Let's not beat around the bush, going into 2013 nobody really thinks the AAC is among the elite conferences in the nation. Hell, outside of Heisman hopeful quarterback Teddy Bridgewater how many players in the conference can the average college football fan name? Now, I don't mean to turn this into another Bridgewatermania piece (but it is RUNNIN' WILD BROTHER!!) but going into 2013, Louisville is the prohibited favorite in the conference, and for good reason. After a dominant Sugar Bowl victory over Florida the Cardinals have not only AAC championship, but national championship hopes as well. With a stud signal caller many pundits feel that Louisville can run the table and make a case for a BCS berth, myself included. Wide receivers Damien Copeland and DaVante Parker are expected to put up big numbers catching passes from Bridgewater in 2013, I see 800 yards and 8 or 9 touchdown catches very realistic from the both of them, especially with a guy like Bridgewater throwing them the ball I see that being VERY realistic.
But that doesn't mean the rest of the conference is just going to lay down for the Cardinals. There are 9 other teams that think they are just as good as Bridgewater and company, and if history is any indication all it takes is one game to totally throw the conference and BCS standings into a whirlwind. Teams like Rutgers, UCF and Cincinnati are among the teams that I feel could easily knock them off, and I am sure the Scarlet Knights have extra motivation after Bridgewater's gutsy second half comeback to defeat them last season. Bridgewater may get all the headlines, but Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova is no slouch either who showed flashes in 2012 and if he can put it all together in 2013 they can be a force to reckoned with in the AAC. The Scarlet Knights also return 1,000 yard rusher Jawan Jamison and receiver Brandon Coleman who hauled in 10 of Nova's 22 touchdown passes in 2012.
Another team vying for the AAC crown in 2013 is the Cincinnati Bearcats, led by new head coach Tommy Tubervile they hope to return to the level they were a few years ago when they were national championship contenders with then quarterback Tony Pike. In 2012 the Bearcats had an up and down season that included using two different quarterbacks in Munchie Legeaux and Brendon Kay. After Kay took over however, the Bearcats went 4-1 including a victory in the Belk Bowl over Duke in one of the more underrated bowl games of last season. The senior quarterback played very well at the end of 2012 where he threw for 1,250 yards and 8 touchdowns (to only 2 interceptions) in his 5 starts. He will need to keep that pace up if Cincinnati expects to make some noise in the AAC in 2013. After losing 1,000 yard rusher in George Winn, the Bearcats will be relying mostly on Ralph Abernathy IV and unproven backs Jameel Poteat and Tion Green to carry the load from the running back position. Cincinnati will also need to replace last seasons leading receiver in Tight End Travis Kelce who was selected in the 3rd round by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft this past April. Junior wide out Kenbrell Thompkins who caught 34 passes including 2 touchdowns in 2012 is the Bearcats' leading returning wideout, senior Anthony McClung is expected to step up in a big way as well. Defensively Greg Blair looks to lead the Bearcats after a 138 tackle 2012 (68 solo), Arryn Chenault also looks to be a difference maker from the secondary.
The UFC Knights I think are the team in the conference that is getting overlooked by many and could easily jump to the top of the conference if Louisville or Cincinnati falter. Junior quarterback Blake Bortles had himself a great sophomore season, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdown passes including a 3 touchdown game against Ball State in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. If he can continue to perform at a high level he could challege Bridgewater for the title of best quarterback in the AAC, which may sound a little crazy now, but hear me now, believe me later, Bortles is going to have a breakout season in 2013 and this time next year we will be talking about him as a Heisman sleeper.
UConn hopes to improve on an up and down 2012 season that saw them finish 5-7, but was highlighted by an overtime upset of Louisville late in the season. Junior running back Lyle McCombs leads the charge offensively for the Huskies. He ran for 860 yards and 6 touchdowns as a sophomore and if he can hit the 1,000 yard mark and increase his touchdowns into the double digits he should make it a bit easier for quarterback Chandler Whitmer who struggled in 2012 throwing for 2,659 and 9 touchdowns, while tossing up 16 interceptions. UConn is a rebuilding team, but if they can get productivity out of their junior quarterback and tailback, they can make some noise.
The Houston Cougars are another AAC team that had some ups and downs in 2012, running back Charlie Sims, quarterback David Piland and wide receivers Dewayne Peace and Daniel Spencer were the key offensive players in 2012 , but much like the Huskies, to be completely honest there isn't much on this team that excites you. Trevon Stewart and Derek Matthews are the key players on defense in the secondary and front seven respectively. Matthews was especially impressive compiling 126 total tackles as a sophomore. Despite finishing 4-8 in 2012, the Memphis Tigers looked good at the end of the 2012 season, capped off by a 3 game winning streak that saw junior quarterback Jacob Karam play very well, tossing 7 of his 15 touchdowns in the final 3 games. The Tigers also saw tailback Brandon Hayes splash paydirt 5 times during that win streak. The offseason development or regression will do a lot in determining how Memphis fares in 2013.
SMU is another team that will likely be bringing up the rear in the conference this season, with not much worth writing home about, junior linebacker Randall Joyner had a very productive 2012 season with 93 total tackles.
Temple and South Florida round out the AAC lineup for 2013 and likely will be among the the teams at the bottom of the conference along with SMU, Houston, Memphis and UConn. I stand by my comments about the AAC being Louisville's to lose. But if we know anything about college football, we know that projections in July have little, if any bearing on what happens once we kick off and games begin. But with that being said it is very hard to imagine a team other than Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers or UCF coming out of 2013 with an AAC crown.
- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com
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