great game plan to hold Navy's previous high-octane offense. Although Navy's new spread look created some confusion, their offense made too many mistakes to keep up with the Fighting Irish. Navy had five fumbles, one of which was a strip sack in the end zone that Jaylen Sneed jumped on for a Notre Dame touchdown. Sneed was one of the best performers from the Notre Dame defense, but experienced veteran Jack Kiser led the team in tackles. I mentioned Kiser as one of the keys to this game, and the sixth-year senior did not disappoint. Two other players with standout performances were Junior Tuihalamaka and Josh Burnham, who both excelled in setting the edge and maintaining their assignments. Both did a great job setting the edge on the line and sticking to their responsibility. In Navy's revamped offense, the key to success was Horvath's ability to spread the ball in the air. Notre Dame held the Junior quarterback to 88 yards of passing, and Leonard Moore collected his first career interception. On the special teams front, the Irish are desperately missing Mitch Jeter, who was listed as available in the pregame depth chart report, but was inactive for back-to-back weeks. Zac Yoakam went 1/2 as his replacement. At the end of the day, Notre Dame controlled this game from start to finish, and in consecutive years have successfully dominated the Midshipmen. All week, Notre Dame heard that Navy wasn't the same old team, and that this matchup was worthy of a Top 25 ranking. After this blowout, I hope the narrative about this Navy team remains the same. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

No. 12 Notre Dame heads to New Jersey this weekend to face off with No. 24 Navy for the 97th matchup in this historical rivalry. The Irish have the heavy advantage in the all time series record, and have won the last 6 matchups against the Midshipmen. This will be Notre Dame’s second neutral-site game in row, this time taking place at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. This is the 2nd time Notre Dame and Navy have faced off at MetLife, first meeting in the inaugural season of the venue in 2010, where Navy handily beat the Irish 35-17 in Brian Kelly’s first season.  Photo by The Irish Tribune There’s much to be said about the Notre Dame-Navy rivalry, as it's one of the most criticized and discussed annual meetings on Notre Dame’s schedule. Many say the series is past its prime, and in the ever-changing landscape of college football, no longer a wise investment for the Irish. On the other hand, advocates for the series point to its historical significance and the recent uptick in competitiveness. Whatever you may think of this matchup on a macro-level, the reality of the situation is that this year’s game is the most consequential meeting between the two in decades. This is only the 2nd time in the last 45 years both the Irish and Midshipmen will be ranked heading into their matchup, and this year’s game holds enormous CFP implications. Navy The Midshipmen had a rough year in 2023, beginning in week 0 with a crushing 42-3 loss to Notre Dame in Ireland, and ending with a 5-7 record and no postseason action. Head coach Brian Newberry enters his second year at Navy’s helm, having begun his career there as DC in 2019. After 4 seasons, Newberry inherited the top job from his predecessor, Ken Niumatalolo, who was at Navy for 8 seasons, where he won 11 games twice but finished with back-to-back 4-8 outings before his exit. 2024 has been a banner year for Newberry and the midshipmen, already overachieving expectations with an undefeated 6-game win streak heading into their matchup against the Irish. Although Navy’s campaign has been impressive, their success has come against relatively weak competition. Their most impressive win thus far came against now 6-1 Memphis, who they beat in a shoot-out 56-44, sealed with a pick-6 in the game’s final minute. It was a huge win for the Midshipmen, who were 9 point undogs heading into the matchup, and was the beginning of their push into the top-25. Outside of Notre Dame and later Army, none of Navy’s other opponents currently ranked in the top-25. With that said, the Mids have managed to reconcile their easy slate with style points to emphasize their superiority, something the Irish have struggled to do themselves. Notre Dame is the first tier-one test for the Midshipmen, but they won’t be facing Navy’s typical offense. Coach Newberry brought in new Offensive Coordinator Drew Cronic for the 2024 season from Mercer University, tasking him with