Paul Finebaum opines on what a win over Army would mean for Notre Dame's College Football Playoff resume
Paul Finebaum believes Notre Dame has a tremendous shot at the College Football Playoff, and their standing would only be improved with a big win over Army this weekend.
The Black Knights are undefeated at 9-0 entering Saturday’s clash, and the Fighting Irish can ill-afford another loss on their record. When the action gets underway inside Yankee Stadium in Week 13, FInbeuam believes Notre Dame will be out for more than just a win — they’ll be looking to prove they’re worthy of a ticket to the dance.
“Most definitely,” Finebaum said, regarding whether Notre Dame would keep their Playoff hopes alive with a win over Army, via Get Up. “Army has had a fantastic season, we know that. This is a rich tradition, one of the oldest rivalries in the country, but Notre Dame really has something to prove.
“That loss to Northern Illinois really stung them. They need to win here. But next week, watch out, when they go to Southern Cal.”
Finebaum’s analysis falls in-line with Marcus Freeman’s mindset for the game this weekend. He’s certainly not taking Army lightly, even though many believe Notre Dame shouldn’t struggle too much against the Black Knights, despite their undefeated record.
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“I want our players to have that mindset, man,” Freeman said. “If I told our players, ‘Hey, this is a great fake, we’re going to hold it for the last game of the year, we’re going to hold it for playoffs,’ what would I expect them to be as we get ready to play this game? Like this is the Super Bowl. This is the Super Bowl. This week versus Army — Yankee Stadium — is the Super Bowl.
“If that means we’ve got to come up with a new fake then we will come up with a new fake. But I don’t ever, ever want to hold something back. It’s just a great challenge and guess what, we’ve got to come up with something better. And we have the coaches and the players to do that.”
Time will tell if Notre Dame is able to get the job done, but Paul Finebaum and the rest of the college football world will be watching with a keen eye on Yankee Stadium in Week 13. The Black Knights and Fighting Irish will kickoff at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the game broadcasted on NBC and Peacock.