ARLINGTON, Texas — They are the prohibitive favorite to win the American Athletic Conference, visions of a berth in the newly expanded College Football Playoffs dancing in their head.

Expectations for coach Ryan Silverfield’s Memphis Tigers in 2024 really are through the roof, which prompts this question: How in the world does one go about managing them?

As they gathered Tuesday, July 23, at the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center for the second half of the AAC’s annual Media Days, Silverfield and two of his top lieutenants — quarterback Seth Henigan and linebacker Chandler Martin — were asked just that.

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The query, however, came with a caveat: Please do not use the phrase “one game at a time” or “one week at a time” in the answer.

Henigan and Martin, crafty cats that they are, found a workaround.

Martin, after asking for forgiveness, went with “one practice at a time.” Henigan, his smile sly, opted for “one day at a time.”

Silverfield loved his leaders’ resourcefulness.

“Taught them well,” he said with a laugh.

But seriously …

“I always start with, ‘It’s my job to put the expectations on my team, and on myself, higher than what anybody else can want from us,’ right?” said Silverfield, who earlier this year signed a new five-year, $12.25 million contract. “We expect greatness from ourselves all the d--- time. … It’s part of our culture.

“So, like, I think it’s great that the media predicted us to finish first. I think it’s a credit to (former Tigers coach) Justin Fuente. It’s a credit to Mike Norvell. All those people who came before us. But in reality, we haven’t accomplished a d--- thing. As a head coach, I’ve done nothing. I’ve got so much more to accomplish, right? So, the expectations on myself? H---, I better improve.”

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So, on one hand, there’s ample reason for the Tigers to believe a spot in the 12-team CFP is theirs for the having.

Especially after having gone 10-3 including an AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State last season.

Especially knowing they are one of just nine programs on the receiving end of 10 straight bowl invitations, with each of the other eight being from a power conference.

Especially now that SMU is off to the ACC.

Especially knowing they’re tied with Michigan and Georgia for most home wins since 2014 with 56, trailing only Clemson (65), Alabama (65) and Ohio State (63).

Especially if they can knock off former Memphis coach Norvell and his current team, Florida State, on the road in the season’s third week.

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On the other hand, however, there’s no cart before the horse with these Tigers, even if they are the runaway pick to win the conference according to a preseason media poll — released early Tuesday morning — that had Memphis listed No. 1 on 23 of 30 ballots.

Second-place favorite UTSA was next-closest with four first-place votes, followed by No. 3 Tulane with two and new AAC football member Army with one.

“Expectations, they’re good. But they’re only expectations,” said Martin, a Georgia high school product who began his college career at FCS East Tennessee State and now is being billed as an All-America candidate. “They’re only predictions. You still have to go out there and play each game.”

“At a time,” Martin surely was tempted to say.

Silverfield took things one step further.

“You may as well use it as toilet paper,” he said of the preseason poll, “because it doesn’t mean anything.”

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But it does make for easy reading and great dinner conversation with the start of the season — the Tigers open Aug. 31 at home against North Alabama — now barely more than a month away.

One reason Memphis is picked so high is a Martin-led defense that is expected to be vastly improved under new coordinator Jordon Hankins.

Another may be that UTSA and Tulane both will be breaking in new starting quarterbacks, while Henigan is back for a fourth season in the saddle as the Tigers’ starter.

He knows the ropes, already is the program’s career leader in passing yards and understands how to keep locker room egos from over-inflating.

“To me, to manage expectations you just have to do things the right way on a daily basis,” said Henigan, a Texas native from Denton.

“You do what you’ve been doing. We’ve been doing things the right way for my tenure, and since Coach Silverfield has been the head coach here, he’s run the organization the right way.”

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Don’t deviate from the standards, as Silverfield suggested.

For the Tigers coach, keeping the lofty expectations in proper perspective — witty toilet paper repartee notwithstanding — starts with spending much of this summer reminding his Tigers they are a “very, very talented group.”

His affirmation, however, comes with a caveat of its own.

“They all know it’s a great, special group of young men we have put together to go accomplish big things,” Silverfield said. “But when it’s all said and done, we’ve got to work collectively as a team.

“So I’d say, ‘Hey, listen, you guys know we’ve got some talent. We know that we’re capable of doing a lot of great things. But at the end of the day, you have to work.’”

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The Tigers, make no mistake, are on a roll.

But without the work, all those expectations and possibilities are a lot like Silverfield’s toilet paper: unappreciated until it is gone.