Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few days to publish my 19th annual college football preview guide which will contain 19 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the two division champions but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for the American Athletic Conference in 2025, which continues to be the strongest Group of Five conference from top to bottom.

1	Army (10-3, 8-0)– regular season champ/conference runner-up

Last Year’s Record: 12-2 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7): Myself and most other experts significantly underrated Jeff Monken’s squad last season

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Tulane (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Air Force (November 1)

Bottom Line: Most experts are calling for the Black Knights to take a step back in 2025 after their Cinderella conference championship last season. However, I see this team replicating that squad’s success. First of all, Army is setup with another great schedule, as they avoid Memphis and South Florida in league play. They do have to play Tulane on the road this season, but keep in mind, that the Black Knights blew the doors off the Green Wave in last year’s AAC title game (35-14 victory). I am ultmately calling for Army to once again run the table in conference play, but this time, lose the conference title game to Memphis in December.

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1	Memphis (12-1, 7-1)– conference champion/CFP # 12 seed

Last Year’s Record: 11-2 (My 2024 prediction: 12-1)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Arkansas (September 20)- the Tigers will be up for a rare home against an SEC foe

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at East Carolina (November 15)

Bottom Line: I incorrectly picked the Tigers to win the AAC and earn the Group of Five CFP bid last sason, but I am going to double down and pick it again in 2025. First of all, Memphis was very close to an unbeaten season last year, as they only dropped two games all season, both of which they were favored. They did lose a lot of talent from that squad, but they have gotten the guys they needed from the portal to replace them and have recruited really well the past few seasons. They also have the luxury of getting all of their toughest games at home this season, as Arkansas, Tulane, and USF have to travel to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. I do think Memphis will ultimately slip up once in conference play in 2025, but due to the fact, I have predicted Boise to get upset in their confernece title game, I think the Tigers do what I predicted them to do last year and win the AAC and clinch the Group of Five’s College Football Playoff bid.

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3	South Florida (7-5, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5): another great preseason prediction by me last season

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Navy (November 15)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at North Texas (October 10)

Bottom Line: Alex Golesh revived this program immediaely upon his arrival to Tampa in 2023, as the Bulls posted winning records the past couple of seasons. They have become a trendy pick to win the AAAC in 2025, but I am going to call for them to fall just a bit short of that feat largely due to a brutal schedule that will likely lead them to an 0-3 start to the year (vs. Boise, at Florida, at Miami-FL). And while none of those matchups are conference games, I am concerned the early season struggles could damage this team’s confidence heading into AAC play. Still, this squad definitely has the talent and experience to go bowling for a third straight season in 2025.

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4	Tulane (7-5, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 9-5 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Duke (September 13)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at South Alabama (September 6)

Bottom Line: Throughout this program’s meteoric rise to the top of the Group of Five ranks from 2022-2024, I have consistently called for Green Wave to take a step back. Instead they have consistenly won games regardless of their personnel or coaching staff. This season, I am once again calling for Tulane to regress in the conference pecking order due to the loss of the their quarterback, running back, top five receivers, and leading tackler. They also face a brutal schedule in 2025 which features three Power Five opponents and conference road trips to UTSA and Memphis. Can the Green Wave prove me wrong one more time?

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5	Navy (7-5, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7): Both service academies in this league blew well past my expectations for them last season

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Duke (September 13)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at North Texas (November 1)

Bottom Line: Both service academies made surpring runs at the AAC title last season, as the Midshipmen ran the table in conference play up until a disappoint home loss to Tulane during the final weekend of the regular season. Now, Navy returns 13 starters from that squad (8 on offense) including their top three rushers, top six receivers, and star quartback Blake Horvath. I am calling for the Midshipmen to lose a few more games in 2025 though largely because of a brual end of year schedule that puts them on the road for four of their final five games of the season against formidable competition (at North Texas, at Notre Dame, vs. USF, at Memphis, vs. Army in Baltimore).

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6	East Carolina (7-5, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5)- Another spot-on preseason prediction for me last year

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Memphis (November 15)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Charlotte (November 8)- the Pirates always manage to slip up to someone they shouldn’t and the 49ers have had ECU’s number over the past couple of seasons.

