Don’t count out Army or Navy for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Two of the three Division I Service Academy programs are both 5-0 for the first time since 1945 after Army dominated Tulsa 49-7 and Navy handled Air Force with ease 34-7 on Saturday. Both teams should also see plenty of consideration to be ranked inside the top 25 in the next US LBM Coaches Poll.
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Because Army and Navy is played after conference championships, the Dec. 14 matchup will not count toward College Football Playoff rankings. However, the AAC title game could have legitimate CFP ramifications if one of the contenders is in a position to be the highest rated team in the Group of Five.
Army (5-0, 4-0 American) currently ranks first in its conference standings, with AAC wins over Tulsa, Temple, Rice and Florida Atlantic. The Black Knights have also won each of their games this season by double-digits, with four of their five wins coming by 17 or more points.
Navy (5-0, 3-0 AAC) is also undefeated in conference play, and has the best win of both of the academies this season when it beat CFP hopeful Memphis 56-44 in Week 3. The Midshipmen have also won each of their games by double digits this season.
The 1945 season also marked the first year the Army-Navy Game started being broadcast live nationally. Army and Navy were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in 1945, before Army won the rivalry game 32-13.
The 2024 game likely won’t be between No. 1- and No. 2-ranked teams, however, it’s shaping up to be one of the most high-profile Army-Navy Games in recent memory when they meet at Northwest Stadium — home of the Washington Commanders — in Landover, Maryland.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army, Navy football…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/army-navy-football-start-seasons-201211298.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-05 20:12:11
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