SAN ANTONIO — Memphis football's College Football Playoff hopes are over after Saturday's 44-36 loss to UTSA in the Alamodome.

The Tigers (7-2, 3-2) have been in close games against overmatched opponents for the past three weeks but were dysfunctional offensively in the second half and couldn't keep pace with a Roadrunners team that has had plenty of struggles this season.

Here are our overreactions from a critical loss for the Tigers.

Memphis football's season is over

The Tigers were a popular pick before the season to earn the Group of Five's College Football Playoff spot. The first step to get there was winning the AAC title, and those hopes appear to be gone. There are three games left to play, but Memphis isn't playing for much. The Tigers are already bowl-eligible, and they would need all kinds of help to reach the AAC title game.

That means there'll be plenty of time to unpack this season and what exactly went wrong. But Saturday in San Antonio will always be the day the flame went out.

Memphis offense let Tigers down in 2024

Memphis entered 2024 with such high expectations in large part because of a dynamic offense that was one of the nation's best in 2023 and had brought back most of its key pieces. But the offense has been shaky throughout the season, including during the second half Saturday when it mattered most.

The offense managed to keep pace with UTSA in the first half but was a complete no-show in the second, scoring zero points until the final minutes and failing to convert on key fourth-down conversions. There's no obvious answer to what happened to Memphis' offense in 2024, but it's clear that something wasn't right.

Memphis has nothing to play for during the last three games

The Tigers aren't unique as a college football team that isn't competing for a conference title with three games left to play, but that's a disappointing way for this season to end.

Memphis' win over Iowa State in the 2023 AutoZone Liberty Bowl felt important because it set up a 2024 season that had the potential to be so much better. That obviously won't happen.

The Tigers will still go to a bowl game, but the rest of the regular season has lost its luster. Even the Thanksgiving Day game at Tulane, which was supposed to be a marquee showcase for the conference, now will likely be meaningless for the Tigers.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football's crushing road loss to UTSA ends season's high hopes