Army West Point-Notre Dame Showdown Seen as One of Top Games of Week

The matchup between the Army West Point Black Knights and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is considered one of the top games in Week 13.

Nov 9, 2024; Denton, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights cornerback Justin Weaver (5) celebrates with an axe after his interception in the end zone against the North Texas Mean Green during the second half at DATCU Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

It has been a while since the Army West Point Black Knights played a game with major significance outside of their rivalry with the Navy Midshipmen.

On Saturday night, the Black Knights will be playing in one of the biggest matchups of the season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Both teams have College Football Playoff aspirations that will be decided at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

Notre Dame, which lost earlier this season to the Northern Illinois Huskies, has been playing great since that major upset. But the Fighting Irish cannot afford another loss, as they can only make the CFP as an at-large team because they are not part of a conference.

Army, which is in their first season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, will play in the championship game against the Tulane Green Wave in two weeks. Both teams are 7-0 in conference and have clinched spots. The only thing that remains undecided is where the game will be played.

While a conference championship would still be an incredible achievement, if the Black Knights want any hope of making the 12-team playoff field, they must defeat the Fighting Irish. That's something Army hasn't done since 1958, which is also the last season Army went undefeated and had a Heisman Trophy winner.

Given the implications, it should come as no surprise that Justin Williams of The Athletic has listed it as one of the top college football games of Week 13. 

It came in at No. 3, with the Big 12 matchup between the BYU Cougars visiting the Arizona State Sun Devils being No. 2 and a Big Ten bout with the Ohio State Buckeyes hosting the Indiana Hoosiers coming in at No. 1.

“The Army-Notre Dame rivalry, which dates to 1913, 'returns' to Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2010 — where it was played in Old Yankee Stadium. The most recent meeting was at the Alamodome in San Antonio in 2016, a 44–6 victory for Notre Dame and part of a 15-game win streak over Army that stretches to 1965."

One of the storylines to keep a close eye on is the health of Army quarterback Bryson Daily. He has been one of the most impressive playmakers in college football this year but has been battling an undisclosed injury in recent weeks.

He missed the matchup against the Air Force Falcons but did play against the North Texas Mean Green. His explosiveness was not the same as previous to the injury, as the Black Knights managed to score only 14 points.

But, coming off a bye week to rest, Daily could certainly be closer to 100 percent healthy.

Army will certainly need him to be if they want to pull off the upset. If he isn’t operating at close to peak performance, it will be tough to keep up with a talented Fighting Irish team knows exactly what is at stake.