Blog Article

Army Football 2025: Rising From Historic Heights

Mark Haines on March 19, 2025

Army football stands at a crucial crossroads entering the 2025 season.

Coming off the most successful campaign in program history—a record-shattering 12-2 mark that included an American Athletic Conference championship in their debut season—the Black Knights face the ultimate question that haunts all great teams: Can they do it again?

The challenge is immense, with significant roster turnover and a schedule designed to test even the most battle-hardened squads. But within this challenge lies an opportunity—a chance for Coach Jeff Monken‘s program to prove its 2024 masterpiece was no fluke, but rather the foundation of a new Army football standard.

The 2024 Season Was Unlike Any Other in Army History

The Army’s 2024 campaign dramatically rewrote the program’s record books.

The Black Knights dominated their new conference with ruthless efficiency, posting a perfect 8-0 mark in AAC play before dismantling Tulane 35-14 in the championship game. Their 12 victories set a new high-water mark for wins in a single season, while their peak AP ranking (#16) represented their highest standing since 1962.

Individual accolades poured in as quarterback Bryson Daily finished 6th in Heisman Trophy voting while claiming AAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Coach Monken earned conference Coach of the Year recognition, and perhaps most impressively, Army’s offensive line claimed the prestigious Joe Moore Award as the nation’s finest unit.

The numbers behind this historic run tell the story of complete dominance:

Averaged 31.07 points while surrendering just 15.50 points per game
Rushed for a staggering 4,339 yards (300.5 per game) with 48 touchdowns
Controlled games through time of possession, holding the ball for 34:39 per contest
Secured an Independence Bowl victory, improving their bowl record to 8-3

This wasn’t just Army’s best season—it was the gold standard by which all future Black Knight teams will be measured.

The 2025 Roster Features Major Turnover at Key Positions

The biggest challenge facing Army in 2025 is replacing the architects of their offensive juggernaut.

Quarterback Bryson Daily, the Heisman finalist who orchestrated the triple-option with surgical precision, has graduated. Running back Kanye Udoh transferred to Arizona State after a breakout season. And perhaps most critically, three starters from the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line have departed, along with their position coach Matt Drinkall, who left to become head coach at Central Michigan.

These departures create significant question marks for an offense that dominated opponents through physical control and tactical precision:

Who steps into Daily’s role as both field general and offensive catalyst?
Can the rebuilt offensive line maintain the dominance that fueled their rushing attack?
Will new position coaches successfully implement system continuity amid personnel changes?
Can Army overcome projections placing them 93rd nationally in offensive SP+ with 24.3 points per game?

The defensive side offers more stability, with a unit projected to rank 35th nationally with a 23.2 SP+ rating, providing a foundation while the offense finds its footing.

Returning Players Provide Hope Amid Transition

Despite the significant departures, Army returns a solid core of talented players ready to step into expanded roles.

Center Brady Small, already named to ESPN’s way-too-early All-America second team for 2025, anchors the offensive front alongside senior Paolo Gennarelli—both holdovers from the award-winning 2024 line. Junior quarterback Cale Hellums enters camp as a potential starter after apprenticing behind Daily, while slot receiver Noah Short returns as a proven threat with big-play capabilities.

The returning talent offers several reasons for optimism:

Small and Gennarelli provide continuity and leadership along the offensive line
Noah Short gives the offense an established playmaker to build around
Jake Rendina adds experienced depth to the running back rotation
The defense returns significant talent from a unit that surrendered just 15.5 points per game
Three years into AAC membership, players now understand conference competition levels

These returners will be tasked with both maintaining performance standards and helping newcomers integrate into Army’s demanding system.

The 2025 Schedule Presents Unique Challenges

Army’s path through the 2025 season features opportunities and obstacles, particularly away from West Point.

The schedule includes five home games at Michie Stadium, beginning with the August 29th opener against Tarleton State. However, for the first time in recent memory, both service academy rivalry games will occur on the road—at Air Force (November 1) and Navy (December 13)—adding significant difficulty to Army’s most emotionally charged matchups.

