Army West Point Black Knights Shockingly Drop in Final College Football AP Poll

The Army West Point Black Knights took a tumble in the final AP Poll of the college football season.
Dec 28, 2024; Shreveport, LA, USA; Army Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily (13) and safety Max DiDomenico (6) celebrate defeating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to win the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium.
Dec 28, 2024; Shreveport, LA, USA; Army Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily (13) and safety Max DiDomenico (6) celebrate defeating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to win the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The 2024 college football season was the most successful in the storied history of the Army West Point Black Knights program.

For the first time since 2004, when they played in Conference USA, Army was a member of another league.

They played in the American Athletic Conference and things could not have gone better. The Black Knights went undefeated in AAC play, earning the right to host the championship game at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York.

With home-field advantage and the elements being in their favor, they blew out the Tulane Green Wave 35-14 to claim the title.

A loss to the Navy Midshipmen in the annual Army-Navy Game, which also meant dropping the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, was certainly a damper. But, the team responded in their bowl game to end the year on a high note.

That would be the Black Knights’ 12th win of the season, as they defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 27-6 in the Independence Bowl.

Their only losses during the campaign were to the Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who ended up playing for the national championship but were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes, 34-23.

Given how much success Army found on the gridiron, it should come as no surprise that they found themselves inside the top 25 of the final AP Poll rankings of the 2024 college football season.

The Black Knights landed at No. 21, shockingly dropping two spots despite their bowl victory.

They were one of two AAC teams who received a ranking to end the year, as the Memphis Tigers came in at No. 24 after winning the Frisco Bowl over the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Army moved into the rankings for the first time on Oct. 19, earning the No. 23 spot. They would climb as high as No. 18, as they spent the remainder of the campaign inside the top 25.

It was an impressive achievement for head coach Jeff Monken and his team, as they hadn’t been ranked since the COVID-19 abbreviated 2020 season.

Leading the way for their success in 2024 was star quarterback Bryson Daily, who was named AAC Player of the Year for his incredible performance, as he also finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

He threw for 1,007 yards on the season with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, he and the Black Knights were unstoppable, as he led the conference with 310 rushing attempts and 1,659 yards. His 32 touchdowns on the ground were the most in the nation.


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