Could a military academy win the college football title this season?

Yahoo Sports ^ | 7/20/20 | Pete Thamel

[foreverfree]

With the fate of the 2020 college football season in flux, the only certainty about the season remains the constant uncertainty. With big decisions by Power Five commissioners looming about the sport’s immediate future, the most prepared schools to play football this season remain the three military academies who play FBS football.

[Nabber]

Sorry, should have read “against undefeated Penn St (9-0) above

[BwanaNdege]

And military rank structure probably needs a rethink too.

How so?

Specifics, please.

[IrishBrigade]

‘Navy played Texas in the Cotton Bowl....Texas won....Roger Staubach was the Navy Quarterback.....1963 !!!!!!!’

I remember that game very well; Navy was never really in it...28-6 Longhorns...

technically, it was 1964...

[Tallguy]

I think your missing the point. The Big 10 already cancelled it’s non-conference games. And with the Democrat governors in PA & Michigan who knows if Penn State and the Michigan schools will play at all?

[dfwgator]

There will be no college football this year, I won’t miss it.

[Tallguy]

I’m inclined to agree. Some of the best officers that I met were ROTC. Anectodal to be sure. It really doesn’t matter much after 0-3 anyway. Imagine a system where ROTC grads, or 3rd years get invited to a sort of Military Academy “Top Gun” program of 6-months intensive prep? You involve the branch schools (Knox, Benning, Sill, etc.) and make it real hands on.

[ontap]

true 1963 season

[DPMD]

It’s possible times have changed at Navy, but the degree had always been a BS in Naval Science, with other majors available in addition.

[Svartalfiar]

West Point could be transformed into a two year expanded OCS program. Also, I’d like to see all officer candidates serve at least two years enlisted before getting a commission

I've mentioned this before, but I have no authority over anything :p

Took some ROTC classes, and they were quite a waste. (Based on my enlisted experience when the scholarship stuff didn't work out.) Half a semester is spent learning individual movement techniques, DnC, and simple stuff, while the rest of the year is basically doing very simple STX lanes (squad training exercise). And, they're poorly run as the main focus is the fourth year cadets training the third years, with the first/second years as all the game pieces. That aren't emplaced then brought in to watch and learn. You mostly just spend an hour or two 30-50ft out, on your 360 security, having no clue what is going on from a command perspective. Not learning anything really. Note, this is the lab class, the classroom classes are more history/book stuff, they don't really directly apply practically to the lab stuff.

It is very easy to tell the green-to-gold cadets, as they actually know stuff since they're the prior-enlisted going officer. Likewise, in a real unit, you can quickly tell which LTs came out of only ROTC versus those that were prior-enlisted.

But I agree with your point. At a BARE MINIMUM, every ROTC cadet should be going through basic training the summer before they start college. Having that knowledge will allow the ROTC program to focus MUUUCH more on training cadets to be officers, instead of wasting 2+ years of limited training time on half-ass learnt basic soldier skills. Really, at least two years enlisted time (start clock AFTER basic completed) would be good, and even better is only pulling from E5 and above. While there are plenty smart/capable specialists or even privates, there is a LOT of experience and seeing how things work that lower enlisted aren't really exposed to.

[Trumpet 1]

Missing the point.?! I was saying that Bama is not going to automatically win the National Championship because there are lots of other teams out there that are just as strong or better.

[Svartalfiar]

Imagine a system where ROTC grads, or 3rd years get invited to a sort of Military Academy “Top Gun” program of 6-months intensive prep? You involve the branch schools (Knox, Benning, Sill, etc.) and make it real hands on.

You do.

All third years (summer between 3rd and 4th) from ROTC/Academy attend BOLC-A (Basic Officer Leader's Course) where they're given much more in-depth training/exercises, and ranked based on several factors to determine unit/branch assignment. (Guard is not ranked, as you would already have a slot in a certain unit in order to go through the process, so you already have a unit/branch assigned.) This is about seven weeks I believe, and a good portion of it is field training/evaluation.

Once you pass that, you have BOLC-B, which is based on the branch you are assigned, and most are about 18 weeks long. These will take place at the training home for your branch - MI (Huachaca), Infantry (Benning), Armor (was Knox, but moved to Benning), Engineer (Leonard Wood), Aviation (Rucker), etc etc. I don't know if this is combined into your 3-4 summer, or if BOLC-B always takes place after 4th year/graduation.

[foreverfree]

I assume that’s 2+ years as an NCO, right?

[captain_dave]

I think the prospect should at least finish as an NCO,