Memphis Football: Offense looks to lead Tigers to AAC title in 2019
By Zach Bigalke
2019 Memphis Schedule and Predictions
| WEEK | DATE | SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Aug. 31 | Memphis | vs. Ole Miss |
| 2 | Sept. 7 | Memphis | vs. FCS Southern |
| 3 | Sept. 14 | Memphis | @ South Alabama |
| 4 | Sept. 21 | BYE | WEEK |
| 5 | Sept. 28 | Memphis | vs. Navy |
| 6 | Oct. 5 | Memphis | @ UL-Monroe |
| 7 | Oct. 12 | Memphis | @ Temple |
| 8 | Oct. 19 | Memphis | vs. Tulane |
| 9 | Oct. 26 | Memphis | @ Tulsa |
| 10 | Nov. 2 | Memphis | vs. SMU |
| 11 | Nov. 9 | BYE | WEEK |
| 12 | Nov. 16 | Memphis | @ Houston |
| 13 | Nov. 23 | Memphis | @ South Florida |
| 14 | Nov. 30 | Memphis | vs. Cincinnati |
Ole Miss comes to the Liberty Bowl on the last day of August to provide a critical Power Five test for the Tigers. Memphis needs to win this game to legitimize their schedule for the College Football Playoff selection committee if they hope to get in a New Year’s Six bowl.
That is because the rest of the non-conference slate consists of a visit from HBCU Southern and road trips to Sun Belt middleweights South Alabama and ULM. Beating the Rebels thus proves even more critical, given the fact that other Group of Five powerhouses are taking on multiple Power Five opponents this year.
Memphis avoided UCF in the regular season, but they have to travel to Temple, Tulsa, Houston and South Florida in conference play. At this point it looks like the Tigers will probably be favored by Vegas in almost every game, if not every one, on their 2019 regular season slate.
What’s next for Memphis?
Taking down Ole Miss is priority number one for the Tigers as they approach the new season. Failing to engineer a statement win over a Power Five opponent makes it that much harder to break into the Access Bowl slot, especially given a selection committee empowered to look beyond wins and losses.
The relative weakness of the rest of their non-conference slate makes the Rebels game that much more critical than it already would have been as the only Power Five opportunity on the Memphis schedule.
Prediction: 11-1, 7-1 AAC
Last season, Memphis failed to beat a Power Five opponent for the first time in four years. A new streak of upsets will begin in the season opener against Ole Miss. A perfect non-conference record is going to set up the Tigers for a run up every poll around the country.
The real question now is whether they can make it to the AAC championship game completely unscathed.
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A trio of tough back-to-back-to-back games at Houston, at South Florida, and home against Cincinnati will likely yield at least one loss for the Tigers. Even with a loss, Memphis will almost certainly reach the AAC championship game and hope that the third time is a charm against whoever emerges out of the East.