There are some college football programs that have made a steady home in the AP Top 25 national rankings for decades. Army has not been one of them.

That's why there is some significance to Army being voted No. 23 in the last two poll releases. The Black Knights moved in last week with a 44-10 win over Alabama Birmingham on Oct. 12 and held their spot on Sunday following a 45-28 win over East Carolina. Army has not been 7-0 since 1996.

Army moved up one spot, to No. 23, in the US LMB Coaches Poll.

"It's obviously a great feeling,'' quarterback Bryson Daily said of the 7-0 start. "We've been able to make it out of these games winning on the scoreboard, but moving forward we have to come in with that 1-0 mentality like we have every week this year. Whatever ranking we have, whatever record we have, it doesn't matter, especially going into this next one (with Air Force on Nov. 2).''

There is rampant speculation about Army running the table, maybe with the exception of the Nov. 23 game with current No. 12 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium. One stumble, however, over the final five regularly scheduled games and possible American Athletic Conference title game, would hurt the Black Knights, one of several prominent schools vying for the lone Group of Five spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

According to ESPN's playoff predictor among Group of Five teams prior to Saturday's ECU game, No. 17 Boise State (5-1) was listed as a 47 percent chance; Army at 25 percent; James Madison (5-2) at 13 percent; Tulane (5-2) at 12 percent, No. 28 Nevada Las Vegas (6-1 after the win at Oregon State) at 11 percent; and, No. 24 Navy (6-0) at 5 percent.

According to ESPN analytics, Army is given a 95 percent chance to beat Air Force on Nov. 2; 64 percent chance to beat North Texas on Nov. 9; only an 18 percent chance to top Notre Dame; an 89 percent chance to beat Texas San Antonio on Nov. 30; and, 66 percent chance to beat Navy on Dec. 14.

"The next game is going to be the hardest game we've played all year,'' Army head coach Jeff Monken said of the Air Force rivalry. "It is a slugfest, a fist fight every time we play them ... every time. Our guys know that they've got to get prepared for this next game.''

Monken isn't necessarily worried about the team getting complacent with success.

What I really appreciate about our team and like about our guys is they are very professional,'' he said. "They've got that, 'It's the next game,' and that's the most important one. Enjoy the victory, yes; appreciate the fact that we won the game but get on to the next one.''

The last time Army was ranked in consecutive weeks was Sept. 13 and 20 during the 2020 COVID season. The Black Knights started 2-0 but a 24-10 loss at No. 14 Cincinnati knocked Army into the ranks of teams receiving votes (No. 26 and beyond) over the final 13 polls.

Two years earlier, Army received votes in weeks 9-11 of 2018 before reaching No. 23 on Nov. 18 and 25, No. 22 on Dec. 2 and No. 19 in the final poll, following wins over Navy (after the final weekly poll was released) and a 70-14 win over Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Army has been ranked in 25 out of 89 seasons of poll history, all but five prior to 1985. Since college football expanded to at least 10 games, roughly in the early 1990s, Army has earned an AP Top 25 mark only 13 times. The Black Knights were ranked once in 1985 (high of No. 19, unranked in final); five times in 1996 (high of No. 22, final at No. 25); four times in 2018 (high and final of No. 19); and, twice in 2020 (high of No. 22, unranked in final).

The highest final rankings in the AP poll were No. 1 (1944, 1945); No. 2 (1946, 1950); No. 3 (1958); No. 4 (1949): No. 6 (1948); No. 7 (1954); No. 11 (1943, 1947); No. 14 (1953); No. 18 (1957); and, No. 20 (1955). Season highs achieved without a final ranking were No. 3 (1936); No. 4 (1959); No. 8 (1942); No. 10 (1962); No. 11 (1941, 1956); No. 18 (1960); No. 19 (1985); and, No. 22 (2020).

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @Ken McMillan THR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football still in college football Top 25 for second week in row