Army and Navy made history this year, despite falling short of CFP

Army and Navy football are often thought of as the college powerhouses of the mid-20th century that have fallen, but 2024 was a return to that prowess of yesteryear.

Both service academies finished the season with double-digit wins for the first time ever; both, at some point throughout the year, challenged for the lone College Football Playoff berth for a Group of Five school.

Navy (10-3) defeated rival No. 22 Army (11-2) on Dec. 14 in a massive 31-13 upset in Landover, Maryland - the first time an unranked Midshipmen team had done so since 1957.

Both teams unfortunately missed out on an opportunity to compete for a national championship in the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket.

Army and Navy made history on the backs of star QBs

Each team boasted a quarterback this year who bombarded program records and entered the Heisman Trophy conversation, albeit briefly.

Army's Bryson Daily (2,474 total yards, 38 total TDs) and Navy's Blake Horvath (2,607 total yards, 30 total TDs) put up impressive numbers in campaigns not seen since the days of Roger Staubach.

The latter broke a Naval Academy record with his 95-yard rushing score in Friday's 21-20 victory in the Armed Forces Bowl over Oklahoma.

Daily, the American Athletic Conference player of the year, has one last opportunity to dazzle in front of a national audience in Saturday's Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech. He won't be eligible for the NFL Draft unless he were to file for a waiver that delays his military service.

The same goes for Horvath — either way, neither would likely be in high consideration for a draft pick despite their impressive campaigns.

The 2024 season was a welcome reminder that America's service academies still have a lot to offer to the sport even in the new age of the transfer portal and NIL. Duty to country can still produce some mighty football talents, and Army and Navy proved that in 2024.