It appears the American Conference race will go down to the bitter end, with quasi-elimination games throughout November.
This week, South Florida checked in at No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings and took over Memphis’ foothold of Group of Five champion in the projected bracket. But the Bulls visit conference leader Navy for a crucial showdown on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.
South Florida (7-2, 4-1 American) was ranked Tuesday by the CFP committee for the first time in program history. The Bulls look the part of a Group of Five contender: They demolished Boise State and upset Florida to earn a short-lived AP poll ranking early in the year, and their only conference loss was at Memphis two weeks ago.
Memphis absorbed its second American loss last week when it fell 38-32 at Tulane. The Tigers weren’t ranked but had been the projected Group of Five representative in the initial mock bracket. South Florida rebounded from its loss to Memphis by rolling UTSA 55-23.
Meanwhile, Navy (7-2, 5-1) has played one more league game and owns one more league win. The Midshipmen are a half-game up on South Florida, Tulane, North Texas and East Carolina in the conference standings, with their only remaining road game at Memphis on Thanksgiving.
South Florida coach Alex Golesh said this week that his players’ heads are in the right place.
“We talked about it after we had our sixth win,” Golesh said. “The feeling in the locker room was different (than previous years). There was no conversation of a sixth win. There were no ‘Bowl Bound’ T-shirts given out. That’s not the standard. I think they know that they’re playing meaningful football.”
No player in the American Conference produces more total offense than Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown at 323.1 total yards per game (2,203 yards passing, 705 rushing). Brown passed for 239 yards and two scores and added 109 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine attempts in the blowout of UTSA.
The Bulls were propelled by two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter, one interception and one fumble recovery, before the offense put up 31 in the second quarter.
That defense now must prepare for a Navy offense that’s added a dangerous passing attack to its triple-option offense thanks to quarterback Blake Horvath. Navy has scored 31 rushing touchdowns, second-most in FBS; Horvath is tied for third nationally with 13 rushing TDs and has added seven through the air.
“You have this stigma of what Navy does offensively, that they just run the ball up and down the field. (But) they’ve thrown it incredibly well,” Golesh said. “When they changed offenses a year ago, it has done wonders for them.”
Horvath missed Navy’s 49-10 loss to Notre Dame last week due to an upper-body injury. Navy coach Brian Newberry is confident Horvath will be ready to play South Florida; Braxton Woodson would go if Horvath cannot.
“I think he’s made improvement every day, starting to feel better and better as we go. … Feel good, optimistic,” Newberry said.
Newberry’s Midshipmen defeated South Florida 28-7 on the road last season, but Brown and running back Nykahi Davenport (career-high 94 yards, two touchdowns last week) make this Bulls team different.
Navy may not be a big part of the playoff conversation yet, but a win Saturday could change that. And a loss might take the conference title game off the table.
“You kind of have to look at it that way,” Newberry said. “Five teams, right, with one loss. … A team with two losses is certainly not gonna get into the championship game, you wouldn’t think.”
