Key to Beating Notre Dame is Simple--Schedule Them After They Play Navy

Notre Dame is typically one of the best college football teams in the land. A couple years removed from their undefeated regular season, they are poised to go 10-2 or 9-3 this season. Either way it will mean a top 25 ranking and a good bowl game which should make for some happy Fighting Irish fans.

However, there will be some that will lament the two losses and think more of what could have been especially when one of the losses could have possibly been avoided had they scheduled the game a little differently.

@SBNationGIF/Twitter

They never should have played Arizona State the week after the Navy game. Why not? The reason has nothing to do with the travel or the fact that ASU was also a top ranked team. You have to play and beat the best in order to be the best after all.

It was Navy's fault. Notre Dame needs to quit scheduling games the week after they play Navy. Out of the last eight seasons the Fighting Irish has only won twice the week after the Navy game:

• 2014: 55-31 Loss vs Arizona St.
• 2013: 28-21 Loss vs Pitt
• 2012: 20-17 Win vs Purdue
• 2011: 24-17 Win vs Wake Forrest
• 2010: 28-27 Loss vs Tulsa
• 2009: 27-22 Loss vs Pitt
• 2008: 24-23 Loss vs Syracuse
• 2007: 41-24 Loss vs Air Force

Both wins were against teams that Notre Dame should have crushed, but instead they barely squeaked by. What the ****, right?

If it is any consolation the Fighting Irish are not the only ones that struggle the week after they play Navy. This season the only team that one the week after was Rutgers; the other seven all lost.

So do the Midshipmen place some kind of seafaring voodoo on teams after they play them or something? Absolutely not (I think). More than likely it's because teams need a little more time to recover from the physical pounding they take from the nation's No. 1 rushing team (350 yards/game).

That of course does not explain the close game against Purdue in 2012 (the travel to and from Ireland maybe?), but no superstitious coincidence is perfect (or is it...).

[Reddit]

Loading...