I did not meet the deadline for voting on the AAC team predictions this year, but even if I had remembered in time (online ballots were due Tuesday and I tried to submit one Thursday), I do not think the one extra vote for Tulane in first would be enough for the Wave to be preseason favorite for the second consecutive year. It looks like Memphis will get that honor this time, with Tulane second and either USF or UTSA third. We will see Tuesday morning at AAC Media Days.
With Athon no longer using me for its preseason Tulane preview (a move that cost me $225) and seemingly nowhere in evidence in New Orleans, I could only find Lindy's and Phil Steele's at my local Barnes & Noble today. Lindy's has Memphis first, Tulane second and USF third. Phil Steele, who almost always makes his predictions based on conference schedule, has UTSA first because it does not play Tulane or USF and gets Memphis at home. He has Tulane second and Memphis third because the Tigers play at Tulane, UTSA and USF, although his position rankings have the Tigers in front of everyone else in the league (No. 1 at QB, REC, DB, OL and DB while Tulane is first only in special teams).
If I had done a ballot, it probably would have looked like this:
1) Tulane--Sumrall a proven coach and Wave has beaten Memphis at home three times in a row, all by double digits
2) Memphis--Tigers nearly beat SMU near the end of 2023 and have a lot of talent returning
3) USF--Bulls won seven games and return 18 starters from a team that finally had a real coach.
4) UTSA--Was not impressed by this team in regular-season finale at Yulman last year, but Jeff Traylor has won consistently there
5) Florida Atlantic--Never been a Tom Herman guy, but the schedule is friendly
6) East Carolina--Willie Fritz compared ECU last year to Tulane in 2021, saying team was snake-bit and a lot better than its record. We shall see.
7) Rice--Owls looked better than I expected last year.
8) North Texas--Now we're into the throwing darts portion of the rankings. The coach knows offense.
9) UAB--Not a believer in Trent Dilfer, but maybe he will prove me wrong.
10) Army--apparently going back to the true option after getting away from it last year. Even with cut block rules eliminated, that's a plus for service academy in my book
11) Navy--not sure the Middies have the right coach.
12) Charlotte--coach acted like a boob last year but did not have much to work with. We will find out whether he is for real this year.
13) Tulsa--Program has cratered.
14) Temple--Program has hit the abyss.
Houston, by the way, is the last-place team in the 16-team Big 12 according to Phil Steele.
With Athon no longer using me for its preseason Tulane preview (a move that cost me $225) and seemingly nowhere in evidence in New Orleans, I could only find Lindy's and Phil Steele's at my local Barnes & Noble today. Lindy's has Memphis first, Tulane second and USF third. Phil Steele, who almost always makes his predictions based on conference schedule, has UTSA first because it does not play Tulane or USF and gets Memphis at home. He has Tulane second and Memphis third because the Tigers play at Tulane, UTSA and USF, although his position rankings have the Tigers in front of everyone else in the league (No. 1 at QB, REC, DB, OL and DB while Tulane is first only in special teams).
If I had done a ballot, it probably would have looked like this:
1) Tulane--Sumrall a proven coach and Wave has beaten Memphis at home three times in a row, all by double digits
2) Memphis--Tigers nearly beat SMU near the end of 2023 and have a lot of talent returning
3) USF--Bulls won seven games and return 18 starters from a team that finally had a real coach.
4) UTSA--Was not impressed by this team in regular-season finale at Yulman last year, but Jeff Traylor has won consistently there
5) Florida Atlantic--Never been a Tom Herman guy, but the schedule is friendly
6) East Carolina--Willie Fritz compared ECU last year to Tulane in 2021, saying team was snake-bit and a lot better than its record. We shall see.
7) Rice--Owls looked better than I expected last year.
8) North Texas--Now we're into the throwing darts portion of the rankings. The coach knows offense.
9) UAB--Not a believer in Trent Dilfer, but maybe he will prove me wrong.
10) Army--apparently going back to the true option after getting away from it last year. Even with cut block rules eliminated, that's a plus for service academy in my book
11) Navy--not sure the Middies have the right coach.
12) Charlotte--coach acted like a boob last year but did not have much to work with. We will find out whether he is for real this year.
13) Tulsa--Program has cratered.
14) Temple--Program has hit the abyss.
Houston, by the way, is the last-place team in the 16-team Big 12 according to Phil Steele.
