Navy football appeared in the Week 8 Associated Press Top 25, checking in at No. 25 in the poll that was released Sunday. The Midshipmen are ranked for the first time since the end of the 2019 season, when they ended the year ranked 20th.
Army (6-0, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) is also ranked this week, with the Black Knights coming in at 23rd in the poll. It’s the first time the two rivals have been ranked in the same week since 1960. They haven’t been undefeated this late in a season since 1945.
Under coach Brian Newberry, the Midshipmen are a perfect 5-0 this fall and 3-0 in the AAC. They’ve won all of their games by double digits, including a signature 12-point win over preseason conference favorite Memphis. Navy hosts Charlotte (3-3, 2-0 AAC) this weekend, and a win for the Mids secures bowl eligibility for the program for the first time since 2019.
The schedule increases in difficulty in the coming weeks for the Mids, who face No. 12 Notre Dame on Oct. 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. A Nov. 16 home contest with Tulane (4-2, 2-0 AAC) could be the Mids’ toughest remaining conference game, and the regular-season finale against Army figures to be a competitive battle as well.
Army and Navy are scheduled to meet on Dec. 14 in their annual matchup, although it’s possible the teams could also meet in the AAC championship game the week prior. Army and Navy are two of the five remaining unbeaten teams in the AAC, with Charlotte, North Texas and Tulane the other three.
Not only are the programs in the running to win the conference, but they’re both also in the College Football Playoff conversation. With the playoff expanding to 12 teams this season, at least one representative in the 12-team field will be a champion of a Group of Five conference (AAC, CUSA, MAC, MWC or Sun Belt). ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Army a 24.6% chance of making the CFP, with only No. 15 Boise State (46.5%) holding a higher percentage among Group of Five teams. Navy holds a 5.2% chance, according to FPI.
Even if the teams continue winning at a historic pace, the Dec. 14 game between Army and Navy won’t impact the College Football Playoff. The playoff field is selected shortly after conference championship games Dec. 7, with the official 12-team field being announced Dec. 8. Games begin Dec. 20.
____
©2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
