FOOTBALL FRIDAY
American Athletic Conference have once again assembled exciting and challenging nonconference schedules
The news from the American Athletic Conference’s annual spring meetings this week had to do with the particulars of the conference’s first Football Championship and the procedures for determining the participants.
The short version of that announcement was that conference games matter. The winners of The American’s two divisions will be determined on the field, based on the teams’ standings in conference play. There will be no selection committee and no reliance on secondary rankings, except in the extreme circumstance of an improbable deadlock in the on-the-field comparison.
While conference games will be paramount to a team’s ability to compete for the conference title, teams in The American have once again assembled challenging nonconference schedules.
The conference that appears the most on American Athletic Conference schedules is the ACC, which will have seven schools matched up against The American this year. Five opponents from the SEC and four are from the Big 12.
It’s not just quantity either.
All told, the 32 Football Bowl Subdivision schools that appear on American Athletic Conference schedules in 2015 were a combined 220-187 last season, a winning percentage of .541. Seven teams that finished in the final Associated Press top 25 – including four of the top 10 – dot the schedules of American schools, including both participants in the 2014 ACC Championship, both teams that tied for the Big 12 title and one of the participants in last year’s SEC Championship.
Here’s a chronological look at some of the key nonconference games on American Athletic Conference schedules in 2015:
Duke at Tulane – Sept. 3
Curtis Johnson’s Tulane squad opens with a stern test against the resurgent Blue Devils, who have enjoyed their most prosperous run in school history under coach David Cutcliffe. Tulane will look to its explosive skill players to battle a Duke squad that started last season at 8-1 before dropping three of its last four games.
Baylor at SMU – Sept. 4
New SMU coach Chad Morris will face back-to-back Big 12 champion Baylor in his first game on the Mustang sideline. Morris, who has preached a fast-paced, full-speed-ahead style since he arrived in Dallas, will go against the team that has set the standard for offensive potency in the last few years.
Penn State at Temple – Sept. 5
This opening-week matchup at Lincoln Financial Field should feature two of the most improved teams in the nation. Penn State went 7-6 last year under new coach James Franklin, but a solid recruiting class should help bring the Nittany Lions back toward the top of the Big Ten. Temple will have one of the most experienced teams in the nation and a squad that is hungry to return to postseason play after a 6-6 campaign in 2014.
USF at Florida State – Sept. 12
The Bulls will look for a repeat of their 2009 trip to Tallahassee, when USF came away with a 17-7 win against the then-No. 17 Seminoles. That game tightened what became the Bulls’ stranglehold on the state of Florida as USF won seven straight games against teams from the Sunshine State. Florida State had won 29 games in a row until the Seminoles fell to Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.
Houston at Louisville – Sept. 12
Houston and Louisville met as American Athletic Conference opponents in the 2013 season, when the Cardinals rallied for a 20-13 win. Both teams will have different head coaches in place for the 2015 rematch as new Cougars coach Tom Herman faces Louisville coach Bobby Petrino.
UCF at Stanford – Sept. 12
Two of the more successful programs nationally in recent years meet in Palo Alto, California, as the Knights make the cross-country journey to face the Cardinal. UCF has won back-to-back American Athletic Conference titles, while Stanford closed the 2014 season with three straight wins, including a victory against then-No. 8 UCLA, to finish 8-5.
East Carolina at Florida – Sept. 12
While East Carolina and Florida should be no strangers to one another, much has changed since the schools closed the 2014 season in the Birmingham Bowl. The Pirates will have to replace the record-setting tandem of quarterback Shane Carden and wide receiver Justin Hardy, while the Gators have Jim McElwain as their new head coach.
UConn at Missouri – Sept. 19
UConn has battled some of the nation’s top teams down to the wire in recent years, as the Huskies beat No. 19 Louisville in 2012 and had close calls against Michigan and Boise State in the past two seasons. UConn will face a strong challenge in Week 3 from a Missouri squad that is coming off an appearance in the SEC Championship last season and finished 11-3.
Tulsa at Oklahoma – Sept. 19
New Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery figures to have his toughest test of the early season as the Golden Hurricane heads to Norman to face the Sooners. Oklahoma was a 52-7 winner in last year’s meeting in Tulsa, but Montgomery has some explosive offensive players who should help keep the Golden Hurricane keep pace in this year’s matchup.
Miami (Fla.) at Cincinnati – Oct. 1
The newly renovated Nippert Stadium will be the place to be on a Thursday night as the Bearcats welcome the Hurricanes. Miami has won 11 in a row against the Bearcats, including a 55-34 decision last year in Coral Gables, Florida. But Cincinnati should have an improved defense and enough offensive firepower to have a shot to potentially end the Hurricanes’ run.
UConn at Brigham Young – Oct. 2
East Carolina at Brigham Young – Oct. 10
Cincinnati at Brigham Young – Oct. 16
American Athletic Conference schools have quickly become familiar with Brigham Young as Houston, UCF and UConn took on the Cougars in the regular season before Memphis capped the year with a win against BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl. This year, UConn makes the return trip to Provo to begin the first of three straight games against the Cougars for American Athletic Conference teams. BYU won its first four games last season and was ranked No. 18 in the nation before losing QB Taysom Hill, who returns for his senior season.
Air Force at Navy – Oct. 3
Navy’s quest to return the Commander In Chief’s Trophy to Annapolis begins with what should be a high-level matchup against the Falcons at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Air Force was a 30-21 winner last season, ending Navy’s two-year claim of the storied trophy. The Navy-Air Force winner has gone on to win the Commander In Chief’s Trophy each year since 1997.
Navy at Notre Dame – Oct. 10
The Navy-Notre Dame series has been played annually since 1927. The series was decidedly one-sided until Navy scored a 46-44 win in 2007, which snapped a string of 43 straight Irish victories. The Midshipmen won three times in four years between 2007 and 2010, but Notre Dame has taken the last four matchups, including a 49-39 decision last year in Landover, Maryland.
Mississippi at Memphis – Oct. 17
Memphis showed signs that it might be in for a special season last season as the Tigers battled an Ole Miss team for three quarters before falling 24-7 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Rebels clung to a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter before they put the game away, but the Tigers matched up quite well against a team that would go on to be ranked No. 3 in the nation. This year’s matchup will be at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
Notre Dame at Temple – Oct. 31
Temple coach Matt Rhule’s head coaching debut came two years ago in South Bend, Indiana, as the Owls fell 28-6 to Notre Dame. Temple is looking for a different result in its home stadium as the Owls’ veteran defense faces Brian Kelly’s high-powered offense.
Army vs. Navy – Dec. 12
College football’s regular season concludes with America’s Game as Navy and Army meet in Philadelphia. This year’s matchup will be the 116th playing of one of the great rivalries in sports – and one that has been dominated by the Midshipmen of late. Navy has won 13 straight against Army, though three of the last four meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less.