Despite Army's undefeated record and ability to pass the so-called "eye test" week in and week out, the Black Knights have only been able to inch up to No. 24 in the College Football Playoff Rankings with less than a month left in the season.
And no one seems to care.
That's why their game in two weeks vs. No. 8 Notre Dame is a massive one. To date, Army's best win is its most recent -- a 14-3 road victory over North Texas that was more dominant than the score indicated.
What will be interesting to see moving forward is how far they jump up the rankings if they pull off the huge upset. Keep in mind, the Black Knights are on a bye and have two weeks to prepare for the Fighting Irish. Conversely, Notre Dame takes on Virginia this weekend in a game that could be closer than many people think. Many will point to Notre Dame's blowout win vs. Navy on a week's notice as a counter argument, but that leaves out two key facts: 1) Navy moved the ball at will against the Irish but 2) had an unprecedented amount of turnovers.
Army is just laying in wait, cooking up something special out there in West Point.
Group of Five rankings remain important. Though these conferences get a significantly lower financial guarantee from the new 12-team CFP, they are on a more equitable field when it comes to the competition: The four highest ranked conference champions get byes, and the five highest ranked champs get auto-bids, but nothing is to say that the supposed "Power Four" are guaranteed those four byes or four of those five spots; if a Group of Five team were to outrank, hypothetically, the Big 12 champion, it would get a bye and home game. And with those spots comes financial windfalls based on success in the tournament.
What are the season outlooks for the best Group of Five teams? Use Caesars promo code to view the latest odds and get in the game.
| 1 | |
| Army has been dominant all season long, and that was on display again vs. the Mean Green. A 21-play, 94-yard drive was just the icing on the proverbial cake. The Black Knights held an explosive North Texas offense to only three points. (Last Week: 1) | |
| 2 | |
| Boise State has a good test this weekend against a San Jose State squad that has an excellent run defense. Will QB Maddux Madsen -- not RB Ashton Jeanty-- be the catalyst this week? We'll see. (LW: 2) | |
| 3 | |
| Looking at the second iteration of the CFP Rankings, the Cougars jumped three spots from No. 21 to No. 18. That tells you the committee is taking stock of what's happening out there in Pullman this season. (Here's why Washington State is ranked among Group of Five teams.) (LW: 3) | |
| 4 | |
| The Green Wave made their appearance this week in the CFP Rankings at No. 25. Their biggest test in more than a month is this weekend vs. Navy, which is looking to get back into the national conversation. (LW: 4) | |
| 5 | |
| After a beatdown of Arkansas State on homecoming, America's Cajuns take on a South Alabama team that has one of the best offenses in the Sun Belt. It'll be a huge test for an improved Ragin' Cajuns defense. (LW: 5) | |
| 6 | |
| Can WKU maintain focus this week vs. Louisiana Tech and not get caught looking ahead to next week's huge game vs Liberty? (LW: 6) | |
| 7 | |
| Late heroics kept the Rebels on the winning side of things against Hawaii. This week, they have another late kickoff vs. San Diego State. UNLV could use some style points against the Aztecs. (LW: 7) | |
| 8 | |
| A Hail Mary, missed extra point and subsequent overtime victory capped off an insane finish last week against LaTech. The Gamecocks flirted with a loss last week and can't let that become a thing moving forward. (LW: 9) | |
| 9 | |
| Fresh off their bye week, the Bearkats travel to Kennesaw State, which recently fired coach Brian Bohannon. This could be a tricky spot for Sam Houston if it waltzes in thinking the Owls will roll over. (LW: 8) | |
| 10 | |
| The Huskies were able to pass their first road test since Week 2, knocking off UAB 31-23. They have a bye before hitting the road again, albeit a much shorter trip to Syracuse. (LW: 10) | |