AAC Power Rankings after Week 10

We’ve reached new territory. Rarely do we see change at the top of the power rankings, and nothing at the bottom. With Memphis’ win over SMU, we have a new top dog in the conference. There’s still no time to relax, though, as the competition is only heating up. Just ask Cincinnati how tough it is to keep their spot.

Memphis

The Tigers put on a show offensively, and won in front of an incredible crowd. Tigers fans were loud early and often to help their team, and were treated to a win on the big stage. Brady White might have removed the monkey on his back by playing well against a good team, and the Tigers offense produced 514 yards.

SMU

Maybe last week’s win against Houston was a precursor to this week, but the season’s not over for the Mustangs. They lost to a good team, but are still tied for the AAC West lead. One Memphis loss, combined with SMU winning out means they’ll still make the AAC Championship Game. They just need help to get there.

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Cincinnati

A loss wouldn’t have knocked the Bearcats out of the AAC East lead, since they hold the tiebreaker over UCF. But they didn’t want to open the door either. A 40-28 deficit didn’t faze Cincinnati against ECU, and they kicked a late field goal to win 46-43 against the Pirates. With four games remaining, there’s still a chance for the Bearcats to lose the lead, but they need to lose twice at this point to lose it.

UCF

The Knights are giving themselves a chance to make the conference championship, but they’ll still need help. Houston gave the Knights a first half scare, but UCF’s offense proved to be too much in the end.

Navy

Beating UConn won’t move you much in the power rankings, but losing would drop you down quite a bit. Luickily, Navy won and doesn’t have to worry about losing their spot.

Temple

The Owls had extra time to prepare for Thursday night’s trip to Tampa to face a USF team that’s tied with them in the conference.

Tulane

It wasn’t pretty, but the Green Wave bounced back with a 38-26 win over Tulsa. Tulane gets some time off this week to prepare for their final three games against Temple, UCF, and SMU to end the year.

Houston

A strong first half for the Cougars was followed by a rough second. Houston produced just 52 yards in the second half, and were outscored 23-6 after halftime. Casual fans continue to criticize Dana Holgorsen and his inexperienced team, but things are actually better than they used to be.

USF

Believe it or not, the Bulls are in control of their own destiny in the AAC East. Their conference record is 2-2, but they still face Temple, Cincinnati, and UCF. Three wins there would put them in the championship game. It’s not likely to happen, but they still technically have a chance.

ECU

Holton Ahlers showed why some are so high on him, passing for 535 yards and four touchdowns against Cincinnati. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Pirates fell short to the Bearcats.

Tulsa

Tulsa was eliminated from bowl contention on Saturday by Tulane, and life doesn’t get easier. Phillip Montomery might be shown the door at the end of the year, making him the second Montgomery head coach fired in two years. Tulsa’s a better team than they were last year, but the record might not indicate that.

UConn

Kevin Mensah rushed for 107 yards, but that’s about it.