Fortuna Files: The American's Dream
Let's recognize the undefeated starts from Army and Navy. And let's dream about what could be on the horizon for the new American Athletic Conference foes.
Twenty-one thoughts in honor of No. 21 Boise State, the highest-ranked Group of 5 team in this week’s AP poll.
1. Army and Navy are both 4-0 for the first time since 1945. That this has happened in their first year in the same conference is all the more amazing. When Army signed on with the American Athletic Conference last season, we all tried to suppress our laughter at the spoken-out-loud hypothetical of these two having to potentially meet in the AAC title game one week before the traditional Army-Navy game. And yet, so far, no one has played Army closer than 17 points. And no one has played Navy within 12 points. (And that was then-No. 23 Memphis.) Both academies will face Notre Dame in the tri-state area later this season.
2. Seriously, what if both make the AAC title game? That could mean a College Football Playoff berth for the winner. That could mean having to play each other two weeks in a row, with a Playoff berth potentially already decided by the time of that second game. (Dec. 6 is the AAC title game, Dec. 8 is selection Sunday, Dec. 14 is America’s Game.) How cool would that be?
3. What if I told you that in the first weekend of October, the first three teams with a chance to clinch bowl eligibility would be Indiana, Duke and Miami this Saturday? (OK, Miami isn’t that surprising, although the Hurricanes having to win their sixth game at 10:30 p.m. ET at Cal in an ACC game certainly is!)
4. We’ll see Indiana in-person Saturday when the Hoosiers visit Northwestern. As NU’s Jacob Pavilack points out, this is the first time the Wildcats will face a ranked Indiana team since 1944. I also feel obligated to point out that this will be the first meeting in college football history between two programs with 700 losses.