Can Navy make College Football Playoff? Breaking down Midshipmen's CFP chances
There has been plenty of big surprises in the 2024 college football season, from Indiana's 7-0 start to Ashton Jeanty being a Heisman Trophy favorite out of Boise State.
But perhaps none has been more shocking than the success of Army and Navy football.
Two of the three service academy programs in Division I are undefeated this season, with both the Black Knights and Midshipmen ranked inside the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 for the first time this season.
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Navy will also have a chance to prove it's a legit College Football Playoff contender when it takes on another 12-team playoff hopeful in No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday.
Notre Dame likely didn't think its Week 9 matchup with the Midshipmen would be one with CFP implications, but the Fighting Irish could also find themselves with a strong resume-builder over one of college football's most unlikely contenders.
Of course, the same could be true of Navy — but can the Midshipmen actually make the CFP? Here's a look into their chances in 2024:
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Can Navy make the College Football Playoff?
The short answer is yes, Navy has a chance at making the College Football Playoff, especially now that the field has expanded from four to 12 teams for the 2024 season and beyond.
Working in Navy and Army's favor is the move to the American Athletic Conference this season, which means both teams can compete for the AAC championship. The 12-team playoff grants an automatic bid to the highest-ranked non-Power Four conference champion, giving the service academies a real shot at competing for a national championship.
Navy (6-0, 4-0 AAC) and Army (7-0, 6-0) stand atop the AAC standings along with Tulane, who's 3-0 in conference games this season.
The Midshipmen also have likely three games that will bolster their CFP resume. They face No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday, No. 23 Army in the season finale and, potentially, the AAC championship game, should they qualify for it. However, there's likely not a lot of room for error for Navy, given its schedule consisting of mostly Group of Five opponents.
That said, neither Army nor Navy control their CFP destinies, even if they were to win the AAC championship game. While the CFP committee has yet to release their first rankings for the season, both the Black Knights and Midshipmen trail Boise State in the Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.
If the CFP selection committee is in lockstep with the Coaches and AP polls and one-loss Broncos win out, Boise State may end up securing the last automatic qualifier bid, meaning the only way in for Navy or Army would be to rank inside the top 11 of the final CFP rankings.
While it may be unlikely, there's certainly a world where Navy or Army qualifies for the College Football Playoff.
Navy football schedule 2024
Here's a look at the Midshipmen's 2024 college football schedule:
- Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Bucknell (W, 49-21)
- Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Temple (W, 38-11)
- Saturday, Sept. 14: Bye
- Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Memphis (W, 56-44)
- Saturday, Sept. 28: at UAB (W, 41-18)
- Saturday, Oct. 5: at Air Force (W, 34-7)
- Saturday, Oct. 12: Bye
- Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. Charlotte (W, 51-17)
- Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
- Saturday, Nov. 2: at Rice
- Saturday, Nov. 9: at South Florida
- Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Tulane
- Saturday, Nov. 23: Bye
- Friday, Nov. 29: at East Carolina
- Saturday, Dec. 14: vs No. 23 Army
Navy vs Notre Dame betting odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Oct. 24
- Spread: Notre Dame (-12.5)
- Over/under: 51.5
- Moneyline: Notre Dame -500 | Navy +375