AAC Power Rankings: UCF, Houston New No. 2 and 3

Every member of our 16-man staff provided their American Athletic Conference power rankings on Sunday afternoon, and once again, college football made us all look silly with yet another shuffle in the No. 1-5 spots.

East Carolina was on a bye week, icing Shane Carden’s arm so that he’s prepared to single-handedly dismantle UConn’s secondary on Thursday night. Thus, the Pirates, by default, retain their No. 1 status without equivocation.

Though it hasn’t been pretty, Central Florida’s four-game winning streak has catapulted the Knights back into AAC title contention. Behind the NCAA’s 21st-ranked defense, UCF has won its last three games by an average of 6.3 points.

Life seems to have been restored in a Houston team that has now won two games in a row since Week 9 and 10 of the 2013 season. Quarterback-turned-wide receiver-turned-quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. has added a new dynamic to the Cougars’ offense that had been so inconsistent through the first five games. In two starts, the sophomore (and former high school QB) has completed 46-of-61 (75.4 percent) passing attempts, and has compiled 595 total yards with four touchdowns.

Victim of Ward, Jr.’s surge was Temple, which proved to be vastly overrated after winning four of its first five games to start the season. It should be noted, however, that the Owls went 2-10 in 2013, have one the country’s youngest starting rosters and undoubtedly haven’t came close to reaching their ceiling.

The bottom four teams in the AAC are a combined 4-22, and that’s just not very good.

*A point system was assigned, giving 11 points for a team with a No. 1 vote, 10 points for a No. 2 vote, 9 points for a No. 3 vote, and so on.