redesigning Navy’s outdated offense and bringing it into the modern era. The new scheme melds Navy’s traditional flexbone triple-option with a hybrid Wing-T and complimenting spread principles to create a complex and unique obstacle for opposing defenses. Although Navy has pretty much always been a run-first squad, this year is a bit different. Not only can the Midshipmen throw the ball, but they’re darn good at it. Cronic’s offense drops back 12 times a game on average, and now runs plays out of the shotgun at an unheard of 45% clip for the program. Their passing game ranks 2nd in the FBS for yards per attempt, yards per completion, and passer rating, while leading the nation in red zone scoring offense with 100% (23/23). Of those 23 red zone scores, the Midshipmen converted all but 1 for touchdowns, giving them a ridiculous 95.6 touchdown rate so far.  Notre Dame The Irish are coming off a win in Atlanta over Georgia Tech, but like several games this year, it was a mixed bag.  The Irish offense only outgained Tech in total yardage 385-333, managing not to regress, but far from the kind of progression hoped for after the Stanford blowout. Leonard led the offense with 203 yards through the air, his second highest mark of the season, but threw an interception and failed to throw a touchdown for the 4th time in 6 games. Instead, he continued to contribute on the ground with 51 yards and 2 scores. Jeremiyah Love had a quieter day than usual on the ground, with only 36 yards and a score, but had his best receiving day so far with 3 catches for a team-high 57 yards. Notre Dame’s defense did what they’ve done for most of the season, and effectively contained the Yellow Jackets offense. Outside of a 9-play 80-yard touchdown drive late in the 4th quarter, the Irish defense held Tech to just 7 points for almost the entire game, only allowing them 64 rushing yards and winning the turnover margin 2-1. Adon Shuler padded the lead with his own late 4th quarter score, a 36-yard pick-6 interception that gave the Irish their last score of the game. Ultimately, the win didn’t change much for Notre Dame’s current outlook. They stayed put at No. 12 in the rankings, didn't get worse but didnt get better through the air, and again failed to add those much-needed “style points” to their CFP resume. The Matchup Notre Dame’s Defense V. Navy’s Offense First year starting QB Blake Horvath heads the new-look offense, and nearly everything goes through him. He leads the Midshipmen in passing yards, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns, amounting to 1,509 all-purpose yards. He’s also one of only two QB’s in the FBS with 10+ rushing touchdowns and 10+ passing touchdowns (the other being Alabama’s Jalen Milroe).  Navy’s new passing prowess has complicated Notre Dame’s defensive approach, but they’d still rather keep the ball on the ground as much as possible. Navy’s passes are still being used as a complimentary feature to their identity as a run-first team, the only difference is, they’re good at them now.  Navy is banking on confusing the Irish with their new scheme and their FBS leading 76% pre-snap movement, combined with a pass game Notre Dame will have to respect for the first time in recent memory. The Midshipmen don’t have to be perfect to steal this game, they just have to force Notre Dame into enough mistakes to make a difference. While their competition has been relatively weak, Navy has won each of their games by double digits, and ranks 4th in the country with 44.8 PPG. The Midshipmen are 4th in rush yards per game with 274.8, 5th in yards per rush with 6.0, and 7th in yards per play with 7.3. It seems that Navy’s progression through the air has not come at the cost of their success on the ground. All this production comes with a very disciplined approach. The Mids have only given up the ball up 2 times so far (both interceptions), and have kept things completely clean for the last 5 games. The Irish won’t be able to rely on Navy handing them the win, so they must take control and force the Midshipmen to play their game. If the Irish can limit Navy’s production on the ground and force them to throw the ball, it’ll be a long day for Cronic and his offense. Notre Dame’s defense is its strong suit, and they’re elite. They rank top-10 in yards per play allowed, PPG allowed, YPG allowed, and completion percentage allowed. Navy’s offensive strength is without a doubt its running game, but it'll face off with one of the best rush defenses in the country. Collectively, the Irish D-line