How to watch Army vs. Air Force on TV or online, plus 3 things to know

A normal game between a low-level independent and a Mountain West team wouldn’t gain a lot of traction nationally, but that changes when two service academies meet. This week, we get Army-Air Force. And the hate — well, hopefully just the football-related hate — is already brewing.

Air Force went 2-10 in 2013, but bounced back with a very impressive 10-3 season in 2014. Sitting at 5-3 this year, the Falcons likely won’t finish with as good of a record, but they’re still having a good year and have the opportunity to get bowl eligible with a win. They’ve played well throughout much of the season, and despite losing to Navy and Michigan State, which have a combined one loss between them, they only have one Mountain West loss with the tough part of the schedule coming up.

Meanwhile, Army is still trying to rebuild. The Black Knights are 2-6, with their only wins coming over Eastern Michigan and Bucknell. However, things are looking up for this program, which has lost one-possession games to UConn, Wake Forest, Penn State and Rice. This is a dangerous team that’s looking to take the next step. This game against Air Force provides a great opportunity to do just that.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

Radio: Army, Air Force

Online streaming: WatchESPN

Spread: Air Force is favored by 17 points.

Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Underdog Dynasty for Army fans and Mountain West Connection for Air Force fans.

1. This is a really big opportunity for Army. This team might be better than it has been in recent years, and although most fans are likely thinking toward the future, this could finally get the Knights a signature win.

2. Air Force has a tough schedule coming up. Will the Falcons be overlooking this game at all? They can’t afford to.

3. Recruiting to the service academies, and playing and coaching at the service academies, is really hard. We profiled the experience.