Air Force Falcons Fall Closer to the Bottom in Latest Power Rankings

The Air Force Falcons continue to serve as cannon fodder for their opponents.

Nov 2, 2024; West Point, New York, USA; Air Force Falcons quarterback Quentin Hayes (7) carries the ball against the Army Black Knights during the second half at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

While their FBS military service academy counterparts have been busy playing to a combined 14-2 record, it has been a season to forget for the Air Force Falcons.

In fact, two of those 14 wins shared by the Navy Midshipmen and the Army Black Knights, have come against the Falcons.

It is something that Air Force has grown used to this year, serving as cannon fodder for the opposing teams on their schedule, that is, all but one, though that was an FCS opponent to begin the year.

It has been nothing short of a slog of a gauntlet for the Falcons, and with only four games left to play, it will soon, mercifully, come to an end.

Every week Chris Vannini of The Athletic releases his college football power rankings of where he believes the talent of all 134 FBS programs lie.

This week has been no different, and Vannini has ranked Air Force 131st after their latest loss to the Black Knights, falling one spot from their 130th ranking last week.

The Falcons are one of only seven teams in the nation with one or fewer wins on the year, though that list does also include two programs from Power Four conferences, the Florida State Seminoles and the Purdue Boilermakers.

It has been a season of mediocrity for Air Force, scoring 21 or more points only twice across their first eight games, and being outscored by their opponents 212-110, allowing almost twice as many points as they have scored.

It is not as if the Falcons are losing these games to weak competition, as the team has played a tough schedule to this point, with their FBS opponents holding a combined record of 35-25, though it does look to lighten up a bit as the last four teams on the schedule hold a combined record of 15-20.

Bowl eligibility is out of the question for Air Force, as it is not possible for the team to climb to six wins on the year, though ending the season on a high note could be a massive boon to their momentum heading into the 2025 campaign.

The Black Knights and the Midshipmen have run away with things this year, in collision course for their yearly December matchup.

Meanwhile, the Falcons have been toiling away through the doldrums of a lost season, inching closer and closer to the light at the end of the tunnel.