Army West Point Black Knights ‘Long Shot’ for College Football Playoff

The Army West Point Black Knights are going to need a lot of help to have any chance of making the College Football Playoff.

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

Last week, the Army West Point Black Knights had their biggest game in decades.

They were playing in Yankee Stadium, renewing their longstanding rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. It was a massive matchup for both teams, full of College Football Playoff implications.

Unfortunately for the Black Knights, they were unable to handle a motivated and talented Fighting Irish team. The end result was a 49-14 thrashing, which has sent Army tumbling down the rankings.

Essentially, that game was an eliminator for the College Football Playoff. The road for the Black Knights to even be considered for a spot is a long and winding one, as they are going to need a lot of help.

Based on where they are landed in the Group of 5 power rankings done by Heather Dinich of ESPN, it will take a small miracle.

Army is currently in the No. 4 spot behind the Boise State Broncos, Tulane Green Wave and UNLV Rebels. With only a 19.3 percent chance to win the American Athletic Conference, and have a shot at clinching a playoff berth, the odds are stacked against them.

The pathway as outlined by Dinich? First, Army has to win its remaining two games, including its AAC title showdown with Tulane on Dec. 6. Then, Boise State needs to lose. ESPN gives Tulane an 80% chance of beating Army in their title game showdown.

Before facing off against the AAC favorites in the title game, the Black Knights have to get past a red-hot UTSA Roadrunners squad.

After starting the season 2-4, the Roadrunners have won four out of their last five, including three in a row, to get bowl eligible and finish the regular season on a high note. They possess an incredibly explosive offense, scoring at least 44 points in four straight games.

Can Army’s defense get back on track after a difficult night against Notre Dame? It will be imperative, as they do not want to head into the AAC Championship Game on a two-game losing streak.

The health of starting quarterback Bryson Daily is also worth keeping an eye on. He hasn’t been nearly as explosive since suffering an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the Air Force Falcons matchup.

The team’s offensive production and efficiency in the weeks since has plummeted as well.

What started out as such an incredible campaign could snowball quickly as the Black Knights then finish the season with the annual Army/Navy game against their rivals, the Navy Midshipmen, on Dec. 14.