Army West Point Black Knights Drop in Weekly College Football Power Rankings

The Army West Point Black Knights dropped in this week's college football power rankings.

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Army Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily (13) carries the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Yankee Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Week 13 was the biggest game for the Army West Point Black Knights in decades.

Undefeated with a 9-0 record, they had reached No. 19 in the college football rankings. They were set to face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in what was shaping up as an elimination game for the College Football Playoff.

Unfortunately, it was the Black Knights who likely had their playoff hopes burst. They were blown out on Saturday night, losing 49-14 to suffer their first loss of the year.

As a result, they have dropped in ESPN’s weekly power rankings. They entered as the No. 16 team, but suffered one of the biggest falls, sinking to No. 22.

“...Afterward, Army coach Jeff Monken said it would be unfair to judge his team on that one game and he was proud of the way his team had continued to progress in all areas. Army had one turnover against Notre Dame but has been terrific at taking care of the ball this season.”

While the head coach’s comments are valid, this will be the performance many people judge them off. It was their chance to prove they are one of the top teams in the country and they didn’t have the strongest showing.

But, there was one part of the game against Notre Dame that did stand out.

Their defense struggled, but the goal line stand in the first half was impressive, showcasing just how tough of a team Army is. They also have a lot to still play for down the stretch.

In their first season in the American Athletic Conference, it would be quite an accomplishment to go undefeated in the regular season. The only thing standing between the Black Knights and that is the UTSA Roadrunners next week.

They have already clinched a place in the AAC Championship Game against the Tulane Green Wave. The only thing that needs to be decided is where the game will be played; if both teams remain undefeated, it will come down to tiebreakers.

After that, there is the annual Amry/Navy rivalry game which is the only college football matchup of the week.

While the loss to the Fighting Irish was disappointing, this campaign has been one of the best in program history. Not letting that ruin the entire year and finishing strong should be a motivating factor for the team.