College Football Picks Week 9: Navy Midshipmen vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Navy Midshipmen (2-5) will take on an emotionally-defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-3) team after they suffered a 31-17 loss to the USC Trojans as 9.5-point home favorites last Saturday.

Second-year head coach Brian Kelly was selling a possible BCS trip to his locker room during a four-game win streak, but those aspirations are no longer achievable.

Oddsmakers are still sending out the Fighting Irish as 18.5-point home favorites for this rivalry contest, mainly due their 59-33 win over the Air Force Falcons on Oct. 8.

Certainly, the program will be playing with double revenge inside Notre Dame Stadium, but Navy has already registered straight-up underdog victories the last two years in the series when getting 6.5 and 12 points.

The Midshipmen also bring in the No. 3 rushing offense in college football, something that the Fighting Irish have had trouble stopping the last two games.

Notre Dame's defensive front was pushed around when losing the ground battle by 178 yards versus USC, which came just two weeks after allowing Air Force to gain over six yards a carry on 60 attempts.

One of the strongest angles in handicapping college football is playing against a program when its main offseason goal is no longer possible.

Kelly has run out of bullets in trying to fire up his squad and Saturday will likely find an uninspired football team trying to escape with a one-score win in South Bend.

Pick:  Navy Midshipmen (+18.5)