Eric Morris takes over and the North Texas Mean Green should once again be contenders before too long. For the Mean Green, however, it’ll take a lot to contend in 2023 with the AAC schedule shaped the way it is, does Morris’ takeover affect the North Texas season predictions too much?
North Texas Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the American Athletic Conference and across the country.
Find Every AAC Season Prediction per team: Charlotte | ECU | FAU | Memphis | Navy | North Texas | Rice | SMU | Temple | Tulane | Tulsa | UAB | USF | UTSA
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, how do the North Texas predictions look for 2023?
Week 1 – North Texas vs. Cal: Win, 24-22
If Cal enters this matchup as the road favorite, you should be all over it. Any points given to North Texas are just icing on the cake at this point. Cal is struggling to find an identity, or basically, any identity at this point.
Even with Jake Spavital in at the helm, they’re a program free-falling to the bottom while North Texas has some pieces in place to give this Golden Bears team a run for their money. Considering they’re coming to Denton, grab the Mean Green in a close one.
Week 2 – North Texas @ FIU: Win, 38-16
FIU has a lot of work ahead of them to once again be competitive with their schedule. North Texas takes the flight to South Florida and comes out better on the other side. We’ll get some answers about what this team can do on defense through these first two weeks.
Week 3 – North Texas @ Louisiana Tech: Loss, 29-31
The Louisiana Tech roster features a slew of new players and even more new faces on the entire roster. Hank Bachmeier takes over as the quarterback and should be able to make a name for himself in the South.
That includes a marquee non-conference victory for the Bulldogs as the North Texas defense can’t account for Bachmeier’s ability to find receivers over the middle of the field.
Week 5 – North Texas vs. Abilene Christian: Win, 40-10
There is no better way to get ready for AAC play than take on Abilene Christian in what accounts to a “cupcake game” for North Texas. The Mean Green can iron out all their final details before they hit AAC play and just have to worry about not sustaining any injuries.
MORE: FCS Transfer Portal Rankings
Week 6 – North Texas @ Navy: Win, 27-18
AAC play kicks off with a Navy team seeking a new look and new feel under Brian Newberry. Navy’s opening few weeks are a tough set of circumstances and North Texas’ trip to Annapolis is no different.
Chandler Rogers and the Mean Green offensive attack should be able to run wild on this Navy defense that is missing star power at every level.
Week 7 – North Texas vs. Temple: Win, 29-26
Temple should very well put up a fight in just about every game this season. With E.J. Warner calling the shots at quarterback and a bevy of new faces from the transfer portal set to make significant contributions, don’t call this one a trap game, call it a must-watch contest between these two.
Ultimately, North Texas has a decent chance to emerge victorious because of home-field advantage and a certain “we’ve been here before” attitude. The rushing attack should certainly hold the ball long enough to keep it out of Warner’s hands.
Week 8 – North Texas @ Tulane: Loss, 26-33
The defending AAC Champions welcome North Texas to town in Week 8, and it should be a fun one in New Orleans. Tulane has the better quarterback here with Michael Pratt dueling it out to stay atop the AAC QB Rankings, but this Tulane team has certainly lost enough pieces to the NFL Draft and portal to make it interesting.
Can North Texas give the Green Wave a scare? Absolutely. Will it be enough? Probably not.
Week 9 – North Texas vs. Memphis: Loss, 27-31
The gauntlet continues for North Texas, welcoming in Seth Henigan and the Memphis Tigers. Their high-flying ways will be tough to come up with an answer for as the Tigers’ offense is certainly one of the best in the American.
This is where the loss of Larry Nixon comes into play heavily for the Mean Green as his play in the middle of the field could’ve been the difference maker.
Week 10 – North Texas vs. UTSA: Loss, 28-35
We said gauntlet, and we meant gauntlet. It continues with the UTSA Roadrunners coming to town. Crosstown rivals re-uniting once again, this is a battle to watch as the Mean Green and Roadrunners certainly know a thing or two about each other.
UTSA has the better quarterback in Frank Harris (sidebar, no one in the conference has a better quarterback than Harris), but the sum of all their parts gives UTSA the touchdown advantage on the road.
Week 11 – North Texas @ SMU: Loss, 29-31
The gauntlet ends with the Safeway Bowl for the Mean Green. The battle for Dallas-Forth Worth area supremacy concludes an epic four-game stretch for North Texas and the Mustangs’ speed is what takes the cake for SMU here.
Notice the final score prediction, however, as SMU is likely given a two-point advantage just for being “home” in this one. Home-field advantage is essentially a non-issue in this outing and North Texas could emerge victorious with a few lucky bounces early on.
Week 12 – North Texas @ Tulsa: Win, 20-17
The Tulsa team is an interesting and befuddling team on paper right now. They have length and size on the backend on defense. And they have plenty of potential talent in Braylon Braxton at quarterback.
Is that enough, however, to handle a North Texas team who should be as sharp as iron after that four-game stretch? Likely not. Give the Mean Green one here.
MORE: AAC RB Rankings, 2023
Week 13 – North Texas vs. UAB: 24-23
Our analysts were split on this one, but going with the predicted final record for each team, it should be North Texas narrowly edging out the Blazers from UAB. This is a must-see game as this would push the Mean Green’s record to 7-5 and give them a good shot at a much better bowl game by financial account.
