10 things college football fans can be thankful for

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 19: Joe Burrow #9 and Ja"u2019Marr Chase #1 of the LSU Tigers high five each other during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 36-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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MEMPHIS, TN – SEPTEMBER 26: Kenneth Gainwell #19 of the Memphis Tigers breaks a tackle attempt by Kevin Brennan #10 of the Navy Midshipmen on September 26, 2019 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Navy 35-23. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

3. Memphis, Cincinnati, Navy, SMU and the fun, fun AAC

In years past, college football fans have seen some exciting and entertaining teams coming out of the American Athletic Conference. The UCF Knights are the prime example of this, of course, seemingly always knocking on the door of the top 10 over the past few seasons, though that has not been the case this year. In their stead, however, the rest of the AAC has provided a ton of fun for fans to get in on.

There have been few leagues throughout the country that have provided the wall-to-wall entertainment that the AAC has this season. It’s truly felt like an arms race to the final week of the regular season just to see who will be playing in the conference championship. And really, that’s what it has been as the Memphis Tigers and Cincinnati Bearcats — both teams 10-1 leading up to the final week — face off.

Not only have the ultra-explosive Tigers and the rock-solid Bearcats been fun to watch but we’ve also had teams like the Navy Midshipmen and SMU Mustangs that have provided us with great narratives and simply being fun to watch, both able to put up a ton of points in a flash. And let’s not forget other teams like UCF, whose offense remains quite enjoyable, or an upset-minded Temple Owls team that has been dangerous many times this year.

In any manner that you want to slice it, the AAC has been one of the most fun top-to-bottom leagues in the sport this season. Getting that type of entertainment value from the Group of 5 beyond just one team is something that we can’t take for granted as fans.

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