In a recent article by The Athletic, a hypothetical college football challenge between the AAC and the Sun Belt was explored. The decision to pit these two conferences against each other was based on the competitiveness and depth of talent within each league. While the Mountain West and Sun Belt are considered strong Group of Five conferences, the AAC is not far behind in terms of quality teams and potential College Football Playoff contenders. With all 14 teams from the Sun Belt and the AAC included in this theoretical challenge, the matchups were determined by preseason conference predictions and played at neutral sites.
The first matchup in this hypothetical challenge was between Memphis and App State. Both teams are strong contenders for the Group of Five’s College Football Playoff berth, boasting talented quarterbacks in Seth Henigan and Joey Aguilar. The game was predicted to be a high-scoring affair, with Memphis ultimately coming out on top with a score of 38-34. Despite defensive questions on both sides, Memphis was favored due to their returning production and key transfer additions.
Next up was UTSA versus Texas State, a game that was set to take place in a pseudo-playoff elimination scenario. Texas State’s offense was highlighted as a major strength, led by quarterback Jordan McCloud and running back Ismail Mahdi. However, UTSA’s track record under head coach Jeff Traylor and overall team depth gave them the edge in this matchup, with a predicted score of 41-31 in favor of UTSA.
The article also delved into matchups between Tulane and JMU, South Florida and Troy, Army and Coastal Carolina, Florida Atlantic and Louisiana, East Carolina and Arkansas State, Rice and South Alabama, North Texas and Georgia Southern, UAB and Marshall, Navy and Old Dominion, Tulsa and Southern Miss, Charlotte and Georgia State, and Temple and ULM. Each game was analyzed based on team strengths, weaknesses, and potential outcomes.
In the end, the AAC was predicted to come out on top in the 14-team challenge with a final record of 8-6. The top teams in the AAC, such as UTSA and Memphis, were highlighted as promising Group of Five contenders, while the Sun Belt showcased strength in its top teams like Arkansas State, Marshall, and Georgia Southern. The middle of the Sun Belt conference was noted as particularly intriguing, with potential for surprise performances from various teams.
Overall, the hypothetical AAC vs. Sun Belt challenge was seen as a week of great football that would showcase the talent and competitiveness of both conferences. The matchups provided an exciting glimpse into the potential outcomes of such a cross-conference competition, highlighting the depth and quality of teams in both the AAC and the Sun Belt.