hasn’t allowed a single 100 yard rusher yet this season, have only given up 3 rushing touchdowns, and have gotten to the quarterback a whopping 18 times. Navy’s response to Notre Dame’s pressure up front is a stellar front 5. The Midshipmen offensive line has only surrendered 3 sacks through 6 games, good for 5th best in the country, and will be crucial to Navy stopping the blitz and establishing the run. For all their talent and elite statistics, Notre Dame’s defense has developed a strange tendency. In 4 of their 6 games, the Irish defense has allowed opponents to score in the first quarter, with only Miami OH and Purdue held scoreless. This tendency to fall behind early on defense is compounded by the Irish offense often failing to score early. If the Irish defense can keep Navy scoreless in the 1st, it may give the offense enough momentum to put points up early. This is a strength on strength matchup, and one that will likely be decided by talent, and big chunk plays. If the Irish defense can leverage their talent advantage and keep Navy’s explosiveness to a minimum, they should be able to handle this offense without too many issues. Advantage: Strong Notre Dame Notre Dame’s Offense V. Navy’s Defense Notre Dame’s offense has been its loudest question mark all season long.  Denbrock has continued the program’s dominance on the ground, despite Audric Estime’s departure and a plague of offensive line injuries, but the passing attack has regressed significantly. It's a tale of two completely different teams: on the one hand, the Irish are a team with one of the most effective ground games in the country, while their passing game on the other hand, has been at best, serviceable, and at worst - nearly nonexistent.  The Irish have slowly grown in the passing game as the season has progressed, but getting the ball downfield is still a struggle. As of right now, Leonard is nearly always in a 3 step drop with one, maybe two reads for short to intermediate yardage. It’s slowly building Leonard’s confidence with his receivers and Denbrock, but leaves the passing game with a very small scope and often leads to a last-ditch QB take from Leonard. Denbrock has done a good job of adding in RPOs to complicate their looks, but without a true threat to toss it down field, Navy can afford to stick close to Irish receivers. If the Irish can’t strike a balance against Navy, they’ll have to put up another impressive day on the ground and hold on to the ball. Thankfully, Notre Dame’s rushing game has proven they can win without an aerial threat if properly set up. Leonard, Love, and Price have combined for 1,247 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, with each averaging at least 6.0 yards on the ground. It's enough production to win the Irish a game if they lean into it completely, but a further developed and more successful passing game would only make the rushing attack that much more effective. For better or worse, Notre Dame’s offense has settled into what is likely its final form of progression, and Denbrock will need to find the right schematic balance to keep things rolling if the passing game never gets better. Navy’s defense isn’t its pure strength, but they have some pretty solid numbers. They’re 30th with 19.7 PPG allowed, along with 10 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles, good for 2nd in turnover margin with +12, and 5th in defensive scoring with 3 touchdowns. Their best performance on defense has come in the red zone, where they rank 4th with only 12/19 trips ending in points, a stout 63.2% red zone defense efficiency. Of those 12 scores, only 8 were touchdowns. This “Bend Don’t Break” defensive approach has paid off for them thus far, but hasn't made them elite. They rank 92nd with 387.7 YPG allowed, along with 95th place for rushing YPG allowed with 165.0. Navy is talented, but not elite on defense. They have enough firepower to give their offense a chance to win, but not enough talent to dominate a team like Notre Dame. Their turnover margin, interceptions, and red zone intensity are enough to take advantage of Notre Dame’s mistakes, but not enough to force the Irish into making them. If the Notre Dame can establish the run and even throw the ball with average success, it'll likely be too much for Navy’s defense to contend with. Advantage: Leaning Notre Dame Special Teams Notre Dame’s special teams unit hasn't had a particularly successful year so far, and have recently been struck with the injury bug. Grad kicker Mitch Jeter is again listed as questionable