THE RFC MYC: Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: In another season filled with parity from top to bottom, the Mountain West Conference produced a champion that finished on top of its' league despite a late-season coaching change. 

Following the firing of then-head coach Andy Avalos in November, the Boise State University Broncos responded positively under interim head coach Spencer Danielson, winning their final two regular-season games, as well as an upset win over UNLV (9-5 overall in 2023) in the MWC championship game on December 2. 

Despite a season-ending loss to UCLA in the L.A. Bowl on December 16 to finish the 2023 season at 8-6 overall, Boise State named Danielson the permanent head coach heading into the 2024 season. 

The Broncos were one of three teams in the Mountain West to finish in a three-way tie for first place in conference play at the end of the regular season at 6-2, with San Jose State (7-6 in 2023) and UNLV being the others.

The MWC sent seven teams to postseason play last season, going 3-4 overall in bowl games. Fresno State (New Mexico Bowl), Air Force (Armed Forces), and Wyoming (Arizona) won their bowl games, while Boise State (LA Bowl), Utah State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl), San Jose State (Hawaii), and UNLV (Guaranteed Rate) all lost their postseason contests.

The 2024 season will some changes to the Mountain West Conference football landscape, as Oregon State and Washington State will join the 12 current full-time members in a two-year scheduling alliance, due to the collapse of the Pacific 12 Conference. The alliance is expected to continue until the end of the 2025 season.

Don't be surprised if another surprise team ends up on top in the MWC again this fall.

2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is unavailable, the team still needs to submit its schedule for the 2024 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

Final 2023 Mountain West Conference Football Standings

2024 Mountain West Conference Composite Schedule

Air Force

Boise State 

Colorado State

Fresno State

Hawai'i

New Mexico

Nevada

Oregon State*

San Diego State

San Jose State

UNLV

Utah State

Washington State*

Wyoming

*-Members of the Pac-2/Mountain West Conference scheduling alliance.


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THE RFC MYC: Mid-American Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Mid-American Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: The 2023 regular season in the Mid-American Conference was dominated by two teams: the University of Toledo Rockets and the Miami University Redhawks.  

After losing a 30-28 heartbreaker at Illinois to open their season on September 2, Toledo reeled off 11 straight wins, including an unbeaten 8-0 mark in MAC action, to win the East Division title. But  Miami (Ohio) stopped the Rockets' quest to claim the overall championship, as the Redhawks pulled off the 23-14 upset win in the title game at Ford Field on December 2. Both teams finished the 2023 season at 11-3 overall after Miami and Toledo lost close games in the Cure and Arizona Bowls, respectively. 

As for the bowl season, the MAC struggled considerably, as the six squads that advanced to bowl games combined for a disappointing 2-4 overall record. Ohio (Myrtle Beach Bowl) and Northern Illinois (Camellia Bowl) were the only two teams to win their bowl games. On the other hand, Appalachian State (Cure Bowl), Eastern Michigan (68 Ventures Bowl), Bowling Green (Quick Lane Bowl), and Toledo (Arizona Bowl) all lost their postseason contests.

Changes will come to the MAC's overall football format in 2024, as the league chose to eliminate its East and West Divisions, with the top two teams in the final regular season standings advancing to the MAC championship game on December 7. Additionally, the conference will add a new member to its' mix next fall, as the University of Massachusetts Minutemen will join the league for all sports starting in 2025.

But for now, expect the unexpected for the MAC this upcoming season.

2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access the schedules)


NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule isn't highlighted, that team did not submit its schedule for the 2024 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

Final 2023 Mid-American Conference Football Standings

2024 Mid-American Conference Composite Schedule

Akron

Ball State

Bowling Green

Buffalo

Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Kent State

Northern Illinois

Miami (Ohio)

Ohio

Toledo

Western Michigan

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THE RFC MYC: Conference USA (FBS Group Of Five)

Conference USA (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: After an amazing 2023 season where they won every single game by double digits, including the conference championship game, the Liberty Flames will enter the 2024 season looking to defend the Conference USA championship that they won in finishing unbeaten at 8-0 in their inaugural league campaign.

However, the Oregon Ducks snuffed out the Flames dream season in the Fiesta Bowl, cruising to a convincing 45-6 win on January 1, 2024. Liberty finished its' 2023 campaign at 13-1 overall. All 13 of the Flames' wins came by at least 10 or more points.

Looking ahead to 2024, expect Liberty to be the team to beat, as the Flames hope to win back-to-back Conference USA crowns this fall. But there'll be plenty of challengers looking to knock Liberty off of the C-USA throne, with New Mexico State (10-5, 7-1 in 2023), Jacksonville State (9-4, 6-2) and longtime league member Western Kentucky (8-5, 3-3) being among the contenders. 

Speaking of JSU, the Gamecocks managed to earn a bowl invitation despite technically not being bowl-eligible in their first FBS season. They wasted no time in taking full advantage of that opportunity, knocking off Louisiana 34-31 in the New Orleans Bowl on December 16.

