The race to the American Conference football championship game has offically entered the Twilight Zone.
With North Texas' 31-17 win Saturday over previously unbeaten Navy, the top six teams in the American have one conference loss each. That, of course, includes USF, which has a potentially season-defining home game Thursday against UTSA.
What was glossed over a couple of weeks ago as a game where the Bulls should cruise now looms as a major challenge following the Roadrunners blowout win over Tulane. FanDuel Sportsbook established the Bulls as a 13,5-point favorite, but after watching UTSA 48 points on the Green Wave, it's clear USF's defense will need to play much better than it did in a fourth-quarter collapse at Memphis.
Tulane had allowed only 50 points combined in the three games before being torched by UTSA.
Tulane's next outing is at Memphis on Friday, and the Bulls will probably be fans of the Green Wave that night -- assuming USF beats UTSA. A Tulane win would give Memphis a second conference loss, enhancing the Bulls' chances of hosting the American championship game.
But even if Memphis wins, the Tigers still have a road game at East Carolina, which is no gimme. The Pirates are one of the six one-loss teams in the conference after beating Temple 45-14. For what it's worth, the ESPN matchup predictor gives East Carolina a 51.4 percent chance of beating the Tigers.
For all of the guessing, projecting, and scoreboard watching, USF's mission is simple, The Bulls have four games left and if they win them all, they should be playing for the American championship. That was their goal at the start of this season and it remains intact.
It's been a long time since USF was playing meaningful football in November. Feels good, doesn't it?