Army-Navy Game 2011: Spectacle Will Be Much More Intriguing Than Game Itself

When 4-7 Navy and 3-8 Army face off on Saturday, there will be not bowl berth on the line. There also won't be particularly explosive offense or effective defense on either said. What the game will lack in overall skill, however, it will more than make up for in atmosphere.

Regardless of how good or bad either team is, there are few more important or long-standing rivalries in college football than Army vs. Navy. The first game between the service academies took place in 1890, and the tradition has continued every year since.

Army vs. Navy is much more than a football game, however, and that is why it will be uncontested on the national stage of Saturday afternoon. The game is an opportunity to celebrate all of the brave men and women serving in any branch of the military, and that is why the Army-Navy Game will always persevere.

Ultimately, the only thing on the line in this game will be bragging rights. While Navy has had some success in recent years, academic standards and military service prevent elite college prospects from committing to the academies like they used to in the 1960s and prior.

No other game would be able to get away with featuring two teams that have combined for barely over 1,000 passing yards on the season, but Army vs. Navy can do just that because of its incredible tradition and its overarching meaning, which goes far beyond football.

Army vs. Navy simply has a type of pride and pageantry that isn't seen much in college football these days. No matter what circumstances are surrounding it, the Army-Navy Game is always going to be important because we appropriately make it a big deal.

This year's game will likely feature tons of running the ball, and there probably won't be that much scoring, but in the end it doesn't really matter. Army vs. Navy is a fantastic spectacle and what it represents is of great importance.

If you tune in you may not see a great football game, but you will see an incredible scene.