Army (8-3) vs.

Navy (3-8)

3 p.m. EST
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
CBS
Army -7.5 — O/U 34.5

Army vs. Navy. Classic football between two of the game’s most historic teams, and their matchup gets its own day, wedged between conference championships and bowl season. For true college football fans, Christmas comes early!

So much attention is given to Army and Navy because of their long history. They’ve been playing each other since 1890, and this will be the 122nd matchup between them, so there’s quite a bit of history — and a fair amount of animosity on the field. By comparison, the two school’s history with the Air Force Academy seems like breaking news. The Falcons first played Army in 1959, and Navy followed in 1960. That third game is usually the key to who wins this one, because the team that wins the most in the trifecta gets the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which was established in 1972. The the previous 49 years of the trophy, it has been shared only four times, meaning each of the teams won one of the three games. In every one of those games, Army won the Army-Navy matchup to split the trophy. So, history isn’t on Navy’s side here — and that’s the only thing the Midshipmen really have this year. Army enters the game at 8-3, while Navy is the polar opposite at 3-8. Yes, Navy has played a tougher schedule — all eight losses came to teams playing in postseason bowls. But one of those losses was to Air Force, which beat the Midshipmen 23-3. In that game, Navy managed only 68 total yards, including just 36 on the ground. Army, meanwhile, won a 21-14 overtime thriller over the Falcons on the road, and while the Cadets picked up just 102 rushing yards, they uncorked a surprise passing attack for 214 yards. There’s no way that I expect this to be a blowout; last year’s 15-0 shutout by Army was its biggest margin of victory in the series since 1986. But I do think that Army wins the game by at least a touchdown in a matchup that should be very low scoring. The two schools run basically the same offense, so they’ll both be prepared to shut each other down for 60 minutes of football. Army’s defense is a little more aggressive, and its offense weapons are much more versatile. That combination should lead to the Cadets’ third straight victory in the series.

Prediction: Army 20, Navy 10

Result: Navy 17, Army 13.

For just the fifth time in its history, the Commander’s-in-Chief Trophy will be shared, as Navy forgot the records and forgot history and outplayed Army for 60 minutes. Both teams scored on their first possessions, but then it was a game of inches for the duration. Navy piled up 196 yards rushing (to Army’s 124), and starting quarterback Tai Lavatai ran for two touchdowns as the Midshipmen won their defacto bowl game — and the most important game of the season for the service academies.