after having missed the majority of Stanford and all of Georgia Tech with a hip injury. The job will fall to backup walk-on kicker Zac Yoakam who went 9/9 on extra points and 1/2 on field goals in two games. The Irish special teams showed out against the Yellow Jackets last Saturday, posting their best performance of the season. They sold a fake punt and a fake field goal, blocked  a field goal, and smothered Tech’s return men in their own territory on multiple occasions. With several of their special teams surprises now on film, the Irish likely won't be quite as tricky against the Mids, but they may have a few more tricks up their sleeve if they see the right stuff on the field. As for Navy, their kicker has been a bit spotty, but they’ve gotten away with it without needing to rely on him. That could be a different story in this game. Junior Nathan Kirkwood has gone 32/35 on extra points in 6 games and 3/4 on field goals, leaving a possible opening for an Irish special teams unit hitting their stride.  Navy’s kickoffs have been the weakest part of their special teams so far, with only 12 registered touchbacks on 39 total kickoffs. Shallow kicks may open things up for Irish return man Jayden Harrison, who is looking for his first touchdown return of the season, and above average starting field position could be critical for the Irish in a game where they’ll be fighting to get the ball away from Navy.  Advantage: Leaning Notre Dame Prediction Notre Dame’s week 2 loss to NIU transformed their smooth, paved road to the playoff into a hazy dirt path with a recurring fork in it. That fork has arrived each following week alongside Notre Dame’s next opponent, with one path hopefully leading to the postseason, and the other - playoff elimination. This week to week struggle for survival follows a schedule that seemed far less daunting prior to the season’s start, and one that continues to evolve. Enter the service academies. No one could have possibly imagined FSU and USC being outshined by the likes of Army and Navy, but we didn’t expect the Irish to drop a game to a MAC school either, did we? In place of those blue-chip underperformers, Navy and Army have emerged as Notre Dame’s last two chances to bolster their CFP resume.  It's often said that Notre Dame is most teams’ “Super Bowl” but Navy wants this win for a different reason than usual. Instead of just looking to best their rival and play spoiler, the Midshipmen are looking to stay perfect, and use the Irish as a launchpad for a postseason bid of their own. Because of the history between these two programs and Notre Dame’s relative superiority as a football powerhouse, the Irish are in a lose-lose situation.  If they win, great - they were supposed to, it's just Navy, they always beat Navy.  But, if they lose - Navy stays a media darling and continues their improbable journey to the Playoff, while Notre Dame’s season is effectively over. While there’s plenty of reason to be concerned, there’s really only two ways this game shakes out: A comfortable no-doubter by the Irish (ie. Stanford/Purdue). A close, competitive game that the Irish have the chance to lose, but ultimately pull out the win with a score that doesn't tell the full story of the game. (ie. Louisville, Georgia Tech). The Irish may struggle in this one, but chances are, they find a way to best an outmatched but dangerous Navy squad for their 3rd win over a ranked opponent this season. That doesn't mean it’ll be pretty. This will be a struggle of needs and wants, with the Irish once again accomplishing what they need to, but likely failing to fully accomplish what fans and the CFP committee want.  Look for: Notre Dame’s defense - holds Navy to 225 rush yards or less Notre Dame’s defense - ends Navy’s perfect 23/23 red zone streak Jeremiyah Love - 2 rushing touchdowns for the first time this season Riley Leonard - 2 passing touchdowns / 1 rushing touchdown Mitchell Evans - 1st receiving touchdown of the season Win: (7-1) ND: 31 - 23 :NAVY Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

