The East and West division winners collided this past week as the Memphis Tigers returned to Orlando for their second consecutive faceoff in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship Game. After the Tigers all-conference running back Darrell Henderson turned in three touchdowns on over 200 yards rushing and another passing, it looked like Memphis would get their revenge. But with Darriel Mack at quarterback filling in for the injured two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year McKenzie Milton, the Knights were able to rally back to become back-to-back conference champions.

With this victory, UCF records their 25th straight win and will represent the American in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. As the runner-up, Memphis will still participate in a bowl game as they have been invited to take on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Wake Forest in the Jared Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 22.

While the Knights and Tigers were the ones who battled for the championship, there are seven AAC teams total appearing in postseason play. During the official open of bowl season on Dec.15, the Tulane Green Wave will break onto the scene in Orlando, Florida to play against the Sun Belt Conference’s Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette in the AutoNation Cure Bowl.

Next in line, the USF Bulls are playing what is essentially a home game in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 20. The Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl greets them as well as the Marshall Thundering Herd of Conference USA.

Later in the afternoon after Memphis plays in the Birmingham Bowl, Houston will be playing against the Black Knights of Army in Fort Worth, Texas for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22.

7️⃣ #AmericanFB teams are going 🎳🏈 bowling! Check out @American_FB page for each team’s matchup and destination! pic.twitter.com/yYlyhzAPqU — The American (@American_Conf) December 2, 2018

On Dec. 27, Temple is scheduled against Duke in another pairing against an ACC program. The Owls and Blue Devils will be in Shreveport, Louisiana for the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl. But don’t think that’s where the battles between the American and the Atlantic Coast Conference end. The Cincinnati Bearcats round out the teams from the AAC as they travel to Annapolis, Maryland on New Year’s to play the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Kyle Nash, known as The Student of the Game, covers UCF Football for SportsMediaPass.com and is a special contributor for Break the Fourth. He’s a also a writer for the DolphinsWire of USA Today and co-host of the DinnerTime and Default Assault podcasts.