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2013 American Athletic Conference Preview

July 28, 2013 ,


By Michael Schneid


History of the Conference: The Big East split up between the basketball-only schools and the football schools. The so called "Catholic 7" basketball schools kept the Big East brand while the holdover schools split off into a new conference now called the American Athletic Conference, or the American for short (NOT the AAC). 

The American will feature 10 teams in 2013. Syracuse and Pittsburgh are officially off to the ACC. Louisville and Rutgers will be a part of the inaugural season before splitting off to the ACC and Big Ten, respectively. Joining the depleted conference is Houston, Central Florida, SMU, and Memphis. On top of Louisville and Rutgers they join Cincinnati, Connecticut, South Florida, and Temple, who joined the conference last season. In 2014, East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa will leave Conference USA for the American. In 2015, Navy will join. 

So for 2013, 10 teams are part of the new, inaugral American Athletic Conference. Here are our projected final standings, a season that ends with Louisville winning the conference and BCS bid.



American Projected Records
SCHOOL
American
OVERALL
Louisville
8-0
11-1
Rutgers
6-2
8-4
Cincinnati
6-2
10-2
Central Florida
6-2
8-4
Houston
4-4
6-6
SMU
4-4
5-7
Connecticut
4-4
7-5
South Florida
2-6
4-8
Memphis
1-7
2-10
Temple
1-7
4-8




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Central Florida Knights
Returning Starters: 13, 6 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams

Players to Watch: RB Storm Johnson, DT DJ Dunston

Best Non-Conference Game: @ Penn State (9/14), vs. South Carolina (9/28)

Prediction: 8-4 (6-2 American), 4th Place

Notable Win: vs. Rutgers 
Losses: South Carolina, Penn St, Lousville, SMU
 
Analysis: UCF has just one senior on defense and should be set up nicely for the future. The offense is led by juniors QB Blake Bortles, WR JJ Worton and RB Storm Johnson. UCF should have a good first season in their new conference and be near the top moving forward, as they were in C-USA. 


 
Cincinnati Bearcats
Returning Starters: 16, 8 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams

Players to Watch: WR Anthony McClung, LB Greg Blair

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. Purdue (8/31)

Prediction: 10-2 (6-2 American), 3rd Place

Notable Wins: Purdue, Illinois
Losses: Louisville, Rutgers
Analysis: We have a full article previewing Cincinnati football.
The Bearcats have a new head coach in Tommy Tuberville. They won a share of the Big East the last two seasons and should once again finish near the top of the American. 

 

Connecticut Huskies
Returning Starters: 15, 8 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams

Players to Watch: RB Lyle McCombs, DT Shamar Stephen

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. Michigan (9/21)

Prediction: 7-5 (4-5 American), T-5th Place

Notable Wins: Maryland, USF
Notable Loss: @ Temple   

Analysis: Uconn had a bizarre season with a miserable offense but a very good defense. The offense scored 17.8 ppg, 121st in the nation and allowed only 19.8 ppg, 19th in the nation. The offense should be better, with a focus on the running game and stability at QB. Chandler Whitmer will start the year at QB, and Uconn had a revolving door in 2012. 



Houston Cougars 
Returning Starters: 15, 9 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams

Players to Watch: RB Charles Sims,

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. BYU (10/19)

Prediction: 6-6 (4-4 American), T-5th Place

Notable Wins: USF, SMU
Notable Losses: Rice

Analysis: We project an average season for Houston, which isn't a bad thing. Tony Levine enters his second season as head coach and hopefully gets off to a better start, he fired the offensive coordinator just a few games into 2012. 



Louisville Cardinals
Returning Starters: 16, 7 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams

Players to Watch: QB Teddy Bridgewater, SS Hakeem Smith

Best Non-Conference Game: @ Kentucky (9/14)

Prediction: 11-1 (8-0 American), 1st Place

Projected Loss: @ Kentucky

Analysis: Louisville is the best team in the American in 2013. QB Teddy Bridgewater is a pre-season Heisman trophy candidate. Louisville has a very manageable schedule to get to 12-0. We do see a potential stumbling block and we see them losing early to rival Kentucky. UK has a new coach and new attitude and could pull off a major upset. Louisville gets Rutgers and UCF at home and end the season at Cincinnati. Louisville could enter Cincy, their biggest rival, 11-0 with everything at stake.


Memphis Tigers
Returning Starters: 17, 8 offense, 8 defense, 1 special teams

Players to Watch: QB Jacob Karum, DE Corey Jones

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. Duke (9/7)

Prediction: 2-10 (1-7 American), 9th Place

Projected Wins: Tennessee-Martin, Temple

Analysis: Memphis' first season in the American could start our rough. Second year coach Justin Fuente has his work cut out for him. A project 1-3 record in OOC games is not a good start. Their lone projected American win is at home against Temple.

 
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Returning Starters: 11, 6 offense, 4 defense, 1 special teams

Players to Watch: RB Savon Huggins, DE Jamil Merrell

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. Arkansas (9/21)

Prediction: 8-4 (6-2 American), 2nd Place

Notable Wins: Cincinnati
Notable Losses: Arkansas, UCF, Fresno St, Louisville

Analysis: Rutgers had a BCS game berth in their sights last year but blew a home game against Louisville late in the game, giving Louisville the BCS game appearance. This will be Rutger's final year in this conference, before moving to the Big Ten. Gary Nova returns at QB after throwing 22 TDs and 16 INTs. If Rutgers wants a chance at their first BCS bowl game he will need to limit turnovers.

 
SMU Mustangs
Returning Starters: 11, 6 offense, 3 defense, 2 special teams

Players to Watch: QB Garrett Gilbert, CB Chris Parks

Best Non-Conference Game: vs. Texas Tech (8/30), @ Texas A&M (9/21), @ TCU (9/28)

Prediction: 5-7 (4-4 American), 6th Place

Notable Wins: UCFNotable Losses: TCU, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, Texas A&M

Analysis: SMU has a loaded non-conference schedule, and based on our projections will be what hurts them achieving bowl eligibility. Texas Tech, Texas A&M and TCU are all tough games for the Mustangs. Former Texas transfer, Garrett Gilbert remains at QB. Gilbert only completed 53% of his passes and had a 1:1 TD:INT ratio (15 TDs, 15 INTs)



South Florida Bulls 
Returning Starters: 10, 4 offense, 6 defense, 0 special teams

Players to Watch: QB Bobby Eveld, DE Jordan Lynch

Best Non-Conference Game: @ Michigan St (9/7), vs. Miami (9/28)

Prediction: 4-8 (2-6 American), 8th Place
 
Notable Win: SMU
Notable Losses: Uconn, Houston 
Analysis: Skip Holtz failed as head coach of USF. They hired Western Kentuky's Willie Taggert. Taggert will do a good job in Tampa, but it may not start in 2013. Aaron Lynch will be the key defensively, a transfer from Notre Dame. Offense will have new starters at all the key positions. BJ Daniels has been starter at QB for 3 years

 

Temple Owls
Returning Starters: 9, 3 offense, 6 defense, 0 special teams

Players to Watch: LT Cody Booth, DT Levin Brown

Best Non-Conference Game: @ Notre Dame (8/31)

Prediction: 4-8 (1-7 American), 10th Place

Notable Wins: Army, Uconn, Idaho, Fordham

Analysis: Steve Addazio left Temple for Boston College and has been replaced with a Temple guy, Matt Rhule. Rhule was the NY Giants OL coach in 2012 and is a former Temple OL. Who better to guide Temple into their new conference than an Owls alum. Temple will have a half-dozen new starters on offense and will have a very rough season. 



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