Our Army vs. Navy keys to game are all set to go here at Bankroll Sports, as the Navy Midshipmen look for their 11th straight victory over the Army Black Knights. Will they get it? Check out our Army vs. Navy picks & analysis, and get our college football predictions for the game!

Army/Navy Game: Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen
Army/Navy Game Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Army/Navy Game Date/Time: Saturday, December 8th, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Army/Navy On TV: CBS

Key #1: The Black Knights cannot get outrushed badly
You would figure that there wouldn’t be all that much of an issue getting outrushed when you’re a triple option offense, but alas, that happened this year against the Temple Owls, it almost happened against the Kent State Golden Flashes, and it almost happened against the Stony Brook Seawovles. Needless to say, the club just has to find some defense from somewhere. Temple’s RB Montel Harris rushed for 351 yards and seven TDs against the Cadets, and there was very little that could be done to stop it. Heck, not only that, but the Owls ended the day with 534 yards on 57 rushes. The Black Knights have the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in America at 369.8 yards per game, but this defense is allowing 238.3 yards per game on the ground to go with 37.0 points per game. That just doesn’t cut it to say the least, and there is going to have to be someone step up against another triple option offense here to keep Army on track and with a shot to win this one. It’s not so much the yards as it is the points, but it is going to be a clear indication in this game if one team beats the other by 100+ yards on the ground who is going to win and cover.

Army vs. Navy Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook
Navy Midshipmen -7
Army Black Knights +7
Over/Under 56
Click Here to Bet on Your Army/Navy Game Picks!

Key #2: Trent Steelman has to leave a legacy
This one is all about Steelman. He’s the team’s quarterback and has been for the last four years. He’s going to go down as one of the most important quarterbacks in the history of the program, knowing that he already holds the record for the most touchdowns scored in a career (44) with the Black Knights. However, what’s looming over his head are three straight losses — losses No. 8, 9, and 10 in a row to the Middies. Winning this game would cement his legacy for sure, and it would send him out on the top of his game before he goes off to serve our great country. Steelman has 1,152 yards and 16 TDs this year on the ground, but he never really did develop into a quarterback that could successfully put the ball in the air even 10 times per game. He does have 619 yards throwing this year, and he’s got a solid receiver in WR Chevaughn Lawrence to work with, but in the end, regardless of how he is going to do it, Steelman has to be “The Man” if Army is going to sink Navy.

Key #3: Keenan Reynolds has to stretch out the Army defense
It’s easy to say that whichever team in the triple option runs the ball with more efficiency is going to ultimately win, but in the end, it’s not necessarily all about the run. Granted, throwing the ball isn’t necessarily going to make things better either, but the Middies have to keep the ball on the edges of the Army defense. The Black Knights have had all sorts of problems in the middle of their defense this year, and that has inevitably been a focal point over the course of the last few weeks of prep for this one. Whether it’s SB Gee Gee Greene, Reynolds, or WR Shawn Lynch doing the deed, someone is going to have to consistently use some sort of speed on the edges of this Army defense as well, and that’s been a problem all year long for the Midshipmen. Reynolds can throw the ball better than the average Navy quarterback, as he has 754 yards and eight TDs against just one pick since taking over for QB Trey Miller. Since SB John Howell was knocked out for the season with a leg injury though, this offense just hasn’t looked overly dynamic, but it should be able to get back on track against a porous Army defense if, and really only if, the outside game is working in some form.

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You’re not going to find a better matchup with more historical significance than the annual Army/Navy Game, and this is going to be the 113th battle between these two military powers on the gridiron. Navy leads the current series 56-49-7, and the domination of the Middies has been present over the course of the last 10 years, all of which have been won by the Naval Academy. This is going to be another frustrating year for both of the service academies on the football field in all likelihood, but this could also be the game that determines the winner of the Commander-in-Chief Trophy for the team that has the best annual record against the other service academies. Especially knowing that this is a standalone game on the schedule, its pageantry, pomp, and circumstance is definitely worthy of it being called one of our Top 25 matchups for the 2012 college football season regardless of whether this will be the cleanest played game in the world or not.

Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Picks & Info
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Date: Saturday, December 8th
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Spread: Navy Midshipmen -3.5

The poor Black Knights have only been to one bowl game since 1996, the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl, and this year really doesn’t seem like it has all that much promise either. QB Trent Steelman is back, and he might be the best quarterback running the triple option in the country at this point. When he was out of the lineup last year for Army, the team just had zero chance of passing the ball at any point. The ground game has a lot of its power back from last year, led by RB Raymond Maples, who regularly touches the ball at least 10 times in every game in spite of the fact that he is a slotback and not really a traditional rusher. The problem that the Black Knights have is that they are incredibly thin at the offensive line spots. Everyone has to know exactly what their role is on the offensive line and keep to their assignments, and if those assignments are blown, the play being ran is in a heck of a lot of trouble. With just three returners on this side of the ball, it could be tough to get some traction. That being said, this is the final game of the year and not the first game of the year, and the potential is definitely there for this makeshift OL to become more of a strength of the team by the time December rolls around.

Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Navy 27 – Army 21
2010: Navy 31 – Army 17
2009: Navy 17 – Army 3
2008: Navy 34 – Army 0
2007: Navy 38 – Army 3
2006: Navy 26 – Army 14
2005: Navy 42 – Army 23
2004: Navy 42 – Army 13
2003: Navy 34 – Army 6
2002: Navy 58 – Army 12
2001: Army 26 – Navy 17
2000: Navy 30 – Army 28
1999: Navy 19 – Army 9
1998: Army 34 – Navy 30
1997: Navy 39 – Army 7
1996: Army 28 – Navy 24
1995: Army 14 – Navy 13

The Naval Academy took a massive dive last season down to just 5-7, but this year, the hope is at least somewhere there that it can get back to a bowl game this season. QB Trey Miller is going to likely be leading the charge, and slotbacks Gee Gee Greene and John Howell will be returning as well. The problem is that QB Kriss Proctor is out, and FB Alexander Teich, who has been a staple at the head of the wishbone for the Middies for years, has departed as well. That’s going to leave two massive holes in the main parts of the Navy offense. The Midshipmen have a worse offensive line position than the Black Knights do. There are only three experienced offensive linemen that are returning to this team. With a little more passing, and a significantly easier schedule after the first two weeks of the year though, there is no doubt that this could be the game that makes or breaks a bowl campaign for the Midshipmen.

Army/Navy Game Free Picks^^: Could this be the year that the Black Knights break the dreaded losing streak to Navy? The opportunity is most certainly going to be there for them to do so. This time of year, it’s all about value, and while you have the opportunity to take the points, we suggest that you do so. By the time that his game rolls around, both of these teams might have very comparable records, and in the end, the Black Knights might end up being favored, especially if there is a bowl game on the line for them.

^^Please Note: The Army/Navy Game picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed on 8/4/12 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

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The SMU Mustangs and Army Black Knights probably aren’t the two sexiest bowl teams in the world, but they are both feel good stories, and they should make for a fantastic college football betting action. Before making your Armed Forces Bowl picks in this one on Thursday afternoon, be sure to check out the three keys to which team is beating the NCAA football odds.

Key #1: Jared Hassin has to become a 1,000 yard rusher
The triple option really needs to shine for the Black Knights to have any chance of succeeding in the Armed Forces Bowl. QB Trent Steelman is going to be responsible for both running the ball on his own and getting Hassin the football. Though Steelman is the man that will be the catalyst, Hassin is the one that needs to get the tough yards up the gut. Hassin has a chance to become the second 1,000 yard rusher for the Cadets in the last 20 years if he can get just 69 yards in the Armed Forces Bowl. He had a terrible time in the final few games of the regular season, accounting for just 148 yards on 46 carries with just one TD since November 13th. The Mustangs were torched by the UCF Knights in the Conference USA Championship Game just a few weeks ago, and that only made the rushing numbers for the year even worse. Allowing 142.2 yards per game ranked just No. 51 in the nation, but we have to remember that Conference USA is a conference that is more known for its passing than its rushing. The winner of this battle between Hassin and the SMU front seven is probably going to win this duel.

Key #2: Kyle Padron needs to be a superstar
This key really goes back to Hassin as well, as taking care of the football on offense will limit the Mustangs and their lethal passing attack. This is why Army held teams to just 190.5 yards per game through the air this year, but again, we have to remember that this was a schedule that wasn’t very tough, as there wasn’t a bowl eligible team that was beaten this year, and there were only five on the entire schedule. Meanwhile, SMU averaged 273.8 yards per game on the year through the air, which ranked No. 22 in the land. QB Kyle Padron has a real chance to make a name for himself in his second season as a starting quarterback. He put up a real dud against UCF four weeks ago, and he would love to make a big time rebound. He threw for 3,526 yards and 29 TDs this year, though Head Coach June Jones really would have rather seen his signal caller throw fewer than 12 picks. Both WR Aldrick Robinson and WR Cole Beasley should be in store for a great game, as both were 1,000 yard receivers this year. Robinson caught 60 passes for 1,225 yards, an average of 20.4 yards per reception, and he found the end zone 13 times. Beasley was more of a workhorse, catching 84 passes for 1,036 yards and six TDs.

Key #3: Zach Line cannot be forgotten on either side of the ball
Army really can’t just sell out against the pass in this one, or the running game is going to really sneak up on it and bite it in the butt. Padron has some wheels, as he rushed for 254 yards and four TDs this year, but the man of the hour is going to be RB Zach Line. You don’t normally think about a June Jones offense featuring a 1,500 yard rusher, but Line already has 1,391 yards and ten TDs in 2010. This sophomore had back to back 30 carry games against the Marshall Thundering Herd and the East Carolina Pirates, and he finished up the season with 419 yards and three scores in his last three games combined. Needless to say, Line will get his touches in the finale of his sophomore season, if for no other reason, that he’ll be able to build some momentum coming into next year when the Mustangs should really be ready to rock and roll.