This has proven to be a tricky spot for Notre Dame in the past. You might expect that to be the case this season with the Irish currently at No. 3 in the rankings and undefeated. I don't think that will be the case, though. The Irish already had their sleepwalk performance against Pitt, and now they've had a bye week to help prepare for the Navy option attack. A Navy option attack that isn't as explosive as it has been in recent seasons. Combine that with a Navy defense that hasn't shown it can stop anyone, and the Irish should roll here.

The huge Navy presence in San Diego will certainly help the Midshipmen, but that's not the reason to side with the underdog. Navy is fourth in the nation in time of possession, so touches for the Fighting Irish will be limited. That offense thrived when Ian Book was inserted as the starting quarterback four games ago against Wake Forest, but has regressed every week since the change. The combination of the book being out on Book and Navy's ball-control offense makes it hard to believe that the Irish will cover by more than three touchdowns.