Army West Point Black Knights Learn Latest College Football Playoff Ranking

The Army West Point Black Knights learned their latest College Football Playoff Top 25 ranking on Tuesday.

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Monken leads his team to the field before a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Yankee Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The Army West Point Black Knights received a forgiving ranking in the AP Top 25 after their loss to Notre Dame.

The College Football Playoff was far less forgiving.

The CFP committee dropped the Black Knights out of the Top 25 on Tuesday, the next-to-last rankings before the final 12-team field is revealed on Dec. 8.

In the immediate aftermath of their loss to Notre Dame, Army (9-1, 7-0 in American) dropped to No. 25 in the AP Top 25. The Black Knights were as high as No. 16 two weeks ago and remained in the poll for the seventh straight week. This is still the program’s longest streak the AP Top 25 since 1958, when Army was ranked wire-to-wire and finished the season No. 3 overall.

The Black Knights had been in the CFP Top 25 in the first three releases. Three weeks ago they were No. 25. Two weeks ago they moved up one spot to No. 24. Last week they were at No. 19 entering their huge showdown with Notre Dame.

Army lost, 49-14, to Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium, and that loss ended the Black Knights’ undefeated season and run in the CFP Top 25.

The only two Group of 5 schools ranked in the CFP Top 25 were Tulane at No. 17 and Boise State at No. 11.

The Green Wave’s ranking is significant. Should Army and Tulane end this weekend undefeated in AAC action, then the Green Wave would host the conference championship game on Dec. 7, thanks to that ranking.

Army is preparing for its final AAC game against UTSA at Michie Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff set for noon on CBS Sports Network. A win would ensure the Black Knights’ first undefeated season as a member of any conference.

Army joined the AAC as an affiliate member for football this season. It was previously a member of Conference USA for seven years, and the Black Knights never won more than two games in any of those seasons before they returned to being an independent program, which they have been for nearly its entire existence.

Among the other things Army is on the verge of accomplishing is a 10-win season, something the Black Knights haven’t done since they won 11 games in 2018. Army also won 10 games in 2017.

The Black Knights have never won 12 games in a single season, but that also remains on the table, as they have four games remaining — UTSA, the AAC title game, Navy and a bowl game.