The College Football News American Athletic Conference preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2021 season.
American Athletic Preseason Predictions
American Athletic Predicted Finish
T1. Cincinnati
T1. UCF
T3. Houston
T3. Memphis
5. SMU
T6. East Carolina
T6. Houston
T6. Temple
T6. Tulane
T6. Tulsa
T11. Navy
T11. USF
Cincinnati Bearcats
2021 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 7-1
2018: 11-2 2019: 11-3 2020: 9-1
Sept. 4 Miami University W
Sept. 11 Murray State W
Sept. 18 at Indiana W
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Notre Dame L
Oct. 8 Temple W
Oct. 16 UCF L
Oct. 23 at Navy W
Oct. 30 at Tulane W
Nov. 6 Tulsa W
Nov. 13 at USF W
Nov. 20 SMU W
Nov. 27 at East Carolina W
Cincinnati 2010 Preview | Schedule
East Carolina Pirates
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 3-5
2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-6
Sept. 2 Appalachian State (in Charlotte) L
Sept. 11 South Carolina L
Sept. 18 at Marshall W
Sept. 25 Charleston Southern W
Oct. 2 Tulane W
Oct. 9 at UCF L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Houston L
Oct. 30 USF W
Nov. 4 Temple W
Nov. 13 at Memphis L
Nov. 20 at Navy L
Nov. 27 Cincinnati L
ECU 2021 Preview | Schedule
Houston Cougars
2021 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 5-3
2018: 8-5 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-5
Sept. 4 Texas Tech (in NRG Stadium) L
Sept. 11 at Rice W
Sept. 18 Grambling State W
Sept. 25 Navy W
Oct. 1 at Tulsa W
Oct. 7 at Tulane L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 East Carolina W
Oct. 30 SMU W
Nov. 6 at USF L
Nov. 13 at Temple L
Nov. 19 Memphis W
Nov. 27 at UConn W
Houston 2021 Preview | Schedule
Memphis Tigers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 5-3
2018: 8-6 2019: 12-2 2020: 8-3
Sept. 4 Nicholls W
Sept. 11 at Arkansas State W
Sept. 18 Mississippi State L
Sept. 25 UTSA W
Oct. 2 at Temple W
Oct. 9 at Tulsa L
Oct. 14 Navy W
Oct. 22 at UCF L
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 SMU W
Nov. 13 East Carolina W
Nov. 19 at Houston L
Nov. 27 Tulane W
Houston 2021 Preview | Schedule
Navy Midshipmen
2021 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 2-6
2018: 3-10 2019: 11-2 2020: 3-7
Sept. 4 Marshall W
Sept. 11 Air Force L
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 25 at Houston L
Oct. 2 UCF L
Oct. 9 SMU W
Oct. 14 at Memphis L
Oct. 23 Cincinnati L
Oct. 29 at Tulsa L
Nov. 6 at Notre Dame L
Nov. 13 OPEN DATE
Nov. 20 East Carolina W
Nov. 27 at Temple L
Dec. 4 OPEN DATE
Dec. 11 Army (in East Rutherford) L
Navy 2021 Preview | Schedule
SMU Mustangs
2021 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 4-4
2018: 5-7 2019: 10-3 2020: 7-3
Sept. 4 Abilene Christian W
Sept. 11 North Texas W
Sept. 18 at Louisiana Tech W
Sept. 25 at TCU L
Oct. 2 USF W
Oct. 9 at Navy L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 21 Tulane W
Oct. 30 at Houston L
Nov. 6 at Memphis L
Nov. 13 UCF W
Nov. 20 at Cincinnati L
Nov. 27 Tulsa W
SMU 2021 Preview | Schedule
NEXT: American Athletic Predictions: Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, USF
American Athletic Preseason Predictions
Temple Owls
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 3-5
2018: 8-5 2019: 8-5 2020: 1-6
Sept. 4 at Rutgers L
Sept. 11 at Akron W
Sept. 18 Boston College L
Sept. 25 Wagner W
Oct. 2 Memphis L
Oct. 8 at Cincinnati L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at USF W
Oct. 30 UCF L
Nov. 6 at East Carolina L
Nov. 13 Houston W
Nov. 20 at Tulsa L
Nov. 27 Navy W
Temple 2021 Preview | Schedule
Tulane Green Wave
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 3-5
2018: 7-6 2019: 7-6 2020: 6-6
Sept. 4 Oklahoma L
Sept. 11 Morgan State W
Sept. 18 at Ole Miss L
Sept. 25 UAB W
Oct. 2 at East Carolina L
Oct. 7 Houston W
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 21 at SMU L
Oct. 30 Cincinnati L
Nov. 6 at UCF L
Nov. 13 Tulsa W
Nov. 20 USF W
Nov. 27 at Memphis L
Tulane 2021 Preview | Schedule
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
2021 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 3-5
2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 6-3
Sept. 2 UC Davis W
Sept. 11 at Oklahoma State L
Sept. 18 at Ohio State L
Sept. 25 Arkansas State L
Oct. 1 Houston L
Oct. 9 Memphis W
Oct. 16 at USF L
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Navy W
Nov. 6 at Cincinnati L
Nov. 13 at Tulane L
Nov. 20 Temple W
Nov. 27 at SMU L
Tulsa 2021 Preview | Schedule
UCF Knights
2021 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 7-1
2018: 12-1 2019: 10-3 2020: 6-4
Sept. 4 Boise State W
Sept. 11 Bethune-Cookman W
Sept. 17 at Louisville L
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Navy W
Oct. 9 East Carolina W
Oct. 16 at Cincinnati W
Oct. 22 Memphis W
Oct. 30 at Temple W
Nov. 6 Tulane W
Nov. 13 at SMU L
Nov. 20 UConn W
Nov. 26 USF W
UCF 2021 Preview | Schedule
USF Bulls
2021 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 American Athletic Prediction: 2-6
2018: 7-6 2019: 4-8 2020: 0-7
Sept. 2 at NC State L
Sept. 11 Florida L
Sept. 18 Florida A&M W
Sept. 24 at BYU L
Oct. 2 at SMU L
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Tulsa W
Oct. 23 Temple L
Oct. 30 at East Carolina L
Nov. 6 Houston W
Nov. 12 Cincinnati L
Nov. 20 at Tulane L
Nov. 27 at UCF L
USF 2021 Preview | Schedule
