Option offenses make Army-Navy game worth watching

Everyone knows I love the option offense (disclaimer: except when it’s being run against my team). Everyone knows I especially enjoy watching the Navy Midshipmen run their version of the triple option offense. So, today is like a football dream for me. When Army and Navy square off in Philadelphia for the 111th time in their history, I’ll be tuned in.

Even though Navy’s head coach Ken Niumatalolo has been rumored as one hot candidate for coaching vacancies from Minnesota to Vanderbilt, he’ll lead the Middies into the fiercest rivalry matchup in college football today, having beaten Army each time he’s been the head coach.

In fact, the last time Army beat Navy was 2001. But, Niumatalolo isn’t taking Army lightly. “This is a new year, a new team,” he said. “They’re bowl eligible. We know they’re much better. Their seniors want to go out on top, too, so anytime we play a service academy, you throw out your record, you throw out anything prior to that game and just get ready for the [game]. That’s all that’s going to matter.”

Navy will be led by senior quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who, at the beginning of the year, was a darkhorse candidate for the Heisman trophy, and fullback Alexander Teich. Army counters with sophomore Trent Steelman at quarterback. Steelman is good, but doesn’t quite have the explosiveness that Dobbs has employed the past two seasons under center in Annapolis.

If you can find a better quarterback suited to run Navy’s triple-option offense, call me and let me know. Ricky Dobbs is the X-factor in this game, but over the past season and a half he has been slowed by injuries. If Dobbs is too injured to go in this game, his backup Kriss Proctor will fill in. Proctor started against Central Michigan and ran 20 times for 201 yards and one touchdown.

There’s no question Army has improved and will give Navy a run for their money, but in the end (and I know I’m horribly biased) I think Navy will pull this one out. Dobbs and Teich torched the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earlier this year (in a game I predicted when my former head coach took the job in South Bend 365 calendar days ago) and there’s no reason they won’t bring their ‘A’ game today to Philadelphia.

Look for Navy to Represent the Sea (a modified phrase you may have heard before) and beat Army for the 10th consecutive time.

I’ll be tuned in. Will you?