The annual Army-Navy football game is must-see TV, filled with history, tradition, pomp, and plenty of action.
This year’s game is set for December 14 in Landover, Md. Both teams are members of the American Athletic Conference. Army joined this year, with the stipulation that their annual tussle would not count in the AAC standings.
However, an interesting situation is developing where the two teams could meet the week before in the AAC championship game on December 6, then meet again a week later in their regularly scheduled matchup.
The teams are currently undefeated at 4-0 overall and are tied for first place with 3-0 records in the conference. Navy has already beaten preseason AAC favorite Memphis, and Army doesn’t play the Tigers.
Navy’s still has to get by USF in Tampa on Nov. 2, but who knows what kind of shape the Bulls will be in by then. USF is open this week and won’t play again until October 11, so we may not know how serious quarterback Byrum Brown’s injury any time soon.
If Brown is out and the Bulls don’t fix a suddenly leaky defense, it changes USF’s entire outlook. It’s worth noting that Navy put 56 points up on Memphis.
A week later, the Midshipmen face Tulane, which walloped USF 45-10 last week – but that’s a home game for Navy.
Army’s toughest remaining conference game is probably November 9 at North Texas.
An Army-Navy battle in the AAC title game would be Commissioner Tim Pernetti’s dream scenario. It would likely draw the biggest audience to ever watch an AAC football game, and it could result with the winner filling one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots.
The loser would still be in line for an attractive bowl game.
Would that be glorious or what?
Army quarterback Bryson Daily has rushed for more than 100 yards in three consecutive weeks while scoring three rushing TDs in back-to-back weeks. The Black Knights have thrown only 31 passes in four games but is averaging an eye-popping 371 yards rushing.
Navy has an outstanding quarterback, too. Blake Horvath is also dangerous with his legs, but the secondary shouldn’t think it has the night off. He burned UAB with TD passes of 77 and 74 yards last week in a rout of UAB. Horvath is the only FBS quarterback this season two TD passes of more than 70 yards in the same game.
Against Memphis, he rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries -- that's right, 12 -- and threw for another 191 yards and two touchdowns.
Pick your poison.
Obviously a lot of things could derail an Army-Navy battle for the conference title, but at this point it’s not an outrageous thought.