The era of prearranged bowl games makes this a "Crisis" week for West Point. After a bowl win last year and a contract with a New Year’s Eve bowl again this season, it is an important goal to win six games and again be "Bowl Eligible." To have a realistic chance to reach six wins in 2011, Army needs to defeat Tulane on Saturday.
West Point as a service academy has a national following of alumni, not to mention the millions of Army veterans all over the country, which makes them an attractive guest for a bowl committee. They are contracted to play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park on New Year’s Eve if they can win six games. So besides the annual mega goals of beating Navy and Air Force, there is a bowl game to play for this week.
For a realistic shot at the postseason, the Black Knights (1-3) dearly need a win on Saturday at Michie Stadium against Tulane (2-2). It is homecoming at West Point, so a capacity crowd of over 35,000 is expected; there will be no lack of crowd support. A win for the Black Knights will put them back on track for bowl eligibility at 2-2, with two road contests coming up.
Meanwhile, the coaches stress they can only play one game each week.
"Every week, you’re trying to be 1-0." commented head coach Rich Ellerson at his weekly press conference call, "All we’re trying to do is be 1-0 somehow, some way, this week. We’re going to run our offense. We’re going to run our defense. In the backdrop of all this is West Point and what we’re doing daily here. We have to deal with what’s happening now, and if we’ll do that, we’ll have a chance to go out there and put our best foot forward, and if we do that, we have a chance to win. Nothing else, frankly, enters into it."