2015-12-10 06:31
The last game is near …
For traditional reasons we have 1 game left for the regular season.
The Army-Navy game is played on the weekend AFTER all other .championships and last regular season games were played since 2009, regaining the status quo of former seasons being the last game played as the one and only game. From 2006 to 2008 there were several championship games and other games held on the same weekend as Army-Navy, because the season was expended to 12 games on a regular basis.
This tradition does now create a little conflict with the playoff selection committee, which normally does post their final list after the championship games, so BEFORE the Army-Navy-game. The committee has stated that they will delay the final list for a week, if Army or Navy would have an impact on the rankings. So far, this did not happen in 2 seasons.
The Army-Navy-Game is one of the longest played rivalry game of college football, played since 1895 and annually played since 1930. Navy is leading the series with 59–49–7 and does also have the longest winning streak in that series with 13 games, still running since 2002.
The game is also a part of the Commander-In-Chief-Trophy-series, played annually by Army, Navy and Air Force.
Rules for that trophy are quite simple. Each team does play every other team once a season. If a team wins two games, the trophy goes to that team, if every team wins one game each, the trophy winner of the last season does keep the trophy.
Last season the trophy was won by Air Force.
This season, Navy has beaten Air Force and Air Force has beaten Army. If Army beat Navy, Air Force will keep the trophy, if Navy wins against Army, Navy will get the trophy.
The last time Army has won the trophy is 1996. Since then did Air Force and Navy won the trophy 9 times each, with Air Force having a big streak between 1997 and 2002 followed by an even bigger streak of Navy from 2003 to 2009. Since then the winner did change regularly.
This season the game is played in Philadelphia on the home field of the Philadelphia Eagles.
If you are looking for the first few bowl games, you have to be patient until they start, mid of December. This week will be only Army-Navy.
So the BLOCK OF GRANITE TOP GAME FOR WEEK 15 is
Sat. Dec. 12 – 3:00 pm ET
Army vs. Navy
Honestly, don’t expect too much from that game. As said, Navy is driving LONG winning streak in this game and the teams record this season are not far from the season before and before and … you get the picture.
In fact Army is for sure one of the worst teams of the past 10 seasons. This season they won against Eastern Michigan and Bucknell (FCS) and all other games were losses. Many close ones, but at the end, it doesn’t matter. If I may pick up their claim, “there is strong and then there is Army …”well .. losses I guess. They did not improve compared to last season in win totals, but their coach is in their 2nd season, I change was unlikely and did not happen so far.
Navy on the other hand had an even better season than last year, losing only against Notre Dame and Houston, both ranked in the final AP-polls. All other games were wins. They were close to playing in the AAC Championship game.
The rivalry will hopefully give us something worth to watch here, but my guess is, this will be over at halftime. Navys triple option offense did drive many teams crazy, many of them were way better than the Black Knights.
Here is my pick: The Midshipmen will pump their arms out (Navy members in the ranks do push-ups for every TD) and we will see a total victory. Navy will gain the hardware.
Midshipmen win.
'Til next time
Jack6 on BLOCK OF GRANITE
Tags: Block of Granite