Why No. 22 Army might not get a bowl game after its best season in decades

Why Army might not play in a bowl game after its best season in decades
Regardless of how Saturday afternoon’s Army-Navy game plays out, this season has been one of the best for the Black Knights from West Point in decades.

It marks just the fourth time in Army’s 131 years of playing football that they’ll finish the season with double digit wins, it’s the first time in the College Football Playoff era that they’ve been obtained a spot in the final CFP rankings, and it’s the first time they’ve won a conference championship – capturing the American title in its first season in the league. Army quarterback Bryson Dailey leads the FBS in rushing touchdowns and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, and the Black Knights’ defense ranks seventh nationally in points allowed per game.

And yet, Jeff Monken’s accomplished Black Knights might not play in a bowl game.

Because Marshall is scared.

OK – it’s a little more complicated than that.

The Herd, who won the Sun Belt, declined to renew the contract of former head coach Charles Huff and he left for Southern Miss. Yes, you read that right: things were so bad between this school and its former coach that Marshall let Huff walk to another Sun Belt team with no strings attached AFTER winning the conference title.

Marshall quickly then hired former N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson as its next head coach, but an exodus had begun. According to multiple reports, dozens of players have left Marshall in the past week via the transfer portal.

 

Marshall has notified officials that it is opting out of the Independence Bowl vs. Army, sources tell @YahooSports.

Absent of 6-6 teams, officials are working to determine a replacement thru a ranking of NCAA APR scores of 5-7 teams. Marshall has lost 25+ players in the portal.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 14, 2024

On paper, the Independence Bowl looked like one of the better non-CFP bowls, matching up the champions of the Sun Belt with the champions of the AAC. But Marshall is bowing out of the bowl because of a lack of players available.

 

Marshall has withdrawn from playing Army in Independence Bowl because of number of players in transfer portal, sources said. The game is Dec 28. Because most players have left campus it may be tough to find a 5-7 team to replace Marshall

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 14, 2024

The transfer portal has been a thing for a few years now. Players changing programs at the end of a regular season is no longer uncommon. Could Marshall pull together enough dudes to play Army? Apparently not.

It creates a scenario that could result in being a massive bummer for the Black Knights. If the Independence Bowl is played, it’s likely the last competitive football game that most of Army’s seniors will ever play in. Seniors for the Black Knights can’t enter the transfer portal and won’t be opting out.

So, let’s find an opponent for Army. Here are some suggestions.

3 teams to replace Marshall in the Independence Bowl

• UL-Monroe went 5-7, its best season in five years. And first-year coach Bryant Vincent says the Warhawks are down to play.

ULM Coach Bryant Vincent is down for the Independence Bowl. https://t.co/sN6zwTjQXO

— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) December 14, 2024

• App State is the only team in the country that went 5-6 this season. The Mountaineers didn’t have an opportunity to play a 12th regular season game this year because its matchup against Liberty in late September was canceled because of Hurricane Helene.
• Oregon State went 5-7 but is a conference champion because it beat Washington State in the de facto Pac-2 title game.