SnoTap College Football Preview: American Athletic Conference

Talking college football again here on Sports News on Tap with previews of all the big dogs and some fun stuff thrown in there as well. Naturally, the picks and posts will be coming during and after Week 1.  

And with that, we are done.  We should have probably started it earlier this month, but things got busy early on in August. I realize I promise Notre Dame and mid-majors, but that's probably not happening as they do not really fit into how we are doing the previews. Put it this way, I think the Irish will be back into a BCS bowl game. Let's finish this up with the American conference.  

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville) - Who else? He is probably the top Heisman contender in all of college football and he is a hell of a football player. I became a big Bridgewater guy during the middle of the season in 2012 and he had a massive year for the Cardinals.  Bridgewater should have another big year and I would not be surprised if he wins the Heisman in December.

RB Lyle McCombs (UConn) - One of the better running backs in the American conference and could make an impact for the Huskies this season. McCombs had 800 yards in his freshman year and had over 1,100 yards in his sophomore year.  He is a shifty running back being only 5'8 and can make some game changing plays.    

QB Blake Bortles (UCF) - Yes he does not get that much credit with Bridgewater being in his conference, but Bortles will probably be drafted at some point next year if he chooses to come out. He stands in at 6'4 and 277 which is pretty damn big for a quarterback. Bortles had over 3,000 yards last season with 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He should have a big year for the Golden Knights this year and if he does not, at least his girlfriend is easy on the eyes.

DE Aaron Lynch (South Florida) - Arguably one of the biggest transfers in college football coming from Notre Dame. Lynch is a complete freak and a player who will get talked about for the 2015 NFL Draft as he is only a sophomore. I guarantee you there will be people calling him the next Jadeveon Clowney even though they are different players, but people are stupid.  Lynch is a terror in both the run and pass game. He will be a great one for the Bulls.

S Hakeem Smith (Louisville) - Definitely one of the best safeties in college football. Smith is not really a ballhawk as he does not have mind-blowing interception numbers, but he can definitely make the tackle if they get pass the second level. Smith will definitely be a defensive player to watch.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday October 5th - Cincinnati at South Florida - These two teams have been pretty good for the last couple of years and their games tend to be fairly close. A weird stat is the Bearcats have not lost in South Florida since 2005.  With Willie Taggart in the saddle at USF, it is unknown how good the Bulls could be this season.

Thursday October 10th - Rutgers at Louisville - The Cardinals have won the last three matchups these two have met but the last two games were decided by five points total. In my mind, these are the two best teams in the American conference which is fitting as they will be in different conferences next year.

Friday November 8th- Louisville at UConn - Last year, the Huskies found a way to stun Louisville at Papa Johns Stadium and now they will look to make it two in a row possibly playing spoiler here. The Huskies will not be as good as last year, but there is some upset potential here.  

Saturday November 16th - Cincinnati at Rutgers - After the Scarlet Knights lost five straight games to Cincinnati, they have held the Bearcats to a total of six points in the last two times they have played. These two really have not played great games, but in my mind, they will be playing for second place in the American.  

Thursday December 5th - Louisville at Cincinnati - I could just see it now. Louisville is unbeaten and no one else is making them one or two in the nation as they head into a Thursday night game against Cincinnati and all they have to do is win the game. The Cardinals won a rain-soaked classic last year, but prior to that, the Bearcats had won four straight.  Louisville have not won at Nippert Stadium since 2007. It should be interesting to say the least.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Can Louisville find a way to make it to the National Championship? - 100 percent yes. I feel like this should be an unpredictable year in college football and it is very deep in different conferences. This conference is not as deep, but Louisville is very good, bringing a lot of starters back. The final game against Cincinnati looks daunting to me.

How full will the Teddy Bridgewater bandwagon be by October? - Overflowing by the beginning of October because people will tire about Johnny Manziel and hopefully once players are actually playing people will start gearing towards Bridgewater.  I feel like he is the next guy to get the push from the national media and others even if he plays at Louisville. Truthfully, if he was at USC, he would be the bigger than Manziel, no question in my mind.

What to make of the American Athletic Conference? - Honestly, I do not know. Odds are I will not a write a preview for them next year because they are a mid-major without Louisville. With Rutgers and Louisville leaving next year, this conference becomes partially nothing. Poor Cincinnati.

Any of these teams lurking in the American high grass? - A few I believe. I do think South Florida is sneaky good with Willie Taggert, UCF is a team people keep talking about, and I would never sleep on Rutgers as they always play good defense.

Last year for Charlie Strong? -  Personally, I think he is the Buzz Williams of college football. He will get mentioned in all sorts of jobs, but people forgot how well Louisville treats its coaches. Strong is a great coach and will have many teams interested in his service, but I feel like Strong enjoys coaches at Louisville. Sometimes, folks forget the last part.

PROJECTED FINISH
1.) Louisville
2.) Rutgers
3.) Cincinnati
4.) South Florida
5.) UCF
6.) Houston
7.) UConn
8.) SMU
9.) Temple
10.) Memphis

All Louisville everything.

Charlie.