Army Black Knights Rise in Power Rankings Ahead of Notre Dame Showdown

The Army Black Knights were off last Saturday, but they still moved up in the latest power rankings for college football.

Nov 9, 2024; Denton, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights cornerback Justin Weaver (5) celebrates after a 14-3 win against the North Texas Mean Green at DATCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Army West Point Black Knights were idle last week, though that does not mean that they sat on their hands.

With their enormous upcoming matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looming at week's end, the Black Knights have several more days to prepare for their toughest challenge of the season so far.

To this point in the year, Army has had one of the easier schedules in college football, and it has done exactly what any team with an easy schedule is supposed to do: dominate.

It has led to a 9-0 record overall, and a 7-0 record in American Athletic Conference play.

Every week Chris Vannini of The Athletic releases his college football power rankings for all 134 FBS programs. While the Black Knights were off on Saturday, the teams surrounding them in those power rankings were not. Army breaks into the top 20 in this week's power rankings, landing in 18th.

It is an interesting position to be in for the Black Knights, as Notre Dame ranks ninth in these power rankings. The Fighting Irish have already faced one service academy this year, matching up with the Navy Midshipmen on Oct. 26 when the Middies were still undefeated. It did not go well for the Midshipmen, losing 51-14, and they have gone 1-2 since that contest.

A win over Notre Dame on Saturday would be massive for Army. It would announce to everyone in the college football landscape that their 2024 campaign has not been due to an easy schedule and that they are a legitimate threat this year. It might also end the Fighting Irish's dream of making the newly-expanded College Football Playoff.

The Black Knights' dreams are still alive, and their path became clearer last Saturday with the Tulane Green Wave's win over the Midshipmen.

It locked Army and the Green Wave into the conference championship game, and if the Black Knights can win out, including that title game, there is a chance they could be ranked ahead of the Boise State Broncos in the College Football Playoff's final rankings.

It has been a fairytale season for Army, which has all led to this week and this matchup against Notre Dame. The Big Bad Wolf is standing at the door, and on Saturday, we find out if the Black Knights made their house with bricks or straw.