Bottom Line: Blake Harrell put together a nice season last year as interim head coach following Mike Houston’s midseason firing. Now, Harrell gets to be the man in charge for the long haul, and even though the Pirates lost a lot of starters from last year’s squad, they still bring back an experienced and talent quarterback (Katin Houser) who should be able to lead the Pirates to a second straight bowl appearance.

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7	UTSA (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 9-4)- Another spot-on preseason prediction for me last year

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Charlotte (November 15)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Incarnate Word (September 13)- a crosstown shocker!

Bottom Line: The Roadrunners are one of my top disappointment teams in the country for 2025, as Jeff Traylor’s squad has gradually lost more and more games in every season since 2021 (2 losses in 2021, 3 in 2022, 4 in 2023, and 6 in 2024). This progam has also taken a step back in their performance in the portal and on the recruiting trail. Now, the Roadrunners lose 9 defensive starters including their top five tacklers from 2024. Expect a surprisingly rough year for UTSA.

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8	Charlotte (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 9-4)- Another spot-on preseason prediction for me last year

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Charlotte (November 15)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Incarnate Word (September 13)- a crosstown shocker!

Bottom Line: The weird, wild, and wacky Biff Poggi experiment failed, and now the keys of the program get turned over to former Ohio head coach Tim Albin. As a result, the 49ers are basically starting over from scratch this season, as they lost 15 starters and 45 lettermen from last year’s team (9 of the 11 starters on offense left) including their starting quarterback, top four rushers, top six receivers, and four of their top five tacklers. Expect a rebuilding year this season for the 49ers.

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9	Rice (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2024 prediction: 9-3)- I was way off on this one!

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. North Texas (November 22)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Charlotte (September 18)

Bottom Line: The Owls burned me last year after I put them on the list of surprise teams for 2024, so I am not going to make the same mistake this season. This progam has not had a winning record in over a decade now, and this season, the Owls are essentially starting over by bringing in a new head coach and new coordinators while simulataneously losing six of their top ten tacklers from 2024 as well as 15 of their 22 starters on both sides of the ball.

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10	UAB (5-7, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at FAU (October 11)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Rice (November 8)

Bottom Line: I fear the Trent Dilfer experiment (head coach pictured above) is about to come to an end, as this program has absolutely faceplanted since Bill Clark’s successful tenure ended in 2022. The Blazers lack experience on both sides of the ball entering 2025 (only 8 returning starters total) and will also be starting a quarterback who threw 11 interceptions last year.

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11	North Texas (6-6, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. USF (October 10)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Rice (November 22)

Bottom Line: The Mean Green are going to continue to do what the Mean Green due on an annual basis: score a lot of points, play very little defense, and finish around .500 at the end of the season.

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12	Temple (4-8, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Charlotte (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at North Texas (November 29)

Bottom Line: It is truly amazing that Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins won as many games as they did as coaches for this program in the 2010’s, for Temple has not had a season this decade where they finished less than five games under .500. Now, they bring in a new coach with new coordinators and new schemes for what is almost certainly a rebuilding year for an Owl squad that only returns three defensive starters. The schedule also doesn’t do any favors for this team, as they facemost of the top teams in this league as well as two power 4 opponents. The Owls will almost certainly be underdogs in at least 9 of their 12 games this season.

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13	Florida Atlantic (3-9, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Tulsa (November 8)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. UAB (October 11)

Bottom Line: It has been astonshing to see how bad this program has been so far this decade, as two prominent former Power 4 conference coaches (Willie Taggart and Tom Herman) were unable to produce a wining full season of football in Boca Raton during their tenures there. Now, new coach Zach Kittley gets the keys to the castle and must start over with this squad, as they lose 9 of their 11 starters on defense and their starting quarterback, top two receivers, and top three rushers on offense. Expect to see a rebuilding year from the 2025 Owls.

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14	Tulsa (0-12, 0-8)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: None

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Abliene Christian (August 30)- there are always at least one or two FCS over FBS upsets each season and this one has as good of a chance of happening as any.

Bottom Line: Like Nevada and Rice, Tulsa is another football program that should consider moving down to FCS due to its lack of resources to compete in the NIL era. The Golden Hurricane do bring in a new coach this season in Tre Lamb, who should be able to put togers a functional offense. However, until the Golden Hurricane figure out a way to fix their atrocious defense which was one of the worst in the country last year (131st in total defense out of 134 FBS teams), then the losses are going to continue to pile up for this program.

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