The College Sports Journal

Covering All College Sports Since 2012

CSJ 2021 Goodyear Cotton Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal) Preview: #4 Cincinnati vs. #1 Alabama

After years of public uproar (especially of those that follow the non-Power Five leagues) in the consideration of Group of Five schools, Cincinnati gets their shot to show what it can do in a college football playoff setting. In previous years, undefeated G5 schools were passed up for one-loss Power Five teams, UCF was that team in 2017 who like Cincinnati was the only undefeated team in the FBS ranks.
The Bearcats get a shot at the top seeded team, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama won the SEC Championship Game in convincing fashion, with a 41-24 win over previously undefeated Georgia.

CSJ 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship Game Preview — Houston at Cincinnati

HOUSTON AT CINCINNATIWHEN: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 4:00 PM ESTWHERE: NIPPERT STADIUM, CINCINNATI, OHIOTV/STREAMING: ABC / WATCHESPN To put it simply, this is the type of championship game that American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco was thinking when he made the claim that the AAC is the Power Six conference. While this game has had UCF and Cincinnati as undefeated.

2021 College Sports Journal Group of Five Super Seventy Preseason All-American Team

Seventy student-athletes in the NCAA Division I Football’s Group of Five FBS Conferences have been named to the 2021 College Sports Journal G5 All-America Team.  As a reminder, the Group of Five FBS conferences include the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference USA (C-USA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the Sun Belt Conference.

CSJ 2020 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Preview: Georgia vs. Cincinnati

Georgia vs. CincinnatiWhen: Friday, January 1st, 12:00 PM ESTWhere: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN Cincinnati gets its chance to show the Football Playoff Committee that they were ranked too low this season. The undefeated Bearcats will play Georgia in their home state in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day similar to how another undefeated.

CSJ 2020 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Preview: Mississippi State vs. Tulsa

Mississippi State vs. TulsaWhen: Thursday, December 31st, 12:00 PM ESTWhere: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Tex.TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN The first Group of Five versus Power Five matchup takes place with Tulsa playing the SEC’s Mississippi State. This is the first of three such match-ups in this bowl season with Army facing West Virginia in the Liberty.

GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati at SMU

Cincinnati at SMUWhen: Saturday, Oct. 24th, 9:00 PM EDTWhere: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Tex.TV/Streaming: ESPN2/WatchESPN (subscription req’d) This American Athletic Conference clash may not have been the preseason pick as the top game in the conference but these two undefeated schools have played their way into this one. Both Cincinnati (9/10) and SMU (16/16) come into this.

GAME PREVIEW: UCF at Memphis

UCF at MemphisWhen: Saturday, Oct. 17th, 3:30 PM EDTWhere: Liberty Bowl Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.TV/Streaming: ABC/WatchESPN (subscription req’d) This game was one of my Group of Five games of the year in the preseason this year. It marks the last three champions of the American Athletic Association with Memphis winning last year and UCF the two prior seasons. But.

GAME PREVIEW: Memphis at SMU

Memphis and SMU gave us quite the show last year towards the end of the season with Memphis edging SMU 54-48 last year. This game will be at the start of the American Atheltic Conference this year and this year the game will be in Dallas rather than in Memphis like last year. The two.

GAME PREVIEW: Army at Cincinnati

Army at CincinnatiWhen: Saturday, Sept. 26th, 3:30 PM EDTWhere: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OHTV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Army and Cincinnati used to be Conference USA rivals but the two schools have not met on the grid iron since 2004. And this year’s game is even more enticing as the two schools come to this match both ranked in the.

GAME PREVIEW: BYU at Navy

BYU at NavyWhen: Monday, Sept. 7th 8:00 PM EDTWhere: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MDTV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN (subscription req’d) The Labor Day tradition of a a night game goes on this year, although this was not the game that most thought would be played. Georgia versus Virginia was the original game to be played on this Labor Day.

GAME PREVIEW: Arkansas State at Memphis

Arkansas State at MemphisWhen: Saturday, Sept. 5th 8:00 PM EDTWhere: Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TNTV/Streaming: ESPN/WatchESPN (subscription req’d) Let the Paint Bucket Bowl Trophy Game be played again! (I admit I searched for a picture of the bucket and could not find one anywhere). The name of this rivalry was created when officials from the two schools decided.