Finally, Conference USA will add three more members to its ranks from the FCS level, starting with Kennesaw State in 2024, followed by Delaware and Missouri State in 2025. Those moves will give C-USA 12 members by then.

2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2024 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.


Final 2023 Conference USA Football Standings

FIU

Jacksonville State

Kennesaw State*

Liberty

Louisiana Tech

Middle Tennessee State

New Mexico State

Sam Houston State

UTEP

Western Kentucky

*-The program is transitioning from the FCS to the FBS level, and is ineligible for postseason play.

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THE RFC MYC: 2024 Debut-American Athletic Conference

Editor's Note: Welcome to the 2024 debut of the "RFC MYC", with the "MYC" initials standing for "Mark Your Calendars". The purpose of the previews at the Real Football Central blog is to present the schedules of every college football team outside of the so-called "Power Four" conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, and SEC), throughout the mid-to-late spring, as well as the summer of 2024. As to what the "Group Of Five" conferences are, they currently consist of the following conferences:

American Athletic Conference (AAC)

Conference USA (C-USA)

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

Mountain West Conference (MWC)

Sun Belt Conference (SBC)

So, once again, what are we waiting for? Let's get started.

American Athletic Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: Another change to the membership of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) will come in 2024, with the 2023 champion SMU Mustangs moving on to the ACC this fall. 

After pulling off the upset over the 2022 champion Tulane Green Wave 26-14 in the 2023 AAC title game on December 2, SMU's run as a Group Of Five Conference program ended with a 23-14 loss to Boston College in the Fenway Bowl on December 28. The Mustangs ended their season at 11-3 overall following the loss to BC.

With SMU moving on the "power conference" ranks as a newcomer to the ACC, Army will replace the Mustangs as the AAC's 14th football-playing member this season. The Black Knights will join their fellow longtime service academy rivals in the Navy Midshipmen, with both teams playing against each other in their traditional season-ending contest on December 14, at Commander's Field in Landover, Maryland.

With SMU now out of the picture, expect Tulane (11-3 overall in 2023) and UTSA (9-4 in 2023), to be among the contenders for the AAC crown in 2024. Both the Green Wave and Mustangs finished AAC action undefeated at 8-0 prior to their conference title game clash on December 2, with SMU bowing out of the league on a winning note with that aforementioned 12-point upset win.

Still, don't be surprised if Memphis (10-3, 7-1 in 2023) makes a serious run for the title, and then some. 

2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule isn't highlighted, the team still needs to submit its schedule for the 2024 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

Final 2023 American Athletic Conference Football Standings

2024 American Athletic Conference Composite Schedule

Army

Charlotte

East Carolina

Florida Atlantic

Memphis

Navy 

North Texas

Rice

Temple

Tulane

Tulsa

UAB

USF

UTSA

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College Football 2023-2024: The Final Wrap-Up

Starting with the FCS National Championship Game on Sunday, January 7, 2024, with the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits winning back-to-back national championship after rolling past the University of Montana Grizzlies 23-3. The Jackrabbits will now take a 29-game winning streak into the off-season, which is the longest current winning streak among programs in all of NCAA Division I, whether it's at the FBS or FCS level.

Read the recap of the game, from the SDSU perspective, by clicking here. 

For the Montana point of view, please click here.

Also, here's a quick moment to recognize the other "national champions" below the FBS level:

Celebration Bowl: Florida A&M

NCAA Division II: Harding

NCAA Division III: Cortland

NAIA: Keiser

And now, the final overall prediction totals for the 2023-2024 college football season:

FBS Group Of Five Bowl Predictions Special: 10-10 (.500)

FCS Semifinal and Small College National Championship Games: 2-3 (.400)

Final Overall Record: 946-396 (.705)

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Bowl/Other Postseason Prediction (s) Results and Quickie Prediction for the FCS Championship Game 2023-2024

FCS Semifinal and Small College National Championship Game Results 2023

4-3 (.571)

Note: Missed on all three small college national championship games, with Harding (NCAA Division II), Cortland (NCAA Division III), and Keiser (Fla.)-(NAIA), all winning their first-ever national championships in the histories of their respective programs.

Group Of Five Bowl Prediction Results 2023

6-7 (462)*

*Correct Predictions (The bowl game is listed first, followed by the final score in parentheses, with the winning team marked in RED.)

-Myrtle Beach Bowl (Ohio 41, Georgia Southern 20)

-New Orleans Bowl (Jacksonville State 34, Louisiana 31 [Overtime])

-Famous Toastery (Western Kentucky 38, Old Dominion 35 [Overtime])

-Frisco Bowl (UTSA 35, Marshall 27)

-68 Ventures Bowl (South Alabama 59, Eastern Michigan 10)

-Hawai'i Bowl (Coastal Carolina 24, San Jose State 14)

*Incorrect Predictions (The bowl game is listed first, followed by the final score in parentheses, with the losing team marked in RED.)

