Cincinnati Football: American Athletic Conference preseason power rankings

A day after looking into the over/under regular season win totals for each AAC team, we are ranking every conference team prior to the season opener this week. Cincinnati, Houston and UCF remain favorites to compete for the conference title.

Tier 1: Cincinnati, Houston, UCF

The Bearcats might not be considered overwhelming favorites like last season but the experienced coaching staff and defense, recruiting momentum and roster depth makes this team a legitimate contender for a fifth consecutive season.

Dana Holgorsen and company helped Houston return to national prominence a year ago and a lot of people believe the team has enough talent to challenge Cincinnati for a conference championship and possibly a New Year’s Six bowl berth.

UCF could be a tier below the Bearcats and Cougars but I think Gus Malzahn’s program has a realistic chance to win the conference title. The Knights are loaded with explosive athletes that could exceed expectations if they’re able to gel quickly.

Tier 2: SMU, East Carolina, Memphis, Tulane

Rhett Lashlee returned to SMU after spending the last couple years at Miami and hired new defensive coordinator Scott Symons. The offense put up 38.4 points per game last season but the defense needs to improve in order to truly compete.

East Carolina clinched bowl eligibility last year for the first time since 2014 as Mike Houston helped the defense take a significant step forward. If quarterback Holton Ahlers can continue to improve, the Pirates could be a surprise around the country.

The Tigers took a step back in 2021 but hiring defensive coordinator Matt Barnes should boost a defense that allowed an alarming 32.4 points per game. Northern Illinois transfer running back Jevyon Ducker is also expected to be a major factor.

I think Tulane has a great opportunity to return to a bowl game following a 2-10 record last season. After going 0-5 in one possession games, quarterback Michael Pratt and running back Tyjae Spears should be fully recovered and ready to go.

Tier 3: Tulsa, South Florida, Navy, Temple

Phillip Montgomery and his coaching staff will attempt to take the Golden Hurricane to a bowl game for a third straight season but only nine starters return as trips to Houston, Memphis and Ole Miss highlight Tulsa’s difficult schedule.

In addition to bringing back 18 starters, South Florida added Baylor transfer quarterback Gerry Bohanon and Clemson wide receiver Ajou Ajou. If both units show improvement then it’s possible the Bulls will be able to compete on a consistent basis.

Navy will have quarterback Tai Lavatai under center again but it’s concerning the rushing attack averaged less than four yards per carry for a second year in a row. I would be a little surprised if the Midshipmen become bowl eligible this season.

Stan Drayton will try to show promise in his first year at the helm but Temple averaged just 16.3 points per game and doesn’t have much to build around. Texas A&M transfer running back Darvon Hubbard could be a bright spot though.

Houston might be projected to win more games but Cincinnati deserves to be atop the conference’s preseason power rankings. We’ll update the rankings every week during the regular season as each team attempts to secure bowl eligibility.