This was really an up and down weekend for the America Athletic Conference. For an aspiring “P6” organization, the results were not good. UCF beat UCONN in the only conference game, 56-17, and, with luck, could be set up for another New Year’s day bowl. Tulane, of course, lost to Wake Forest, but Cincinnati beat UCLA, another P5 school, 26-17. So far, not too bad. But, SMU fell behind 36-0 to North Texas (yes, North Texas) before losing 46-23. Navy also lost to another G5 school, Hawaii, 59-41, and, though trailing at the half, Houston beat cross-town rival, Rice, 45-27. Still, 1-2 against “lower level” G5 schools is not what the conference needed. Of course USF mopped up Elon 34-14; Memphis beat Mercer 66-14; and Tulsa came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Central Arkansas 38-27 in expected wins over FCS schools. Sadly, Temple was beaten by cross-town rival Villanova, yet another FCS school, 17-19, and East Carolina lost, 28-23, to North Carolina A&T, also of the FCS. So, bolstered by a 3-2 record against the FCS, and including an in-conference contest, the AAC went 6-6 the first weekend. That probably moves us closer to P7 than P5. Not good.
Roll Wave!!!
Roll Wave!!!