Other notable scheduling quirks that could impact Army’s season:

No consecutive home games throughout the entire schedule
A championship game rematch at Tulane on October 18
Three strategically placed bye weeks (September 13, October 25, November 15)
Early projections give Army a 99.5% chance of bowling and 27.7% chance of repeating as conference champions
Substantial travel with key games in Colorado Springs, New Orleans, and Baltimore

How Army navigates this road-heavy slate could determine whether it remains an AAC contender or falls back into the conference’s middle tier.

Coaching Changes Will Reshape Both Sides of the Ball

The coaching staff underwent significant reshuffling following their championship season.

Offensive line coach Matt Drinkall’s departure creates the most significant void after he engineered the Joe Moore Award-winning front. Cheston Blackshear transitions from tight ends to co-lead the offensive line alongside Mike Viti, while Chandler Burks shifts from tight ends to running backs coach.

The defensive side welcomes Allen Smith, who arrives to coach the defensive line after Nate Fuqua’s brief tenure, while Matt Panker earns a promotion to defensive quality control coach.

These coaching adjustments create several strategic implications:

Blackshear and Viti must maintain cohesion amid offensive line rebuilding
Defensive coordinator Nate Woody provides continuity for a unit that remains the team’s strength
Replacing Drinkall’s expertise represents perhaps the staff’s biggest challenge
Head coach Jeff Monken’s proven ability to develop staff suggests minimal disruption

How quickly these coaching adjustments solidify will determine whether Army can maintain the tactical edge that fueled their 2024 success.

Five Keys Will Define Army’s 2025 Season

Army’s ability to build on their historic 2024 campaign hinges on several critical factors.

The quarterback position stands as the most obvious focal point, with junior Cale Hellums among several candidates competing to replace Bryson Daily. Whichever candidate wins the job inherits the keys to an offense built around precise decision-making and tactical discipline.

Beyond quarterback play, Army’s 2025 success depends on:

Rebuilt offensive line cohesion, mainly by replacing three starters from the award-winning 2024 unit
Maintaining defensive dominance that limited opponents to just 15.5 points per game
Developing road game resilience with critical matchups at Air Force, Navy, and Tulane
Minimizing offensive regression through system continuity amid personnel changes
Balancing the mental challenges unique to service academy athletes (military training, academic rigor)

Army’s defense—projected 35th nationally with a 23.2 SP+ rating—remains the program’s foundation while the offense reloads.

The Bottom Line: Measured Expectations for 2025

Army football stands ready to prove 2024 was no fluke.

While matching last season’s historic achievements represents a formidable challenge, the Black Knights enter 2025 with legitimate aspirations to remain among the AAC’s elite programs. The combination of experienced returners, proven coaching staff, and a culture of discipline positions them for continued success despite significant transitions.

Returning to the conference championship game requires overcoming substantial personnel losses and navigating a demanding schedule. However, Coach Monken’s program has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability throughout his tenure, suggesting Army remains a formidable opponent for everyone on their 2025 schedule.

As the Black Knights prepare to defend their conference crown, expectations remain high in West Point—not simply to compete but to continue building on the foundation of excellence established during their record-breaking 2024 campaign.

The only question that matters now is whether this new generation of Army players can write their own chapter in the program’s storied history.

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Week 11’s Hidden Gems: Why the Computers Love Indiana (-14.5) and Doubt Georgia (-2.5)

Mark Haines on November 7, 2024

College Football’s Week 11 Hidden Gems

Every Thursday afternoon, I lay out the games that have caught my analytical eye – the matchups where the numbers whisper something different than the conventional wisdom shouts. This week, I’m focused on three contests that feel like finding mispriced assets in an efficient market: Indiana, that offensive juggernaut masquerading as a No. 8 team, laying 14.5 points against Michigan’s statistical regression to mediocrity; Ole Miss, where the computers suggest Georgia’s dynasty might be vulnerable, priced at just +2.5 at home; and undefeated Army, dominating opponents by four touchdowns per game yet valued as mere 5.5-point favorites against North Texas’s explosive offense. Compare these picks with what you’ll hear on the Targeting Winners Podcast (dropping every Friday afternoon on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you consume your gambling insights) and make your own calls. In a sport where everyone claims to know what will happen next, sometimes the best strategy is following where the numbers – not the noise – lead you.

