The battle for the 54th Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy begins on Saturday in Annapolis, Md. — amidst a government shutdown.

Interesting times have come to college football, where the latest wild headline this week suggested one of the two biggest conferences in the country is considering a $2 billion investment from private capital, potentially opening a can of worms in an era of college athletics where every dollar counts.

The professionalization of college football has been going on for years, but we’re now firmly in an era of the sport that more closely resembles the NFL than the college game from 20 years ago. Multiple teams with two losses competed for a national championship last season and that will be the case every year going forward. Shoot, we’re probably going to have a three-loss team in the College Football Playoff before the end of this decade.

But for those still interested in the few programs playing by the old rules, tune in to CBS on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT to watch Air Force take on Navy.

The CIC Trophy, currently held by the Midshipmen, is the objective at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

“Every year… winning the CIC is always the No. 1 goal on our list,” Falcons linebacker Blake Fletcher said. “Obviously, you know the guys across from you go through some of the similar things you go through, but at the end of the day, while we’re on the field, our goal is to win that game and do everything we can to dominate the other side of the ball.”

It doesn’t matter that Navy (4-0) has more wins than Air Force (1-3) and Army (1-3) combined through the first month of the season. While the Midshipmen are currently a 12.5-point favorite over their rivals from Colorado Springs, that means absolutely nothing to Air Force coach Troy Calhoun.

“To sit here and forecast things, good luck,” Calhoun said.

Even though we are firmly in an era where it feels like the service academies are being left behind because they don’t take transfers, have no NIL money to offer, etc., you still can’t count them out.

The Midshipmen have a favorable schedule and there’s a chance they’re unbeaten when they go to South Bend to play Notre Dame in early November. A big reason for that is because of star quarterback Blake Horvath, the latest in a long line of excellent service academy players at the position.

There’s a real chance the Midshipmen could be a contender for the Group of Five spot in the playoff in a few months’ time. But if you asked the members of that team if they’d rather accomplish that feat or retain the CIC Trophy, they might pause for a second — then still say the CIC Trophy. 

That’s always been the beauty of college football — the rivalries so intense and so important that it’s the one or two Saturdays that matters across an entire calendar year.

“The truth, for us, is it always starts with the Commander-In-Chief’s (Trophy),” Horvath said. “That’s always our first goal, no matter what, in a season. Since I’ve been here, that’s always what’s been preached.”

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King’s 5 Games to Watch

Cincinnati vs. No. 14 Iowa State (10 a.m. ESPN2)

The time has come for Iowa State to prove itself once again. Even though the Cyclones are unbeaten and have multiple conference wins and another over their in-state rival, they’re underdogs on the road against a Cincinnati team coming off an impressive road win at Kansas. There isn’t much left for ISU to do to prove it belongs at the top of the Big 12, but another road win over a quality team would do the trick.

King’s pick: Iowa State +1.5

North Carolina vs. Clemson (10 a.m. ESPN)

It’s October and Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels have more wins than Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. It hasn’t been the greatest start to the season for either ACC program and this might be the last time all season Belichick’s squad doesn’t have a losing record, but if Swinney and Clemson can’t get a win this week, the pressure on the two-time national champion coach will be amped up to 10.

King’s pick: Clemson -14.5

No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 16 Vanderbilt (1:30 p.m. ABC)

Just like last year, the Crimson Tide are set to face the Commodores after an impressive win over Georgia. This time around, Vandy isn’t sneaking up on anybody. It’s the first time since 1937 these programs are meeting as ranked opponents. Could the Commodores really pull off back-to-back wins over the Tide for the first time since the mid-1950s?

King’s pick: Vanderbilt +10.5

Houston vs. No. 11 Texas Tech (5 p.m. ESPN)

Despite the heroics of backup Will Hammond in Salt Lake City two weeks ago, Texas Tech is expected to go back to starting QB Behren Morton on the road against a surprisingly good Houston squad. The Cougars needed overtime to escape with a win against a winless Oregon State squad last week, but don’t count them out against a Red Raiders team that has the Big 12’s signature win of the season to date with that dominant display against Utah.

King’s pick: Houston +11.5

No. 18 Florida State vs. No. 3 Miami (5:30 p.m. ABC)

It just feels right that the Seminoles and Hurricanes are set to play a big time game with a lot on the line. It’s one of the better rivalries in the sport and is at its best when both teams are good. Not many expected Florida State to be this good and it remains Miami’s biggest competition to win the ACC, despite last week’s loss at Virginia. This could be a game for the ages at Doak Walker Stadium. 

King’s pick: Miami -4.5

King’s YTD record ATS: 12-13 (3-2 last week)

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King’s Top 5 Heisman Candidates

1. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Don’t just chalk up last week’s game at Beaver Stadium to just another loss in a big game by a James Franklin-coached Penn State team. Oregon went into one of the toughest environments in college football and won because of their star sophomore QB. Moore threw for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns without turning the ball over against one of the best defenses in the country and has vaulted the Ducks into the elite group of teams at the top of the rankings.

2. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri

With over 100 rushing yards more than anyone else in the country, Hardy has quickly established himself as the top running back in the country and the engine of an offense that has Missouri believing it is among the best teams in the SEC. He wasn’t needed much in the season opener against Central Arkansas, but against four FBS teams since Week 1, Hardy has averaged 157.5 rushing yards per game to go with multiple games with three touchdowns.

3. Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt

America’s favorite sixth-year senior has picked up right where he left off. The renaissance in Nashville has continued for a second straight season thanks to Pavia, the smack-talking, court-case-winning, touchdown-throwing quarterback of the Commodores. He already has over 1,200 passing yards and 15 total touchdowns as No. 16 Vandy heads to Tuscaloosa looking to do the unthinkable again vs. Alabama.

4. Rueben Bain Jr., DL, Miami

There’s a real defense again in Coral Gables, folks. Joining the likes of legendary Canes defenders like Warren Sapp, Ed Reed and many others, Bain Jr. has been the biggest reason for Miami’s dominant defensive effort. He’s done a little bit of everything so far with 22 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery and now must help stop a Florida State team with the second-best rushing offense in the nation.

5. Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Is it premature to put Chambliss here after just three starts? Probably. He might not even be the starter for the Rebels when they return to action next week after a bye. But Chambliss has been such a good story. The senior transfer from Division-II Ferris State seamlessly filled in for starter Austin Simmons, throwing for over 300 yards to go with 7 total touchdowns over the past three games, including a win over then-No. 4 LSU. He might’ve played so well coach Lane Kiffin can’t put him back on the bench.