On Wednesday, we started our discussion on the American Athletic Conference and that discussion continues today and tomorrow. TSS Associate Editor Terry Johnson joins staff writer Kevin Causey and a special rotating guest in our weekly roundtable discussing all things college football.
On Wednesday we talked about players to watch in the AAC. Today we dig deeper into the AAC as we are joined by Scott of Bearcats Blog.
Question: Which team will be the biggest surprise in the American?
Scott:
On Twitter @BearcatsBlog
Temple is the easy choice for surprise team and I’m sticking with them. The Owls have an absolutely huge start to the season by hosting Penn State and traveling to Cincinnati. Seasons can’t be made in the first two weeks, but hopes can sure be dashed. Starting off 0-2 would put the Owls behind the 8 ball in a pretty major way. If the Owls can pull off the game against Cincinnati, the path to an eastern division title looks strong. The biggest hurdle would be a game at East Carolina on a Thursday night. Temple hosts both Central Florida and Memphis.
On the other hand, it’s not hard seeing Temple be 2-5 after their first seven contests. The offense last year was pretty horrible. PJ Walker seemed to take a step back. I think Matt Rhule is a very good coach, but he’s got a lot of work cut out for him. That defense is really damn good, but if you can’t score points, it’s hard to win games. UCF, East Carolina and Notre Dame all come in a row, East Carolina on a short week even. Not making a bowl yet again would be a hit to the Temple program says I.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
My surprise team is Temple.
To be honest, the Owls were one of the biggest surprises in the land last year. Coming off of a 2-10 campaign in 2013, no expected Temple to factor into the AAC race. However, the Owls played well against the better teams in league, losing to Memphis by three and Cincinnati by eight. With one play here or there, TU could have finished 8-4 last season.
Things will be different this fall. Temple welcomes back 19 starters, making it the second most experienced team in the country. This total includes the entire defense, which finished 24th nationally in yards total defense and fourth in scoring defense.
Keep an eye on the Owls this season. If – and it’s a big if – Temple can find some answers on offense, it has what it takes to compete for the league championship.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
The Houston Cougars went 8-5 last season but when you look at their wins, their record doesn’t tell the whole story as they struggled to win meaningful games. That’s why Tom Herman is in charge now. I really like how Herman has hit the ground running and how energized he has the fanbase. There is a buzz about Houston.
Most have Houston as a contender in the West but not as one of the best teams in the AAC. Herman was left with a good base, although there are definitely some areas of concern, and I think he will take this team to the next level rather quickly.
One thing I really like about the Cougars is their schedule. They start their AAC slate with Tulsa and then Tulane. Later they get Navy, Cincy and Memphis all at home. The schedule will allow the team to come together early because of the weak opening schedule (except the Louisville OOC game) and it will allow them to peak late in the season when the toughest games are in their own building.
