The American Athletic Conference will not get the same attention as the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC by any means but with two undefeated teams right now and two with just one loss, there is no doubt they are demanding a little more recognition. This was supposed to be the forgotten conference but they’re a player in the College Football Playoff picture.
Here is a look at the top contenders in the AAC right now.
1. No. 13 Memphis Tigers
Memphis is 8-0 and ranked No. 13 in the country according to the College Football Playoff selection committee’s initial rankings. Head coach Justin Fuente being talked about as the next big thing in college football. The Tigers have shown flashes of their potential on both sides of the football including on offense where quarterback Paxton Lynch has played at a very high level. However, the most impressive aspect of their perfect start to the year has been their resilience and ability to comeback in games. Memphis has trailed by double-digit in five of its eight wins this season and a lot of the credit for that goes to the coaches and their ability to adjust on the fly. Most people don’t realize this but Memphis actually has the third-longest active winning streak behind only the Ohio State Buckeyes and TCU Horned Frogs.
The schedule gets a lot tougher with games against Navy, at Houston and at Temple over the next three weeks but if the Tigers find a way to run the table, they could be the dark horse team that contends for a playoff spot.
2. No. 22 Temple Owls
One of the top defenses in the nation has paved the way for Temple to be introduced by the playoff committee as the No. 22 team in the country. As long as the Owls defense continues to play at such a high level, they will have the opportunity to win the AAC. A close loss to Notre Dame ended Temple’s undefeated season but losing to the No. 5 team in the nation is nothing to be ashamed of. They proved they can hang with the Fighting Irish and despite that loss, they are still perfect in conference play and alone atop the AAC East division. The schedule gets a lot tougher with trips to SMU and USF before hosting Memphis in their penultimate game, so the Owls will have to prove that their best football is still to come.
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3. No. 25 Houston Cougars
Houston absolutely dominated Tulane, Central Florida and Vanderbilt over the course of three straight wins and after showcasing just how dominant they can be, the Cougars now turn their attention back to the AAC where they currently sit in a three-way tie for top spot in the North Division (with Memphis and Navy). Houston is tied for fifth in the nation with 45.0 points per game this season thanks in big part to a rushing attack that has averaged 273.9 yards per game. That’s the eighth-best mark in the country and they will need that to continue to do so as they hit the toughest point in their schedule. The Cougars are fortunate to have home-field advantage against both Memphis and Navy, and those two games will ultimately decide their fate in the AAC.
4. Navy Midshipmen
The dark horse in the AAC is a Navy side that has just one loss so far this season (to Notre Dame) and is undefeated in conference play at 4-0. The bad news for the Midshipmen is that both games against Memphis and Houston are on the road with only two of their final five games at home. Navy has been a pleasant surprise so far this season but the combination of a tough schedule and the fact that they don’t have the same level of talent and depth as Memphis, Temple and Houston means they are the least likely team to win the AAC of the teams currently in contention.
