2021 College Football Predictions For All 130 Teams: Spring – Page 2

American Athletic Conference

– AAC Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– AAC 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown

Cincinnati Bearcats

The bar is set obscenely high now. With just about everyone back, the Bearcats can win at Indiana and taking out Notre Dame on the road isn’t unrealistic. There will likely be a loss along the way, and the wheels could come off with a possible loss to UCF and/or on the road at Navy or Tulane, but realistically, 11 wins is the bar.

2018: 11-2 2019: 11-3 2020: 9-1
Realistic Best Case Record: 12-0
Realistic Worst Case Record: 8-4
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 11-1

Sept. 4 Miami University
Sept. 11 Murray State
Sept. 18 at Indiana
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Notre Dame
Oct. 8 Temple
Oct. 16 UCF
Oct. 23 at Navy
Oct. 30 at Tulane
Nov. 6 Tulsa
Nov. 13 at USF
Nov. 20 SMU
Nov. 27 at East Carolina
– Full Schedule Analysis

East Carolina Pirates

The program has been overdue to be far, far better for far, far too long. The schedule is there to improve, but it’ll take a win over Appalachian State early or it’ll get ugly with road games at Marshall, UCF, Memphis, Houston and Navy.

2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 2-10
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 4-8

Sept. 2 Appalachian State (in Charlotte)
Sept. 11 South Carolina
Sept. 18 at Marshall
Sept. 25 Charleston Southern
Oct. 2 Tulane
Oct. 9 at UCF
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Houston
Oct. 30 USF
Nov. 4 Temple
Nov. 13 at Memphis
Nov. 20 at Navy
Nov. 27 Cincinnati
– Full Schedule Analysis

Houston Cougars

There’s no Cincinnati or UCF, and Memphis is a home game – it’s not the schedule’s fault if Houston doesn’t finally rise up under Dana Holgorsen. Win against Texas Tech in the opener, and look out. There isn’t a game on the schedule that the Cougars won’t be favored in, but there could absolutely be a brain-cramp or three at Temple or Tulsa.

2018: 8-5 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4

Sept. 4 Texas Tech (in NRG Stadium)
Sept. 11 at Rice
Sept. 18 Grambling State
Sept. 25 Navy
Oct. 1 at Tulsa
Oct. 7 at Tulane
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 East Carolina
Oct. 30 SMU
Nov. 6 at USF
Nov. 13 at Temple
Nov. 19 Memphis
Nov. 27 at UConn
– Full Schedule Analysis

Memphis Tigers

It’s all there for Ryan Silverfield to take off in his second season at the helm, but there are just enough landmines to have problems. The Tigers could absolutely beat Mississippi State, but that’s a bit of a big ask. There’s no Cincinnati, but they have to go to UCF, Houston and Tulsa.

2018: 8-6 2019: 12-2 2020: 8-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 7-5
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4

Sept. 4 Nicholls
Sept. 11 at Arkansas State
Sept. 18 Mississippi State
Sept. 25 UTSA
Oct. 2 at Temple
Oct. 9 at Tulsa
Oct. 14 Navy
Oct. 22 at UCF
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 SMU
Nov. 13 East Carolina
Nov. 19 at Houston
Nov. 27 Tulane
– Full Schedule Analysis

Navy Midshipmen

Navy always has the ability to rise up and throw a curveball at the rest of the world, but there’s a long way to go to be better after an awful 2020. It’ll come down to the games against the service academies. At least split between the two, and the rest of the slate works out well enough to go bowling.

2018: 3-10 2019: 11-2 2020: 3-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7

Sept. 4 Marshall
Sept. 11 Air Force
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 25 at Houston
Oct. 2 UCF
Oct. 9 SMU
Oct. 14 at Memphis
Oct. 23 Cincinnati
Oct. 29 at Tulsa
Nov. 6 at Notre Dame
Nov. 13 OPEN DATE
Nov. 20 East Carolina
Nov. 27 at Temple
Dec. 4 OPEN DATE
Dec. 11 Army (in East Rutherford)
– Full Schedule Analysis

SMU Mustangs

Good team, BRUTAL schedule. The Mustangs have to go on the road to face Cincinnati, TCU, Houston and Memphis. If that’s not enough, they have to deal with UCF, Tulsa and Tulane. They’ll win their share, but it’ll be too much of a grind to hope for more than bowl eligibility.

