College Football Independents Preview: Notre Dame, Navy, and Army

Three of College Football’s oldest powers are in unfamiliar positions entering the 2010 season.

Irish look to Kelly for change
Brian Kelly’s resume has Notre Dame fans salivating. He turned Central Michigan into a power in the MAC before bringing Cincinnati to two Big East titles and consecutive BCS Bowl trips. Even Kelly’s tenure at Grand Valley State will inspire confidence at Notre Dame, having led the Lakers to two straight NCAA Division II titles.

Dayne Crist’s ascension into the role of starting quarterback will prove fascinating to College Football betting fans. He replaces Jimmy Clausen, who racked up tremendous yardage for the Irish but was let down by a porous defense. Crist should have a better defense to rely on than his predecessor. Manti Te’o is the rising star on defense, with All-American potential as a sophomore. I like Notre Dame to go 8-4 in 2010.

Midshipmen entering unchartered waters
It’s been a long time since Navy entered a season rated this highly. The Midshipmen failed to break into the AP or Coaches’ polls but received votes in both. Victory over Maryland in Navy’s first game of the season would likely push the Midshipmen into the AP Top 25.

Navy is no ordinary service academy team. Paul Johnson re-shaped the way the Midshipmen play during his time at the helm and Ken Niumatolo has continued to steer the program in the right direction. After a 10 win season in 2009, hopes are high for more success in 2010. It’s going to be tough to repeat last year’s heroics but I like the Midshipmen to hit the 9 win mark in the regular season, giving them a chance to hit double digits in their bowl game. Of course one game will matter above all others to Navy fans and that’s with the last of the Independent schools on our rundown.

Bowl bound Black Knights?
Army hasn’t played a bowl game since its 1996 defeat to Auburn in the Independence Bowl. Last season’s defeat to Navy, an eighth straight loss to the Midshipmen, cost the Black Knights a trip to the Eaglebank Bowl. Can 2010 be the year when Army finally makes the breakthrough?

It’s been a long time since there was so much hope surrounding Army, currently mired in a 13 year losing streak. If the Black Knights can improve on last season’s win total by just one game then they will make the post-season. Looking at the schedule, I like Army against Eastern Michigan, Hawaii, North Texas, Tulane, V.M.I., and Kent State. I may not like the Black Knights against Navy or Notre Dame but I like Army to go 6-6 in 2010. That’s enough for a bowl game; beating the Midshipmen can wait until 2011.