I know it's March Madness time but let's talk a little football anyway. It should be a fun conference race this year and it's never too early for a little pigskin banter. I think the AAC is primed to make a big splash in OOC competition this year. If that does come to fruition then all of our big conference match-ups will become must see TV (on a national scale), just like AAC basketball has been able to accomplish this year!

http://athlonsports.com/college-football...tions-2014

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/19157...ion/page/2

http://campusinsiders.com/news/campus-in...b67ff4e2d6

http://theamerican.org/news/2014/2/12/FB...40552.aspx

Here's how the college football ratings index (power rankings) see's it.

http://www.jhowell.net/cf/cf2014.htm

# 24 UCF
# 39 UC
# 52 ECU
# 54 Houston
# 76 Tulsa
# 79 SMU
# 99 UCONN
# 100 Tulane
# 103 USF
# 105 Temple
# 112 Memphis

This must be what it's like to be Memphis during football season.

Pirates come in strong, prepared, and ready to go ... as we like to say in G'ville -- Ruff & Ready aaarrrggghhh ...

I could see any of the group of UCF, UC, ECU, or Houston winning the league. The only thing that would be really shocking to me is if someone other than that group won the league.

(03-02-2014 04:16 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I could see any of the group of UCF, UC, ECU, or Houston winning the league. The only thing that would be really shocking to me is if someone other than that group won the league.

This

Cincy

I'm excited to see Tuberville's 2nd year in Cincy.

Tulane probably has the toughest road schedule of any team in the AAC. ECU, Houston, UCF and Tulsa is a tough pull to get. To be honest if Tulane finishes 6-6 with our schedule I would be happy.

One thing going for Cincy is the fact that they get ECU & Houston at home. Conversely, UCF has to play both ECU & Houston on the road.

Willie Taggart made a huge leap in year 2 at WKU, and since USF is recruiting better than anyone in the AAC, USF will be vastly improved this year.

(03-02-2014 09:08 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  Willie Taggart made a huge leap in year 2 at WKU, and since USF is recruiting better than anyone in the AAC, USF will be vastly improved this year.

Unless you're running a lot of Freshmen on the field this fall, most of your team will be Holtz holdovers. This is the season for CWT to show he can do more than recruit, he will have to coach to be vastly improved.

I think Memphis will be most improved, Houston backslides, and Cincy-ECU-UCF make a three way fustercluck for a shared title.

(03-02-2014 09:29 PM)UCF_SystemsEng Wrote:  

(03-02-2014 09:08 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  Willie Taggart made a huge leap in year 2 at WKU, and since USF is recruiting better than anyone in the AAC, USF will be vastly improved this year.

Unless you're running a lot of Freshmen on the field this fall, most of your team will be Holtz holdovers. This is the season for CWT to show he can do more than recruit, he will have to coach to be vastly improved.

I think Memphis will be most improved, Houston backslides, and Cincy-ECU-UCF make a three way fustercluck for a shared title.

i have temple the most improved but im curious your reasoning for houston backsliding

(03-02-2014 03:54 PM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  I know it's March Madness time but let's talk a little football anyway. It should be a fun conference race this year and it's never too early for a little pigskin banter. I think the AAC is primed to make a big splash in OOC competition this year. If that does come to fruition then all of our big conference match-ups will become must see TV (on a national scale), just like AAC basketball has been able to accomplish this year!

http://athlonsports.com/college-football...tions-2014

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/19157...ion/page/2

http://campusinsiders.com/news/campus-in...b67ff4e2d6

http://theamerican.org/news/2014/2/12/FB...40552.aspx

I voted Houston. I think they return a lot of the parts from a team the came close to winning a lot of games last year. No real blowouts, as i recall. Good young QB.

I have houston as pre season favorite they have the most talent coming back and a good schedule. Even though I have them as my favorite ucf Cincy and ecu are very much in the mix.

Memphis is my most improved because I think they have the schedule to win some games this year while temple's teams might be vastly improved there schedule is not nearly as accomidating to add a lot of wins.

Question for Cincy fans what is the d looking like for next year did you lose a lot of starters?

