AAC Power Rankings: Week 5
Here are my Week 5 AAC Power Rankings:
1. East Carolina (Last Week: 1) – Week 5 Bye, 3-1 (0-0)
After throwing for 1,462 yards and 11 TDs through four games, Shane Carden got to rest his arm this week. And the Pirates climbed another spot up in the AP poll to #22. They appear to be the class of the AAC at this point, as they are the only team to beat two opponents from a Power Five conference. The rest of the league has combined for just one win versus the Power Five (Temple defeated Vanderbilt in Week 1).
2. Cincinnati (LW: 2) – Lost 50-28 at #22 Ohio State, 2-1 (0-0)
What a frustrating performance. The offense played well enough to beat anybody in the nation on Saturday night, but UC’s defense was manhandled. MLB Jeff Luc was the only UC defender who really did much of anything, finishing with 19 tackles and forcing a fumble that resulted in the only turnover of the night. The defensive line regularly gave up 7-8 yards on every rushing play and generated ZERO pass rush. It looked like the team wearing the white jerseys was a middle school team. At the end of the night, the UC defense gave up 50 points, 710 yards, 45 first downs, and forced only one punt. Not good. Gunner Kiel and the ‘Cats star receiving corps are going to have to put this team on their back for the rest of the season. That being said, there are no teams with OSU’s size and strength up front in The American, so this team is still a contender to win the conference. The good news: the upcoming weekend will provide a welcome respite for this UC defense, as they face a Memphis team that only gained 104 yards and scored 3 points this past weekend.
3. UCF (LW: 3) – Week 5 Bye, 1-2 (0-0)
Had the weekend off. The Knights open AAC play on the road at Houston on Thursday night, which will be an intriguing* matchup. Disclaimer: There is a very low threshold for the word “intriguing” in this conference.
4. Temple (LW: 4) – Won 36-10 at UConn, 3-1 (1-0)
Despite being outgained by UConn, the Owls won big on the road, mostly thanks to two defensive touchdowns. Getting outgained by UConn isn’t a good sign for the Owls. I’m sure they’ll take a 26-point win any day, though. With three wins already, the Owls could make a push for a bowl. I see 4 “winnable” games in their last eight, and if they can pull off bowl eligibility, that would be an impressive turnaround from last year’s two win season. This team has definitely improved by leaps and bounds.
5. Houston (LW: 6) – Week 5 Bye, 2-2, (0-0)
Off this past week, and open conference play on Thursday night against UCF. As of the time I am writing this, the Cougars are actually favored by 3 points at home (believe it or not).
6. Memphis (LW: 5) – Lost 24-3 at #10 Ole Miss, 2-1, (0-0)
After the Tigers played so competitively against a highly ranked UCLA team, I thought this team might actually turn out to be a competitor in the AAC. That remains to be seen, but my opinion of Memphis took a tumble as they were embarrassed 24-3 against #10 Mississippi on Saturday. Much like UC, the Tigers struggled against a top-tier program, but their chllenges seem to be totally opposite of UC’s. Memphis only gained 104 yards and managed 3 points. Paxton Lynch’s QB rating was 3.8, after going 13-for-31 passing for 86 yards and a pick. This weekend’s trip to Cincinnati will create the matchup of the stoppable force versus the movable object. What gives? We’ll see at PBS on Saturday night.
7. USF (LW: 8) – Lost 27-10 at #19 Wisconsin, 2-3 (1-0)
The Bulls managed to hang around with Wisconsin for a lot of this game, but they have shown that they simply do not have the firepower to keep up with Power Five teams. Wisconsin ended up grinding up the Bulls and the clock with almost 300 rushing yards, and they pulled away in the second half.
8. Tulsa (LW: 7) – Lost 37-34 vs. Texas State in 3OTs, 1-3 (1-0)
Tulsa rallied from down 17-3 in the 4th to force OT, and a titanic struggle ensued, culminating with a walk-off TD for Texas State. The Hurricane still hold a share of first place in the AAC, and have a back-loaded schedule, but I don’t expect them to contend.
9. Tulane (LW: 9) – Lost 31-6 at Rutgers, 1-4 (0-1)
The bad news: The Wave were blown out by a mediocre Rutgers team. The worse news: Tulane starting QB Tanner Lee left the game with an injured throwing shoulder. They will get a bye week to try to get Lee healthy for a winnable game against UConn.
10. UConn (LW: 10) – Lost 36-10 vs. Temple, 1-4 (0-2)
Overheard in Storrs: “Is it basketball season yet?” The Huskies’ offense did look somewhat better, but it was still nowhere near good enough. As I mentioned above, UConn (which also gets a week off) will face Tulane in a basement game, where one of those teams will have a chance to get a conference W.
11. SMU (LW: 11) – Lost 56-0 vs TCU, 0-4 (0-0)
SMU has been outscored 202-12 this season. I’m not really sure what else to say.