Michigan at No. 8 Indiana

In the grand theater of college football, where narratives shape reality as much as the numbers that describe it, there’s something deliciously compelling about Indiana’s position heading into Week 11. The Hoosiers, those perennial Big Ten afterthoughts, find themselves winning and dominating – the kind of dominance that makes the spreadsheet jockeys at FanDuel set a -14.5 point spread against Michigan. Yes, that Michigan.

The analytics tell a story that would have seemed unthinkable just months ago. Under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana’s offense isn’t just good – it’s third in the nation, averaging 47 points per game. This kind of statistical anomaly makes you wonder if someone’s Excel formula has gone haywire. But no, the Hoosiers are genuinely reshaping the geometry of Big Ten football. At the same time, Michigan’s offense has become a case study in regression to the mean, ranking an almost incomprehensible 116th nationally in scoring.

The quants have spoken, and their computers have run 20,000 simulations of this matchup. In 86.9% of these digital futures, Indiana emerges victorious. If you’re wondering what this looks like in real numbers, that’s 17,380 victories to 2,620 losses. The machines think Indiana will win by 16.8 points, enough to cover the spread and then some.

But here’s where it gets interesting: The betting public, those eternal skeptics of sudden transformation, are still showing traces of doubt. While 66% of bets are riding with Indiana to cover, there’s a stubborn 34% clinging to the idea that Michigan will either pull off the upset or keep it within two touchdowns. It’s the kind of contrarian betting behavior that usually signals either prescience or delusion – and we won’t know which until Saturday afternoon.

Indiana’s perceived slight in the College Football Playoff rankings is the most fascinating subplot. Despite being undefeated, they sit at No. 8, with the committee pointing to their 82nd-ranked strength of schedule like accountants finding a rounding error in the books. Their best wins? Washington and Nebraska, both 5-4. It’s the kind of resume that makes the traditional powers smirk – until they face this offensive juggernaut beating FBS opponents by nearly four touchdowns per game.

Followers of the Targeting Winners Podcast know that betting against momentum like Indiana’s is akin to fighting the tide. The analytics give them an 86.5% chance of making the playoff, projecting 11.3 wins this season. Meanwhile, Michigan is projected for just 6 wins – the number that makes you wonder if someone accidentally divided by two.

When CBS’s cameras roll at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll witness either the continuation of Indiana’s improbable ascension or a reminder that football, like markets, can correct violently and without warning. The smart money – and the machines – are betting on the former.

But then again, that’s why they play the games.

No. 3 Georgia at No. 16 Ole Miss

There’s a peculiar beauty in watching markets adjust to new information, and that’s exactly what we’re witnessing in Oxford this week. The mighty Georgia Bulldogs, winners of 11 of their last 12 against Ole Miss, arrive as mere 2.5-point favorites. The spread makes you wonder if the bookmakers know something the rest of us don’t.

The analytics paint a picture that would have seemed absurd just weeks ago. The SP+ model, that grand attempt to quantify college football’s “most sustainable and predictable aspects,” has Ole Miss winning 28-26. In predictive models, this is the equivalent of a Wall Street quant suggesting that a blue-chip stock is about to underperform. The computers have run their simulations 20,000 times, and in 53.9% of these digital futures, the Rebels emerge victorious. It’s a razor-thin margin that suggests we’re witnessing something approaching perfect market efficiency in college football odds.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Ole Miss has been manufacturing points like a tech company manufactures growth statistics, ranking sixth nationally by averaging 23 points better than its opponents. Georgia, meanwhile, has been merely mortal, outperforming its competition by 11.7 points—the kind of regression that makes defensive coordinators wake up in cold sweats.

The most fascinating subplot in all this is the efficiency metrics. Ole Miss’s defense – yes, their defense – ranks third in FBS by surrendering just 0.192 points per play. It’s the kind of statistical anomaly that makes you double-check your spreadsheets. Georgia’s offense sits at a respectable 15th nationally, allowing 0.286 points per play. However, in the zero-sum game of elite college football, being merely “respectable” is often a predictor of impending doom.

The betting markets, efficient processors of public sentiment, show a slight lean toward convention—55% of bets are riding with Georgia. It’s as if the market can’t quite bring itself to believe what the numbers tell it, like investors holding onto a falling stock because they remember its glory days.

For those following the Targeting Winners Podcast, this game represents a classic conflict between narrative and numbers. The narrative says Georgia is still Georgia, still the team that demolished these same Rebels 52-17 last year in Athens. The numbers, however, tell a different story.

Carson Beck’s 11 interceptions loom over this game like a credit default swap in 2008 – a hidden risk that could suddenly become visible. Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart just finished carving up Arkansas for 515 yards and six touchdowns, the kind of performance that makes predictive models recalibrate their assumptions in real time.

When ABC’s cameras go live at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll watch more than just a football game. We’ll be watching a market correction in real-time, a test of whether the traditional power structures of college football can withstand the assault of pure statistical efficiency. The FPI gives Georgia an 83.5% chance of making the playoff, while Ole Miss sits at 61.1%—numbers that could shift dramatically based on three hours in Oxford.

The smart money – and the machines – say Ole Miss by a field goal or less. In a sport increasingly dominated by data, sometimes the most radical act is simply believing what the numbers tell you.

No 25 Army at North Texas

In the efficient college football betting market, a price discovery problem occasionally emerges that makes you question everything you think you know about value. Consider Army, undefeated and ranked 25th, favored by merely 5.5 points against North Texas. The spread makes you wonder whether the market has identified a fundamental flaw in Army’s pristine record or if we’re witnessing a massive pricing error.

The numbers tell a story of two teams operating in entirely different realities. Army’s outscoring opponents by 26.6 points per game – the margin that typically commands double-digit spreads. But here’s where the market gets interesting: six of their seven FBS victories have come against teams with losing records. It’s like a hedge fund posting impressive returns while trading only the most predictable securities.

Enter North Texas, the Mean Green chaos merchants of the American Athletic Conference. They possess the conference’s highest-scoring offense, the statistical outlier that makes Army’s defensive metrics look like they might have been compiled in a different era of football. Their quarterback, Chandler Morris, just finished dissecting Tulane’s defense for 449 yards on 38-of-57 passing – the kind of efficiency that makes option-based teams break out in hives.

The betting market has priced this game like a tech stock during earnings season – volatile and uncertain. Army sits at -186 on the moneyline, which translates to an implied probability that seems almost quaint given their perfect record. The Black Knights are 6-0 as favorites this season, the kind of trend that typically makes sharps salivate. But North Texas, at +153, has shown a propensity for violence against point spreads, covering four times in eight attempts.

This game represents a classic market inefficiency for those following the Targeting Winners Podcast. Army’s backup quarterback engineered a 20-3 victory over Air Force, while Morris and company have treated defensive coordinators like day traders during a flash crash.

The total is 63.5, which suggests the market expects North Texas to dictate the tempo. This is a reasonable assumption considering Morris’s recent performance: 449 yards against Tulane, the kind of number that makes service academies reconsider their defensive philosophies.

When ESPN2’s cameras go live at 3:30 PM Eastern on Saturday, we’ll witness either a market correction or a confirmation that sometimes perfect records are less valuable than they appear. Army coach Jeff Monken might get his starting quarterback Daily back, but in a game where North Texas treats passing yards like venture capitalists treat revenue growth, it might not matter.

The computers and the sharps seem to be telling us that Army’s undefeated record is about to face its strongest stress test yet. In a sport increasingly dominated by offensive efficiency, sometimes the best bet is against perfection.

Who are you picking this week? Comment here.

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Blog Article

Week 1 – Friday Game Schedule

Mark Haines on August 30, 2024

All Times Eastern

Friday, Aug. 30
Lehigh at Army | 6 p.m. | CBSSN
Temple at No. 16 Oklahoma | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Florida Atlantic at Michigan State | 7 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Colgate at Maine | 7 p.m. | FloSports
Elon at Duke | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Western Michigan at Wisconsin | 9 p.m. | Big Ten Network

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