Higher then Navy? They have won two in a row and played ND tough in some of the recent loses.
Tougher then Stanford? They have turned their program around.
Stanford deserves great credit for their excellence in athletics and academics. They're consistently in the top 5 when it comes to graduation rates.
Personally, I think Harbaugh would have been a better pick for ND. He's shown that he can recruit academically superior athletes.
Of course, I understand why Harbaugh would want to stay at Stanford. That part of the Bay Area is beautiful. If I had the $$$, it would be at the top of a short list. I grew up in the East Bay, and have fond memories of living there.
Not to hijack the thread, but here's a partial list of faves, in no particular order:
SF/Bay Area
Spokane, WA
Dallas/Fort Worth suburbs...there's a ton of 'em.
Chania, Crete
Traben-Trarbach, Germany (Mosel River)
Kiel, Germany
Oberammergau, Germany
El Paso
Hill Country, Texas
San Diego, CA
Next door to Dick Cheney's house in Wyoming (wherever that may be)
With the exception of the last item, I've either visited or lived there for an extended period.