The 2015 college football season is still 2.5 months away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take a look ahead to what might be in store for the AAC toward the end of the year.
Though it’s impossible to know at this point what the ramifications might be heading into the last week of the season, the stakes will certainly be high, as all 12 teams will be in action to close out the regular season. Here is all six AAC games during the final week of the year, ranked from worst to best.
6. Tulsa at Tulane
These two teams combined to go a pitiful 5-19 last season, and it would be utterly shocking to see either one contending in the AAC West in 2015. That being said, the Green Wave seem in better position to improve from last year, and could even make a bowl game.
If Tulane does in fact head into this matchup with a shot at bowl eligibility on the line, it’ll certainly be a game worth watching.
5. UConn at Temple
After going 6-6 last season, the Owls have a legitimate shot at making a lot of noise in the AAC East, and could even enter the final week of the regular season competing for a division crown. Temple’s offense was dreadful in 2014 and still remains a question mark, but the Owl defense was sensational and returns all 11 starters.
As for UConn, well, at least they have the Civil Conflict to look forward to, I guess.
4. SMU at Memphis
A new era of SMU football is here thanks to the arrival of Chad Morris, who is hoping to orchestrate a turnaround on the Hilltop similar to the one that Justin Fuente has pulled off at Memphis.
Though these two teams were on opposite ends of the spectrum in the AAC last season, the Tigers might take a small step back and the Mustangs have nowhere to go but up in 2015, so this game could end up being more entertaining than it looks at first glance.
3. USF at UCF
The War on I-4 is a continually blooming rivalry that got a little more intriguing this offseason when UCF hired Chuck Bresnahan, who had just been fired by USF, as its new defensive coordinator.
Outside of that little storyline, this matchup could feature a team competing for the AAC East title (UCF), and another looking to reach bowl eligibility (USF). To make matters more interesting, USF head coach Willie Taggart will almost certainly be fired if the Bulls don’t reach a bowl game in 2015, so he could be coaching for his job during the next edition of this rivalry game.
2. Navy at Houston
Navy, the newest member of the AAC, is perhaps the more intriguing team in the entire conference heading into 2015. On paper, the Midshipmen seem like they have all the tools to win the AAC West in their first season in the conference.
But the Cougars look poised to improve under new head coach Tom Herman and could be one of the teams that present a challenge to Navy within the division. In fact, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility that this game will be played for the AAC West crown.
1. Cincinnati at ECU
The 2014 meeting between these two teams was a wild, thrilling affair in which the Bearcats took the lead for good on a 47-yard field goal from Andrew Gantz with 15 seconds remaining.
Now, heading into 2015, Cincinnati is considered by many to be the favorite to win the AAC East and advance to the first conference championship game. The Pirates, on the other hand, have to replace their top quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and are thus a major wild card within the division. ECU has a lot of young talent that could step up and fill the talent void on offense, and, depending on how things shake out, could play spoiler to the Bearcats in the final week of the regular season.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
