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AAC Football: Media Outlets release preseason projections

June 30, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Publications have started to release their preseason predictions for the AAC Football order of finish. Memphis is the favorite, where does the rest of the league stack up?

The following is a sampling of where AAC Football teams project to finish in the conference standings according to various different media outlets. The ESPN ranks are projections from Bill Connely. Phil Steele, Lindy’s and Athlon are three of the most prominent preseason magazines that have started to arrive in stores over the past few weeks.

Rank Team ESPN Phil Steele Lindy’s Athlon  Average
1 Memphis 1 2 1 1          1.25
2 UTSA 2 1 4 2          2.25
3 Tulane 3 2 2 4          2.75
4 South Florida 4 4 3 3          3.50
5 Army 6 10 5 5          6.50
6 Rice 7 8 9 6          7.50
7 Florida Atlantic 8 6 10 7          7.75
8 East Carolina 5 5 13 8          7.75
9 North Texas 10 7 8 9          8.50
10 Navy 9 11 6 10          9.00
11 UAB 11 8 7 11          9.25
12 Tulsa 12 12 11 12       11.75
13 Charlotte 13 12 12 13       12.50
14 Temple 14 14 14 14       14.00

The consensus

Memphis is the clear frontrunner to win the AAC Football title this season. Only one publication, Phil Steele, kept the Tigers out of the top spot, dropping them to No. 2.  In fact, all four of these sources view the quartet of Memphis, UTSA, Tulane and South Florida as the clear top four. None of that group are projected to finish lower than fourth with each getting multiple votes to finish in the top three.

On the opposite end, Tulsa, Charlotte and Temple are the projected bottom dwellers. None of these sources project any of that trio to finish outside the bottom three in the league. There are other teams that fall into the bottom third of the rankings on individual lists, but this is the group that can reasonably say “nobody believes in us.”

The wide middle

The rest of the group is squarely in the middle. In fact, there isn’t much of a perceived difference between Army and Navy. Both have at least one ranker projecting them inside the top six and another putting them in the bottom five. Those two, along with East Carolina, represent the programs with the greatest standard deviations in rank. There isn’t a consensus on how good those teams will be.

Rice football could be a sneaky team in the midst of this group. Every team outside the top four has at least one projection putting them in the bottom five except for the Owls. They’re consistently tabbed to finish somewhere between sixth and ninth. An upset here or there and holding serve against some of the weaker teams on their schedule could allow them to break into the upper quarter of the ranks by season’s end.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

The Roost Podcast | Ep 176 – ’24 Charlotte Preview with Hunter Bailey

June 26, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Next up as The Roost Podcast continues its AAC opponent previews: Hunter Bailey of the Charlotte Observer dives into Charlotte football in 2024.

A seemingly annual matchup with Charlotte football is on deck one again in 2024. This time the Owls host the 49ers following a resounding road win at their place a season ago. Hunter Bailey from the Charlotte Observer joins us this week to talk about what progress he’s seen from that team over the offseason and talk about the direction of the program moving forward.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 176.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. So is the brand new Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Previewing 2024 Charlotte Football with Hunter Bailey

  • The latest on the Biff Poggi front
  • Reasonable expectations in Year 2
  • New QB Max Brown
  • Big questions facing the 49ers this season
  • Key additions (and losses) from the transfer portal
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: Bye Week Practice Notes
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 216 – A Night to Forget for Rice Football at UTSA
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 6 Roundup
  • Rice Football: Midseason Grades

Filed Under: AAC, Archive, Football, Podcast Tagged With: AAC, podcast, Rice Football

AAC Football: Circa Sports releases preseason champion odds

June 23, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Circa Sports has released preseason conference championship odds. Who are the favorites and how do the rest of the AAC Football teams stack up?

As the summer months move along the first inklings of football season approaching are upon us. Circa Sports released preseason conference championship odds on Sunday, including their odds for the AAC Football Champion. Memphis is the favorite, with Tulane and UTSA right on their heels. Here’s the odds for every team in the league:

  1. Memphis (+300)
  2. Tulane (+350)
  3. UTSA (+400)
  4. USF (+700)
  5. Army (+1500)
  6. North Texas (+1500)
  7. ECU (+2000)
  8. FAU (+2000)
  9. Rice (+2000)
  10. Tulsa (+2500)
  11. UAB (+2500)
  12. Charlotte (+4000)
  13. Temple (+25000)

As far as Circa Sports is concerned, they view this league as a four-team race with the teams with the fifth-best odds (Army and North Texas) more than double the odds of the fourth team in the list, South Florida. The Bulls seem to be getting a lot of preseason buzz following their breakout 20243 campaign in their first season under the leadership of Alex Golesh.

Temple was the only team signaled out as a complete longshot. Those Owls lost quarterback EJ Warner to Rice this offseason. The Houston-based Owls join a smattering of teams with very similar odds in the middle of the pack. That suggests a very competitive middle of the pack and hopefully an exciting back and forth that makes each Saturday in the league exciting once again.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
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Filed Under: Featured, Football Tagged With: AAC

The Roost Podcast | Ep 175 – ’24 UTSA Preview with Jared Kalmus

June 14, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

Next up as The Roost Podcast continues its AAC opponent previews: Jared Kalmus of Alamo Audible dives into UTSA football in 2024.

A familiar foe and a longtime friend of the podcast, Jared Kalmus of Alamo Audible joins us this week to preview UTSA football in 2024. From the absence of star quarterback Frank Harris to the gradual assimilation of even greater depth on this roster, what should we expect from the Roadrunners this fall?

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 175.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. So is the brand new Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Previewing 2024 UTSA Football with Jared Kalmus

  • Life after Frank Harris
  • Is this a sneaky bounce-back year for the Roadrunners?
  • Shifting offensive philosophies
  • Potential new playmakers in the passing game
  • Key transfer additions on defense
  • Can we talk about the CFB Playoff?
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: Bye Week Practice Notes
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 216 – A Night to Forget for Rice Football at UTSA
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 6 Roundup
  • Rice Football: Midseason Grades

Filed Under: AAC, Archive, Football, Podcast Tagged With: AAC, podcast, Rice Football

The Roost Podcast | Ep 174 – ’24 UAB Preview with Evan Dudley

May 28, 2024 By Matthew Bartlett

The Roost Podcast is kicking off AAC opponent previews. Up first: Evan Dudley of Al.com previews UAB football in 2024.

The Rice football season will be here before we know it. Now we begin the long road back to the fall, previewing all of the Owls’ 2024 opponents on the gridiron, including a once familiar foe that wasn’t on the Rice schedule last season: UAB. Longtime friend of the show Evan Dudley joins us to talk about what’s been going on with the Blazers since, the Trent Dilfer experience and more.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 174.

Follow @TheRoostPod

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite. So is the brand new Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Previewing 2024 UAB Football with Evan Dudley

  •  Year 1 under Trent Dilfer
  • Expectations and level setting for this new era of Blazers’ football
  • Jacob Zeno returns
  • Offensive playmakers
  • Defensive growth questions
  • How the Transfer Portal has impacted AAC programs
  • The outlook for the program moving forward
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: Bye Week Practice Notes
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 216 – A Night to Forget for Rice Football at UTSA
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 6 Roundup
  • Rice Football: Midseason Grades

Filed Under: AAC, Archive, Football, Podcast Tagged With: AAC, podcast, Rice Football

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