Around CFB: Army, Notre Dame meet under a blue-gray November sky
A century ago, Army was swept over the precipice by Four Horsemen, who rode outlined against a blue-gray October sky...
On Saturday, Army — with one stud-horse quarterback — aims to avenge the 13-7 Notre Dame football victory which inspired writer Grantland Rice’s legendary lede.
There are so many similarities to the game played in 1924. New York is again the setting. The first game was at the Polo Grounds. This time, they’re just across the Harlem River at Yankee Stadium.
Although the 1924 game was in October, a partly cloudy forecast suggests the sky will again be blue-gray.
And in that 1924 game, Army was undefeated when facing Notre Dame.
The Black Knights (9-0) enter this fray as one of just three unbeaten teams in the nation. A spot in the College Football Playoff might be at stake for Army. Football respect certainly is.
The Black Knights already have earned the respect of Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who heaped Lou Holtz-like praise upon them.
“I told the coaching staff, I believe it is our toughest challenge to date,” said Freeman, who apparently forgot the Irish lost to Northern Illinois. “They are a really good football program. They are 9-0 and on a 13-game winning streak (dating back to last season), which is No. 1 in FBS, and all nine victories came by double digits.
“There is a lot of consistency in their program. They play clean. They don’t hurt themselves, and they are a physical, tough bunch. Our guys will understand the challenge.”
No doubt, coach Jeff Monken has built an impressive program at West Point. Army quarterback Bryson Daily leads the American Athletic Conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and an average of 132.7 rushing yards per game.
Army ranks No. 22 in the nation in scoring. The Black Knights are tied with Ohio State for the fewest points allowed in the country (10.8).
Yet, questions remain. Army is only No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings (currently No. 18 in the latest AP poll) because its strength of schedule is questionable. That’s being kind.
Army’s FBS opponents are a combined 27-53. Three opponents are now just 3-7. East Carolina (6-4) is the only opponent with a winning ledger.
Obviously, Notre Dame (9-1) is Army’s strongest opponent. The Irish’s defense is ranked third in the nation in points allowed. Their running game is ranked 12th.
History is also against Army. Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 39-8-4. Notre Dame has posted 15 consecutive victories over Army.
That doesn’t matter, though. All that matters is Army has a chance to avenge that legendary loss 100 years ago.
By the way, it will be the first time the game matches ranked opponents since 1958. Army prevailed, 14-2.
That game was played in October. There’s no record of what color the sky was.
Heisman Watch (If my ballot was due today)
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, RB: The nation’s rushing leader extended his total to 1,893 yards and 26 touchdowns in a 42-21 victory over San Jose State. He gained 159 yards and scored three touchdowns in that game. Jeanty has rushed for almost 500 yards (471) more than anyone else in the country.
2. Cam Ward, Miami, QB: Though Miami was open last week, Ward remains the nation’s leading passer. He has thrown for 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns for the once-beaten Hurricanes. He has exceeded 300 yards passing in nine of 10 games.
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, QB: Gabriel drops a spot after a pedestrian showing in a 16-13 victory over Wisconsin. He passed for 218 yards and no touchdowns against the Badgers. But he’s still the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the nation. He’s 12th in the country in passing with 3,066 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has also rushed for six touchdowns.
4. Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR: The two-way player had a rather mediocre offensive performance in a 49-24 victory over Utah. He had five catches for just 55 yards. However, he did run five yards for a touchdown and had an interception on defense. Hunter is 14th in the nation in receiving with 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, he has three interceptions, eight passes broken up and 24 tackles.
5. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, QB: The nation’s leader in total offense with 3,713 yards did not play last week. Ole Miss was idle. Dart has thrown for 3,409 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has rushed for 304 yards and three touchdowns.
Games to Watch
No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State: The knock on the undefeated Hoosiers is their schedule is so soft. They have just one victory over an opponent with a winning record (6-4 Washington). They can answer their critics against Ohio State, which has only one loss.
No. 18 Army vs. No. 6 Notre Dame: It’s a blast from the past. The Black Knights face a tall task vs. Notre Dame. But, hey, Northern Illinois beat the Irish.
No. 16 Colorado at Kansas: The Jayhawks hope to derail Colorado’s path to the Big 12 Championship Game. Don’t laugh. Last week, they beat BYU. Yes, Colorado is surging. And, yes, Kansas has six losses, but five of those losses were by six points or less.
No. 14 BYU at Arizona State: Big 12 Championship implications are heavy. BYU (9-1, 6-1) is tied for first place with Colorado. A victory would enable Arizona State (8-2, 5-2) could pull even with BYU, and the Sun Devils would have a tie-breaker advantage.
USC at UCLA: Not often is a clash of mediocre teams a must-watch. But rivalry games are always interesting. Also, both teams traditionally wear their home uniforms, so the color schemes (USC’s cardinal and gold and UCLA’s blue and gold) are at least aesthetically pleasing.
Editor’s note: This story was written and published before Tuesday night’s release of the third College Football Playoff rankings. Rankings in this story are from the latest AP Poll.
