Up in College Park, there's an NCAA Football team that has a chance to become bowl-eligible. But Maryland isn't the only local team with that chance today. With a win this afternoon over Duke, Navy will also get to that elusive six-win plateau.
The Midshipmen have bounced back well since their opening-game loss to Maryland. They have won five of their last six games, including a 35-17 blowout win over Notre Dame last weekend. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs is starting to show everyone why he was a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate at the beginning of the year. Last week's win was Navy's third straight, and it came against a big-name opponent.
The Blue Devils, on the other hand, are struggling. They were blown out 44-7 by Virginia Tech last weekend, and have just one win on the season ... against Elon. They are winless in ACC play, and haven't even been competitive in many of their games. In this sense, they are an ideal opponent for Navy. Given the way both teams are playing, Navy should roll to a win and bowl eligibility.