-Cure Bowl (Appalachian State 13, Miami [Ohio] 9)

-New Mexico Bowl (Fresno State 37, New Mexico State 10)

-Camellia Bowl (Northern Illinois 21, Arkansas State 19)

-Armed Forces Bowl (Air Force 31, James Madison 21)

-Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Georgia State 45, Utah State 22)

-First Responder Bowl (Texas State 45, Rice 21)

-Arizona Bowl (Wyoming 16, Toledo 15)

Quickie Prediction for the FCS National Championship Game

(Projected winner marked in RED, followed by the projected final score, listed below.)

South Dakota State 32, Montana 28

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 2019 Cure Bowl-Liberty vs. Georgia Southern

(Video courtesy of the CBS Sports Network.)

The 2023 "RFC Postseason's Greetings" series concludes by turning the clock to December 21, 2019. That was when the Liberty University Flames made their first-ever bowl appearance in their first full season of eligibility at the FBS level at the Cure Bowl, which was played at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Flames defeated the Eagles 23-16 for their first-ever bowl win to end their season at 8-5 overall.

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 2014 Miami Beach Bowl-Memphis vs. BYU

(Video courtesy of ESPN.)

This installment of "RFC Postseason's Greetings" turns the clock back to December 22, 2014. That was when the University of Memphis Tigers took on the BYU Cougars in the now-defunct Miami Beach Bowl at Marlins Park (now Loan Depot Park) in Miami. In a close, high-scoring contest that ended with a bench-clearing brawl, the Tigers got by the Cougars 55-48 in double overtime to finish their season at 10-3 overall.

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 1966 Sun Bowl-Wyoming vs. Florida State

(Video courtesy of CFB Archive.)

This installment of "RFC Postseason's Greetings" turns the clock to Christmas Eve, December 24, 1966. That was when the University of Wyoming Cowboys faced Florida State at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The Cowboys outlasted FSU 28-20 to finish the 1966 season at 10-1 overall as champions of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Following is a brief 20-minute coaches film featuring highlights of the game.  

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 2023 Stagg Bowl (NCAA Division III National Championship Game)-Cortland vs. North Central

(Video courtesy of ESPNU.)

Today's installment of "RFC Postseason's Greetings" features an recent "instant classic" from the night of Friday, December 15, 2023. That was when the State University of New York at Cortland Red Dragons did battle with the then-defending national champion North Central College Cardinals from Naperville, Illinois, in the 50th edition of the Stagg Bowl, which was played at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. In one of the greatest games played in the half-century of NCAA Division III football, the Red Dragons stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds to stun the Cardinals, 38-37, and claim Cortland's first-ever national championship. Cortland finished the 2023 season at 14-1 overall, with their only loss coming to Susquehanna, 38-35, on September 16. 

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 2022 (2023) Cotton Bowl-Tulane vs. USC

(Video courtesy of ESPN.)

The latest installment of "RFC Postseason's Greetings" turns the clock to Monday, January 2, 2023. That was when the Tulane University Green Wave took on the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In one of the greatest bowl games ever played in FBS history, Tulane rallied in the final seconds to stun the Trojans 46-45. The Green Wave finished the 2022 season as the unofficial Group Of Five Conference, as well as the Cotton Bowl champions at 12-2 overall.

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 2014 Hawai'i Bowl-Rice vs. Fresno State

 

(Video courtesy of ESPN.)

The "RFC Postseason's Greetings" series continues by turning the clock back to Christmas Eve, December 24, 2014. That was when the Rice Owls faced the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Hawaii Bowl. The Owls beat the Bulldogs 30-6 to finish their 2014 season at 8-5 overall. It would be the last bowl appearance for the Rice program until the end of the 2022 season, when the Owls fell to Southern Mississippi in the Lending Tree (now 68 Ventures) Bowl 38-24.

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: (Southwest) Texas State University NCAA Division II National Champions-1981

(Video courtesy of Texas State University Athletics.)

The "RFC Postseason's Greetings" series continues with a look back at the 1981 NCAA Division II national championship team at what is now Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. The then-Southwest Texas State University Bobcats finished the 1981 season at 13-1 overall in winning the first of back-to-back national championships at the Division II level. The Bobcats would go on the finish the 1982 season undefeated at 14-0 overall in winning their second straight title. Texas State moved up to what is now the FCS (formerly NCAA Division I-AA) level in 1984, followed by a move to what is now the FBS (formerly NCAA Division I-A) level in 2012, becoming fully eligible in 2013.

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RFC Postseason's Greetings: 1976 NCAA Division III National Championship Game-St. John's (Minn.) vs. Towson (State)

(Video courtesy of ABC Sports.)

The "RFC Post Season's Greetings" series continues by turning the clock back to Saturday, December 4, 1976. That was when the Saint John's University Johnnies squared off against the Towson (State) University Tigers in the Stagg Bowl at Phenix City, Alabama. After battling Minnesota-Morris to a 15-15 tie in the season opener on September, the Johnnies from Collegeville, Minnesota ended the season with 10 straight wins, culminating with a close 31-28 win over their counterparts from Maryland. St. John's finished the 1976 season at 10-0-1 overall in winning their program's first-ever NCAA Division III national championship.

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