Army Black Knights Road to College Football Playoffs Could Get Chaotic

The Army Black Knights still have a chance at the College Football Playoffs, as long as they continue winning.

Nov 9, 2024; Denton, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Monken celebrates with his players after 14-3 win against the North Texas Mean Green at DATCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Army Black Knights may not have had the toughest road to get here, but they have gotten here nonetheless.

Having bowled over the competition with ease to this point, the Black Knights enter their last bye week of the year with a 9-0 record overall, and a 7-0 record in American Athletic Conference play. Even with one of the weakest schedules in the country, their ability to not only win each and every game, but to dominate each and every time they step on the field, has left them with an opportunity to make the newly-expanded College Football Playoffs.

Things could get chaotic, however, should Army make those playoffs, as there are multiple things that need to happen to get them there. First, they need to win next Saturday's matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That is one of the biggest hurdles standing between the Black Knights and the CFP.

The biggest hurdle they face is one that they have no control over. They need the Boise State Broncos to lose at least one game down the stretch. Austin Mock of The Athletic breaks down the chaotic scenario.

"Boise State loses a game down the stretch but still manages to win the Mountain West championship, which opens the door for Army to receive the No. 4 seed and earn a first-round bye as the AAC champion," writes Mock. "The Big 12 has a real shot of not getting its champion into the Playoff if chaos occurs in its championship race."

If the Big 12 did not get its champion in the College Football Playoffs, it would be the Florida State Seminoles from last year all over again.

With a win next Saturday over the Fighting Irish, currently ranked eighth in the CFP poll, Army would leap further into the field with only one game left in the regular season that counts this year, coming against the UTSA Roadrunners. They would then be on a collision course with the Navy Midshipmen or the Tulane Green Wave for the conference championship game, where only the Black Knights and the Green Wave would have an opportunity to make the CFP should they win.

While the four-team playoff was certainly an exciting race, the argument could be made that the 12-team format has made it that much more exciting with more teams having a chance at making the field. With all of the chaotic scenarios that could occur as we approach the end of the regular season, this year's playoff race has been one of the most exciting that we have ever seen.