This Saturday marks the 110th renewal of college football's greatest rivalry, Army versus Navy. And this time, there's something at stake besides military bragging rights.
Should Army snap the Midshipmen's six-game series win streak and avenge last year's embarrassing 34-0 defeat (the first shutout in 30 years of Army-Navy football), there's an open invitation waiting for them at the Eagle Bank Bowl December 29th in Washington DC to face Temple. A Navy win and UCLA will take their place, leaving the Cadets on the outside.
How significant is that? Imagine a scenario where all three military institions go bowling this season. I don't believe that's happened since the days of Doc Blanchard.
Navy is 8-4, and has already received an invitation to play Missouri in the Texas Bowl New Year's Eve. And as irony would have it, neither of these teams despite their 2009 success, was the pick to play in the Armed Services Bowl. That honor went to the Air Force Academy. And I use the term honor loosely here, since the Falcons will be traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, on New Year's Eve to face a heavily favored 10-3 Houston squad.
Oh, and if things weren't special enough, there's history between the two coaches. Army's coach, Rich Ellerson, was recruited to join June Jones' staff at Hawaii in the early 1990s by current Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was an assistant.
At last, there's a bonafide reason to watch the Army-Navy game this year. Beyond the pageantry and the arrival of George W. Bush, that is.
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