By Jay Holahan
With the college football season just over two months away, it’s that time of the year again to start looking ahead to who will be the major players of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) this upcoming season.
1. Navy Midshipmen (2024: 11-1, 9-0)
After winning 10 games last season, Navy’s offense should continue to build off its success, averaging 31.3 points per game. Returning quarterback Blake Horvath dazzled last season as a dual-threat quarterback. With a manageable schedule, the Midshipmen should cruise through the early portions of the season. True tests will be presented on the road against Notre Dame and Memphis, and then, of course, the annual Army-Navy game to end the year. Unfortunately, the loss to Notre Dame might be too much for voters to put the Midshipmen in the College Football Playoff.
© Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal/USA TODAY NETWORK
2. Memphis Tigers (2024: 10-2, 7-1)
The passing game could struggle early on without Seth Henigan, but the schedule is very manageable. Memphis’ out-of-conference schedule is light aside from taking on Arkansas. Once conference play hits, the Tigers should cruise until they face USF at home in late October and a home game to end the season against Navy.
© Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
3. Tulane Green Wave (2024: 9-3, 7-1)
A 9-5 year last season in Jon Sumrall’s first year as head coach is something the Green Wave will no doubt look to improve upon. Unfortunately, the two toughest games on the schedule will most likely occur in games three and four against Duke and Ole Miss. Once conference play starts, however, the Green Wave will have a fairly manageable conference schedule with tough road games coming against UTSA and Memphis, and a home game against Army.
More Sports News
4. Army Black Knights (2024: 8-4, 7-2)
A 12-2 year was a historic season for the Black Knights, starting the year 9-0 for the first time since 1949, and winning AAC in Army’s first year as a member of the conference. A repeat double-digit win season will be tough for Army to mirror, but a good eight-win season should be in the cards for the Black Knights with a tough second game against Kansas State.
Byrum Brown great googly moogly pic.twitter.com/gX54W6VfBE
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) September 22, 2024
5. South Florida Bulls (2024: 7-5, 6-2)
I understand scheduling one Power Four opponent, but to schedule two tough road games against Florida and Miami, and a Boise State team that made the CFP last season, seems excessive. USF will most likely open the year 0-3, which is a shame because it can kill the confidence for the Bulls. The conference schedule will open up and be lighter, of course, but two tough road games late in the year against Memphis and Navy could prove detrimental to a conference title.
6. North Texas Mean Green (2024: 6-6, 4-4)
The Mean Green were off to a great start last year at 5-1, but then a five-game losing streak followed, where they lost by an average of 12 points per game. This year, North Texas will only be returning four players, but given what Eric Morris did last year, perhaps this could be a building block year for North Texas.
7. UTSA Roadrunners (2024: 6-6, 4-4)
I anticipate a similar year as last for the Roadrunners—a strong offense, but a less-than-stingy defense with no returning starters. Not helping UTSA’s case is their conference schedule: two road games against North Texas and USF, and home games against Rice and Army. UTSA should keep it close, but a win could be tough to come by.
8. East Carolina Pirates (2024: 5-7, 4-4)
After firing head coach Mike Houston, following back-to-back losses against Charlotte and Army, East Carolina went on a roll with Blake Harrell at the helm as the interim coach. Now, the interim title is removed, and we’ll see if Harrell can lead the Pirates through a tough back-end of the conference schedule against Memphis and on the road against UTSA.
9. Florida Atlantic Owls (2024: 6-6, 3-5)
First-year head coach Zach Kittley inherits an FAU team that only won three games last year. With only three returning starters for FAU, a winning season will be tough to come by. However, a .500 year with the out-of-conference schedule the Owls face, and if (for the most part) defend home-field, FAU could finish near the middle of the AAC.
© Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
10. UAB Blazers (2024: 5-7, 3-5)
This is most likely a make-or-break year for head coach Trent Dilfer. The UAB Blazers are far from the team that was successful in Conference USA. Only returning three starters this season leads me to believe the Blazers will struggle mightily, and it could lead to Dilfers’ dismissal in the middle of the year.
11. Charlotte 49ers (2024: 3-9, 2-6)
Under first-year head coach Tim Albin, the win-loss record shouldn’t be paid attention to as much as how the players respond to his coaching. As long as they show fight against teams like USF, Army and Tulane, perhaps the 49ers will take a step forward in 2026.
12. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2024: 2-10, 1-7)
Tulsa’s biggest disadvantage is its schedule. Both home and away games for the Golden Hurricanes are going to be tough to stomach. They should get a break against Temple at home, but other than that, it should be another long season in Tulsa, Okla.
13. Temple Owls (2024: 2-10, 0-8)
Under first-year head coach KC Keeler, this Temple team will struggle, no doubt. A difficult conference schedule will be tough to navigate, but as long as they show fight in a lot of their games, building a foundation should be the goal for the Owls.
14. Rice Owls (2024: 1-11, 0-8)
Coming from the FCS ranks will be tough for Scott Abell, but if Rice shows growth at the back-end of the year, things may be on the rise for the Owls.