In a game with severe playoff implications, whoever loses will most likely miss out on the newly expanded College Football Playoff, while the other will live to play for a title another day. The Irish Tribune staff make their official predictions below. Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame Football faces one of its toughest battles yet as they take on their historic (And undefeated) rival -- The Navy Midshipmen -- at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets from the NFL. Our staff make their official game predictions and hot takes. Peter Mulroy - First & Gold Podcast Host Score Prediction: 31-17 Notre Dame   This is one of those games (as it tends to be most seasons) that worries Notre Dame Nation. And while the major reasons for that are Navy’s triple-option and precision when it comes to running the veer, this season, Al Golden’s defense will have to prep for the Naval Academy’s latest wrinkle: the pass, and more so, operating out of the shotgun.   While I expect the Irish defense -- despite documented injuries to key pieces along the depth chart -- to be up to the challenge, it won’t be easy. But if they’re able to get pressure on Navy’s outstanding QB Blake Horvath from the likes of Josh Burnham, Cross, Mills, and Drayk Bowen, and finally play with an early lead, compliments of the Irish offense, then it’s my opinion ND will simply be too strong for Navy to overcome. This is a big test for Notre Dame. And it’s Navy’s biggest of the season. Clayton Stohler - First & Gold Podcast Co-Host Score Prediction: 42-17 Notre Dame I jostled around on this one a lot, but it’s just a feeling that can’t be ignored. Notre Dame is disruptive in the run game, and Jeremiyah Love has the best yardage output of the season. They do what they want, whenever they want. In what was supposed to be a dogfight, Notre Dame takes care of business yet again. It should’ve been close on paper, but it wasn't close on film. Noah Wehby - Writer Score Prediction: 34-17 Notre Dame Although Navy has looked great this year and their offense has been hard to stop, Notre Dame will just be too much for them. Notre Dame’s fast, athletic defense will be able to keep up with Navy’s unique offense and hold them in check for most of the game. Riley Leonard will continue to put another solid game together with the help of a couple of long runs from Love and Price. This game will come down to Notre Dame’s ability to tackle and stay ahead of the sticks avoiding third and longs. Bruce Straughan - Recruiting Writer Score Predictions: 35-10 Notre Dame The National Media continues to hype up Navy, but that’s usually the story for any team that plays Notre Dame. Navy has yet to play anyone with a pulse in my opinion and I believe that Notre Dame will be too much to handle for the Naval Academy. This is the only day of the year that I wish for our military to lose. The other 364 days of the year I and hopefully all Notre Dame fans root for them to dominate the world, but tomorrow, that'll be different. Liam Farrell - Associate Editor & Senior Football Writer Score Prediction : 31-17 Notre Dame Once again, the Irish will go down 7-0 and respond. Navy scores on two early drives, but Al Golden the young linebacking unit adapts to Navy’s tricky scheme. On the offensive side of the ball, Notre Dame fires on all cylinders. The Notre Dame rushing attack dominates the Midshipmen upfront and while Riley Leonard may not have the most glamorous box score, he continues to learn how to operate Mike Denbrock’s offense. Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor & Senior Staff Writer Score Prediction: 45-28 Notre Dame Navy will pick up one or two explosive plays but I trust the Irish defense to contain the triple-option attack. Offensively for the Irish, I expect them to successfully establish the run early. It would not shock me if this was another outing featuring three Irish 100-yard rushers (Love, Price, and Leonard). This game should be close until around the fourth quarter as ND takes another rivalry victory over Navy. Brady Burden - Social Media Intern Editors Note: Please welcome Brady Burden to The Irish Tribune team. Brady is an accomplished sports media figure who has success and experience in helping manage various media brands' social media channels in the world of sports, and even in the Notre Dame world. Brady will be an important part of our continued goal of delivering exceptional content to millions of Notre Dame fans in innovative and traditional forms. Score Prediction : 38-24 Notre Dame Notre Dame defense struggles early at times but Al Golden makes his adjustments and gets things situated in the second half. Riley Leonard’s arm helps the slow-starting offense get going after a prolonged first quarter. He throws for 250+ yards with multiple touchdowns and shows the Irish fans what they’ve wanted to see from his passing abilities. What are your predictions for this highly impactful game, Notre Dame Nation? Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun