While some online newspaper sites shamelessly cut back on offseason college football coverage, the Orlando Sentinel is one newspaper with a significant offseason college football presence.
The Sentinel is running through their preseason rankings and they finally got around to getting Army's ranking up...
We've seen various degrees of optimism regarding Army's upcoming season, but brace yourself for what will certainly be the high water mark for Army 2010 preseason ranking.
Seriously, take a deep breath before you go on.
...
The Orlando Sentinel ranked the 2010 Army football team 44th. With teams like Michigan and Michigan State listed at #68 and #69, the Sentinel must be rating teams on projected 2010 wins. Whatever their methodology is, I'll take #44. The 44 was also based in part on the number of returning players and in part on the Black Knights' light schedule.
Look back: Rich Ellerson took Army within one game of bowl eligibility in his first season at the helm. The Black Knights could have gotten there were it not for blown-fourth quarter lead to Tulane and an eventual 17-16 loss. Still, the Black Knights found a solid quarterback in Trent Steelman, and won the most games at West Point since 1996.
They mention that Army should be considered third among the academies this year, which continues the contemptible trend of giving the rivals mention in Black Knights previews- though the Sentinel's favorable Army forecast and the 2009 Knights highlight video embedded in the story more than make up for the gaffe.
Those other two academies,
While I'm at it I might as well link to the other listed teams on Army's schedule.
Sat. Sept. 4 at Eastern Michigan
Sat. Sept. 11 HAWAI'I
Sat. Sept. 18 NORTH TEXAS
Sat. Sept. 25 at Duke
Sat. Oct. 2 TEMPLE
Sat. Oct. 9 at Tulane
Sat. Oct. 16 vs. Rutgers
Sat. Oct. 30 VMI
Sat. Nov. 6 AIR FORCE
Sat. Nov. 13 at Kent State
Sat. Nov. 20 vs. Notre Dame
Sat. Dec. 11 vs. Navy
