Monday Review: 10/23/23

Delayed by the Rangers

I started writing this during game six of the ALCS, and then continued as Monday crept toward game seven. I am finishing it up as the Rangers clinched a WS berth for the third time ever. Apologies for the tardiness.

Directly from the release:

• Through eight weeks of the 2023 season, American Athletic Conference teams have played 12 games against teams ranked in this week’s Associated Press top 25, including games against the Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12 and 14 teams.

• American Athletic Conference teams have played the most challenging nonconference schedules of any FBS conference in 2023, based on opponents’ winning percentage. The cumulative record of The American’s nonconference FBS opponents is 164-147 (.527).

Nonconference FBS Opponent Winning Percentage - 2023

.518     American (188-175)

.469     Big Ten (134-152)

.467     Conference USA (98-112)

Mountain West (147-168)

.458     Big 12 (121-143)

.456     MAC (144-172)

.421      ACC (127-175)

.407     SEC (107-160)

.399     Sun Belt (130-196)

.389     Pac-12 (88-138)

• Tulane, which visits Rice Saturday, has won seven consecutive road games, which ranks as the third-longest active streak nationally (Georgia- 13; Michigan-9).

• Tulane head coach Willie Fritz ranks sixth among active FBS coaches in career wins. 

Most Career Wins Among Active NCAA FBS Head Coaches

287      Nick Saban, Alabama

280      Mack Brown, North Carolina

279      Brian Kelly, LSU

259      K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston

204      Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

203      Willie Fritz, Tulane

• UTSA has won its last 11 regular-season conference games.

• Memphis has scored at least 20 points in 21 consecutive games, marking the longest active streak among FBS teams

• Tulane is 18-3 in its last 21 games. The Green Wave trails only Georgia (22) and Michigan (21) in total wins among FBS teams in the last two seasons.

• UTSA is 25-3 in regular-season and postseason conference games under fourth-year head coach Jeff Traylor.

• Navy and SMU have both registered two shutouts in 2023.

• Florida Atlantic WR LaJohntay Wester is averaging 9.4 receptions per game, leading all FBS players nationally.

• North Texas QB Chandler Rogers has thrown 216 consecutive passes without an interception.

The standings:

After everything, there is a reasonable chance that NT can get to second and play Tulane (the leading candidate for a number one spot) again. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th placed teams are all on the schedule coming up in the next three games. Everything is in front of this team. We talk about the standings and the chances to win the league for a couple of reasons. The first is that should always be the focus, and the second is that it is not unreasonable. The questions and concerns we all had after Cal and FIU were about the defense and the ability to compete at the AAC level that would be required. NT played in the CUSA championship last year, but no one thought they could realistically compete for this year’s AAC title.

Tulane was the class of the remaining squads, and the two-time defending CUSA champ was coming over as well.