It's looking more and more like a case can be made for a reshuffling of the so-called "Power Five."
College football's hierarchy should not be declared, which is what happened when the five conference with the most lucrative television contracts suddenly decided they were head and shoulders above the other five Football Bowl Subdivision leagues.
No, the power structure should be based off what happens on the field, and by that measure the American Athletic Conference looks every bit as strong as some of those in the Power Five – such as the Atlantic Coast Conference.
This has been a statement season for the American, which has three programs ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in its brief history.