(03-02-2014 10:52 PM)DBpirate Wrote:  while temple's teams might be vastly improved there schedule is not nearly as accomidating to add a lot of wins.

Last year: Notre Dame, Fordham, Idaho, Army, Houston, Louisville, Cincy, SMU, Rutgers, UCF, UConn, Memphis

This year: Vandy, Navy, Delaware State, Penn State, Cincy, ECU, Memphis, Tulsa, Houston, Tulane, UCF, UConn

UL is gone. Rutgers is gone. UCF could very well be a lot worse than last year (and we more than hung with them). Navy is a lot better than Army, but we generally do well against triple option teams. Not much of a difference between Penn State and Notre Dame. Vandy is beatable. Del State is much worse than Fordham. New additions to the conference schedule are ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa, none of whom are as good as UCF and UL were last year.

OOC is much tougher, but we could win 3/4. Conference schedule I would say is only slightly tougher at best.

We have two very good JUCOs starting at safety to fix that mess. Some very good CB recruits coming in. If we can find a pass rush, there is no reason we shouldn't win 6-8 games.

(03-02-2014 11:41 PM)JHG722 Wrote:  

(03-02-2014 10:52 PM)DBpirate Wrote:  while temple's teams might be vastly improved there schedule is not nearly as accomidating to add a lot of wins.

Last year: Notre Dame, Fordham, Idaho, Army, Houston, Louisville, Cincy, SMU, Rutgers, UCF, UConn, Memphis

This year: Vandy, Navy, Delaware State, Penn State, Cincy, ECU, Memphis, Tulsa, Houston, Tulane, UCF, UConn

UL is gone. Rutgers is gone. UCF could very well be a lot worse than last year (and we more than hung with them). Navy is a lot better than Army, but we generally do well against triple option teams. Not much of a difference between Penn State and Notre Dame. Vandy is beatable. Del State is much worse than Fordham. New additions to the conference schedule are ECU, Tulane, and Tulsa, none of whom are as good as UCF and UL were last year.

OOC is much tougher, but we could win 3/4. Conference schedule I would say is only slightly tougher at best.

We have two very good JUCOs starting at safety to fix that mess. Some very good CB recruits coming in. If we can find a pass rush, there is no reason we shouldn't win 6-8 games.

Lets remember these are very early predictions and things might change once spring practices are done and fall camps start. I expect Temple to come out and be much better than they were last year with a lot more talent on the roster. Jucos are really hit or miss you don't really know what you have in them tell they are out on the field. It's important to remember while your team is getting better so are a lot of other teams.

That is not an easy OOC schedule you might go 3-4 but you could also very easily go 1-4 navy is always tough Vandy while transitioning still has talent and PSU will be pretty good next year. Congrats on playing UCF close but in the grand scheme of things that means absolutely nothing a loss is still a loss and you had 9 more of those last season. It takes a lot to change a team from losing consistently to winning consistently and I just don't see your schedule helping that change next season. I expect to see you guys in some close games next year and to put up some points but I'm skeptical at how many games you can close out and get the W.

Memphis has been patiently building and has a solid base to work with (Good defense and a still developing offense). In terms of there conference schedule which I'm more interested in they are missing both UCF and ECU and have Houston at home. If they continue to progress and get some consistency on offense they have a very winnable conference schedule.

(03-03-2014 01:37 AM)DBpirate Wrote:  I expect to see you guys in some close games next year and to put up some points but I'm skeptical at how many games you can close out and get the W.

Uh that's exactly what happened last year. Difference now is we have good JUCO safeties, freshmen who are now sophomores, sophomores who are now juniors, etc., not to mention a much more talented recruiting class than we've had before. Presumably with a more experienced lineup and an actual D-I kicker, we should turn those 5 losses by 16 points into wins.

With our crappy schedule set up, it is highly unlikely it'll be us.

Two byes
Three games
One bye
Nine games.

F-ing incompetent.

I went with ECU.

(03-03-2014 07:27 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  With our crappy schedule set up, it is highly unlikely it'll be us.

Two byes
Three games
One bye
Nine games.

F-ing incompetent.

I went with ECU.

Why are you certain you won't get an AAC game 10/4?

It's the word I hear.