2018: 5-7 2019: 10-3 2020: 7-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6

Sept. 4 Abilene Christian
Sept. 11 North Texas
Sept. 18 at Louisiana Tech
Sept. 25 at TCU
Oct. 2 USF
Oct. 9 at Navy
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 21 Tulane
Oct. 30 at Houston
Nov. 6 at Memphis
Nov. 13 UCF
Nov. 20 at Cincinnati
Nov. 27 Tulsa
– Full Schedule Analysis

– AAC Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– AAC 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown

Temple Owls

Chalk up 2020 to being 2020. Temple is much better than a 1-6 program, and Rod Carey is too good a head coach to struggle that much again, but … it’s going to be tough. The Owls have to deal with Rutgers and Boston College, and the AAC slate is a bear. However, most of the tough games are at home.

2018: 8-5 2019: 8-5 2020: 1-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 4-8

Sept. 4 at Rutgers
Sept. 11 at Akron
Sept. 18 Boston College
Sept. 25 Wagner
Oct. 2 Memphis
Oct. 8 at Cincinnati
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at USF
Oct. 30 UCF
Nov. 6 at East Carolina
Nov. 13 Houston
Nov. 20 at Tulsa
Nov. 27 Navy
– Full Schedule Analysis

Tulane Green Wave

Willie Fritz has created a steady program that’s used to going bowling, but it’s going to take an upset somewhere to make that happen. There can’t be a misstep against UAB, and wins against Houston and Tulsa are a must with road games at Ole Miss, UCF, SMU and Memphis are a must with dates against Oklahoma and Cincinnati.

2018: 7-6 2019: 7-6 2020: 6-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7

Sept. 4 Oklahoma
Sept. 11 Morgan State
Sept. 18 at Ole Miss
Sept. 25 UAB
Oct. 2 at East Carolina
Oct. 7 Houston
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 21 at SMU
Oct. 30 Cincinnati
Nov. 6 at UCF
Nov. 13 Tulsa
Nov. 20 USF
Nov. 27 at Memphis
– Full Schedule Analysis

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

The magic will be tough to repeat with a schedule that starts out with road games at Oklahoma State and Ohio State in the first few weeks. There’s no layup in the AAC considering the USF game is in Tampa, and the three road games in the last four weeks are brutal.

2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 6-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7

Sept. 2 UC Davis
Sept. 11 at Oklahoma State
Sept. 18 at Ohio State
Sept. 25 Arkansas State
Oct. 1 Houston
Oct. 9 Memphis
Oct. 16 at USF
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Navy
Nov. 6 at Cincinnati
Nov. 13 at Tulane
Nov. 20 Temple
Nov. 27 at SMU
– Full Schedule Analysis

UCF Knights

Gus Malzahn should have a huge first season, even if UCF still has a little tweaking to do. There will be a loss or two along the way, the Knights have to go to Cincinnati and Louisville, but the schedule is manageable. The offensive explosion will be there to push for the AAC title.

2018: 12-1 2019: 10-3 2020: 6-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Realistic Worst Case Record: 8-4
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 10-2

Sept. 4 Boise State
Sept. 11 Bethune-Cookman
Sept. 17 at Louisville
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Navy
Oct. 9 East Carolina
Oct. 16 at Cincinnati
Oct. 22 Memphis
Oct. 30 at Temple
Nov. 6 Tulane
Nov. 13 at SMU
Nov. 20 UConn
Nov. 26 USF
– Full Schedule Analysis

USF Bulls

Jeff Scott had a whole lot of rebuilding to do in his first season, but the Bulls showed against UCF a glimpse of the offensive production that should come. The problem is a schedule without a whole lot of sure-thing wins, especially after digging an early hole with NC State, Florida and BYU all in September.

2018: 7-6 2019: 4-8 2020: 0-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 1-11
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 3-9

Sept. 2 at NC State
Sept. 11 Florida
Sept. 18 Florida A&M
Sept. 24 at BYU
Oct. 2 at SMU
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Tulsa
Oct. 23 Temple
Oct. 30 at East Carolina
Nov. 6 Houston
Nov. 12 Cincinnati
Nov. 20 at Tulane
Nov. 27 at UCF
– Full Schedule Analysis