Army Black Knights Can Shake Up College Football Playoff With Huge Looming Matchup

The Army Black Knights have a chance to cement their status as a worthy College Football Playoff participant.

Nov 9, 2024; Denton, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights tight end David Crossan (85) and wide receiver Liam Fortner (4) celebrate after a 14-3 win against the North Texas Mean Green at DATCU Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

One of the biggest surprises during the 2024 college football season has been the performance of the Army West Point Black Knights.

They have been handling business all season, as their 14-3 victory over the North Texas Mean Green improved their record to 9-0 on the season. There are some concerns about their strength of schedule, but they will be able to put that to rest in the coming weeks.

Heading into a bye in Week 12, the Black Knights will have some extra time to prepare for a massive looming matchup. They will be the away team in a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

If they want any chance of advancing to the College Football Playoff, that is a must-win game. It would essentially eliminate the Fighting Irish from consideration for an at-large bid and improve their own standing at the same time.

Notre Dame is going to be listed as a heavy favorite, but Army should not be counted out. It is one of the potential upsets that Bill Connelly of ESPN has highlighted to keep an eye on down the stretch.

“Army quarterback Bryson Daily returned from injury against North Texas on Saturday, and while he didn't do much throwing, he rushed for 163 yards and the game's only two touchdowns in a 14-3 win. The Army defense, meanwhile, held a prolific UNT offense to 283 yards. Daily will have to be at his sharpest for Army to upset a smoking-hot Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium, but the Black Knights are still a nightmare to prepare for (even though the Irish have already faced Navy this season).”

Will the unique Black Knights style of play be enough to trip up the Fighting Irish in two weeks? The extra week could not have come at a better time for Army, as their star quarterback will have more time to rest up and heal for their biggest game of the season.

While all of their focus will be on taking down Notre Dame, they are on track to have another big matchup in a few weeks. The Black Knights are on a collision course to face off against the Tulane Green Wave in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

As long as Army can handle business in their last conference games against the the UTSA Roadrunners and rival Navy Midshipmen, they will lock up a spot in the title game with a perfect 9-0 season in-conference.