The Temple Owls are among the teams who will look to dethrone the Cougars as conference champions. | File Photo/The Cougar
If the 2015 college football season proved anything, it was that the American Athletic Conference is strong enough to compete with the Power Five conferences.
Thanks to the conference’s strength, UH finished as the eighth-ranked team in the country, while three of the teams in the conference were ranked in the Top 25. Although many believe the conference will take a step back in 2016, the AAC is still full of teams loaded with talent.
Here are the top five teams not named the University of Houston.
[tabgroup][tab title=”Cincinnati”]The University of Cincinnati Bearcats are a sleeper team virtually every year. In their last 10 seasons, they have failed to finish above .500 just once, when they went 4-8 in 2010.
After a 7-6 record in 2015, the Bearcats return to the field looking to wreak havoc with a more experienced roster.
Led by sophomore quarterback Hayden Moore and senior running back Tion Green, Cincinnati has a roster that could make noise in the conference.
There’s only one problem: Cincinnati lost their top six receivers from a year ago. With inexperience at the wide out position, drops and bad routes could plague what would otherwise be a prolific offense.
[/tab][tab title=”Navy”]The United States Naval Academy Midshipmen are, and always have been, a major wildcard in college football. The team is full of players who are ready to be commissioned when their playing careers are over, which makes them a traditionally disciplined and smart football team.
The Midshipmen rarely pass the ball, as they operate in a triple-option offense, which can cause fits for opponents who are not acclimated with the uncanny attack.
If a defense is not well prepared for the multitude of handoffs, fakes and pitches, the Midshipmen can get up and down the field in a hurry while keeping the clock moving.
Luckily for other conference teams in 2016, the Midshipmen lost Heisman candidate quarterback Keenan Reynolds to last year’s NFL draft. It remains to be seen who will replace Reynolds’ production behind center, but head coach Ken Niumatalolo will have his team ready week-in and week-out.
[/tab][tab title=”Memphis”]Not only did the University of Memphis Tigers lose starting quarterback Paxton Lynch to the NFL draft, but they also could not retain head coach Justin Fuente. With new blood on offense and on the sideline, many do not know what to expect from Memphis in 2016.
New head coach Mike Norvell inherits a team with experience and talent, especially on the defensive end. The Tigers should have one of the most impressive defensive lines in the conference this year as they return their top-three linemen.
Junior defensive end Christian Johnson will look to build upon a 2015 campaign that saw him record four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.
In addition to their stout defense, the Tigers also boast some of the best receivers in the conference. Junior wide out Phil Mayhue should be among the nation’s top receivers as he will use his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame to get over opposing cornerbacks.
The Tigers are a dangerous team that can beat an opponent on either side of the ball.
[/tab][tab title=”Temple”]Just like last year, the conference championship game has the potential to be a rematch as the Cougars and the Temple University Owls are heavy favorites.
In 2015, the Owls shocked college football fans when they posted a 10-4 record, which included a narrow four-point loss to the University of Notre Dame. With experience at nearly every position, the Owls will once again look to shake things up in the conference.
Senior quarterback P.J. Walker was a pivotal piece in the Owls’ 10-win season and he is returning for his final season under center. Walker threw for nearly 3,000 yards and ran for 314 yards, proving he can hurt defenses with his arm and legs.
With another year of experience under his belt, look for Walker to be a top-offensive threat in the conference in 2016.
The defensive side of the ball will be a toss-up for the Owls. Although they lack experience on the defensive line after losing three members of the unit, they will compensate with three senior linebackers who played in every game last season.
[/tab][tab title=”USF”]The University of South Florida Bulls are a sneaky team to say the least.
Because of the slow start they got off to last year, many didn’t recognize just how impressive they were down the stretch. After a 1-4 start, the Bulls managed to salvage their season by winning seven of their last eight games.
A key to USF’s success in the latter portion of the year was in large part due to the play of quarterback Quentin Flowers, who returns for his junior season. Flowers finished the season with 22 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions and added almost 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Flowers’ skillset resembles that of UH’s quarterback, Greg Ward Jr. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Flowers take the next step in 2016 and rival Ward’s stats. The Bulls and Cougars do not have a matchup scheduled in 2016, but don’t be surprised to see them battle it out for the conference title in December.
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