[2023] AAC Quarter-Season Update

[tsweezy]

After 3.5 weeks of play, most schools have wrapped up their OOC games and now we can take a little quick peek and see how they are performing vis-a-vis my initial preseason power rankings for each conference. Here's the AAC:

 

Team	Conf	Overall	Preseason Power Rank	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	New Rank	Notes
Tulsa	0-0	3-0	1	W vs FCS 37-7	W at Ohio 26-2	W at UVA 27-20	1	Picked number 1 and still the team to beat in the AAC despite some recent rough play by QB Ukelele. They should feast once they hit conference play though
Memphis	0-0	3-0	9	W at GASO 23-13	W vs FCS 20-0	W at BUFF 31-20	2	They were picked middle of the pack, but are one of only 2 undefeated teams left. No eye-opening results, but they look like a solid, deep team which could be enough to be top quarter of the conference
Tulane	0-0	2-1	4	L at UTST 14-33	W vs SJSU 41-19	W vs IND 13-0	3	The UTST loss doesn't look nearly so bad. Beating IND and SJSU by a lot also gives them direct points over a lot of the conference opponents. I think these guys are the real deal in the sense that they will be slight favorites to make the CCG, but I'd be surprised to see them win it.
Navy	0-0	2-1	5	W vs FCS 41-3	L at ND 21-37	W vs USAF 28-7	4	Went big going to ND but game up short. Hui dynasty will come eventually, but for now winning the CIC trophy and challenging for 2nd/3rd in conference should be the goal
Temple	0-0	2-1	3	L vs GAST 13-27	W vs FCS 38-0	W at CUSE 30-29	5	Temple was one of my picks to sneak into the CCG this year, but have looked a bit shaky to start. They pulled off a clutch win against Syracuse which keeps them near the top of the power ranks but look very beatable
SMU	0-0	2-1	6	L at IND 10-28	W vs WISC 27-3	W vs UNM 30-21	6	SMU is about where I thought. Good wins against Wisconsin and UNM but a dropped opportunity to make noise against Indiana. I think they're definitely top half of the conference, but perhaps not a national name atm
UAB	0-0	2-1	7	W at ULM 34-13	L vs GASO 24-26	W vs FCS 27-3	7	2 good wins and a narrow loss. I don't know that they have as high a ceiling as some teams above them but they're showing a pretty high floor thus far.
North Texas	0-0	2-1	2	L at GT 7-20	W at ULL 23-20	W vs Zona 28-13	8	Great roster, but coaching seems absent. The loss to Georgia Tech wasn't particularly close, they barely skated by ULL, and Zona is bad. A very average team thus far
UTSA	0-0	1-1	10	W vs UMASS 31-6	L vs ARMY 28-42		9	Only two games and I don't know that they tell as much. Mid at best
Charlotte	0-0	1-2	12	L vs WAKE 17-31	L at APST 10-14	W vs CCU 29-21	10	A couple of respectable Ls and an ok win. This could be a team that climbs a few spots by the end.
South Florida	0-0	1-2	13	L at UCF 13-49	L at GAST 28-34	W vs Duke 14-6	11	Duke is bad and I don't respect that win much. The losses weren't the greatest either. They should pick up a few more wins this year but not many
Rice	0-0	0-2	14	L vs BAYL 20-34	L at PNST 7-24		12	A heavy hitting OOC, who's to say if Baylor and PNST aren't just much better than the AAC teams. They could move around a lot over the next few games
Florida Atlantic	0-0	0-2	8	L vs Liberty 7-19	L at TROY 17-24		13	Meh, 2 rough losses what can you say
East Carolina	0-0	0-3	11	L at ILLI 6-20	L at BYU 7-30	L vs NCST 17-28	14	0-3 hurts, regardless of the teams it was to. I think they have the capability to beat a few AAC teams, but didn't have the best start so far this year

 

Overall OOC record: 15-18 (.455)

Biggest surprise (good): Memphis

Biggest surprise (bad): North Texas

They are who we thought they were: Tulsa

Number of (currently assumed) nationally relevant teams: 3