NCAAF Pick: SMU to Win the AAC (+300) at BetAnySports (visit our BetAnySports Review)
The American Athletic Conference will look quite a bit different this season as UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston were wooed to the Big 12.
However, the AAC quickly raided Conference USA of a combination of the haves and the have-nots with the former being UTSA, UAB, and North Texas while the latter includes Charlotte, FAU, and Rice.
Let’s break down the conference winner odds for the 2023 AAC.
Key Facts
- In one of the most stunning year-over-year turnarounds in college football history, head coach Willie Fritz transformed his 2-10 team in 2021 to a 12-2 conference champion…
- SMU fared poorly against the run last year, ranked 119th allowing 203.2 yards per game, and ranked 123rd in points allowed, surrendering 34.7 points per game. However, several transfers were brought in to remedy that glaring deficiency.
- USTA quarterback Frank Harris will return for his fifth season after a sensational 2022 campaign in which he threw for 4,059 yards with 32 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.
- Former Texas head coach, Tom Herman, will step into the big chair and is expected to make an immediate impact at Florida Atlantic.
- Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan will return for his third season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.
ACC Top 5
Tulane Green Wave
- 2022 Conference Record: 7-1
- 2022 Overall Record: 12-2
In one of the most stunning year-over-year turnarounds in college football history, head coach Willie Fritz transformed his 2-10 team in 2021 to a 12-2 conference champion that then stepped up and defeated Heisman Trophy quarterback, Caleb Williams, and the vaunted USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl.
Quarterback Michael Pratt will return for his fourth season and the offensive line remains intact which should give the Wave a big advantage over the competition. However, they will miss a few key pieces on defense and will be without the electric Tyjae Spears in the backfield.
SMU Mustangs
- 2022 Conference Record: 5-3
- 2022 Overall Record: 7-6
Preston Stone takes the reins as the starting quarterback after Tanner Mordecai departed for the greener pastures of Wisconsin. Stone was a highly coveted signal-caller out of high school with offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and a host of other big-name FBS schools.
Although the Mustangs lost the stellar Rashee Rice to the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs in the second round, there is still plenty of talent to be found in the receiving corps. The usual suspects are back from last season with Jordan Kerley, Moochie Dixon, and Jake Bailey while RJ Maryland returns as the starting tight end. SMU has also added Key’Shawn Smith from Miami and Jordan Hudson from TCU.
Bad Against the Run
SMU fared poorly against the run last year, ranked 119th allowing 203.2 yards per game, and ranked 123rd in points allowed, surrendering 34.7 points per game. However, several transfers were brought in to remedy that glaring deficiency.
The Mustangs will be potent again on offense and should be considerably better on defense, making them a serious threat as conference champions for your NCAAF picks.
UTSA Roadrunners
- 2022 Conference Record: 8-0
- 2022 Overall Record: 11-3
The Roadrunners will join the AAC this season after a year in which they won their second consecutive Conference USA title and were undefeated in conference play. And the most explosive piece of the offense, quarterback Frank Harris, will return for his fifth season at UTSA after a sensational 2022 campaign in which he threw for 4,059 yards with 32 touchdowns to just nine interceptions.
Like every program, the Roadrunners had their share of defections with Zakhari Franklin transferring to Ole Miss while their offensive coordinator, Will Stein, took the money and ran to Oregon. But the receiving corps remains talented with De’Corian Clark returning from an ACL injury while Joshua Cephus will continue to torture defenders as a slot receiver.
Florida Atlantic Owls
- 2022 Conference Record: 4-4
- 2022 Overall Record: 5-7
Big things are expected from the Conference USA imports as FAU is expected to rebound from an underwhelming season. One of the reasons is that former Texas head coach, Tom Herman, will step into the big chair and is expected to make an immediate impact.
There is a quarterback battle between Casey Thompson and Daniel Richardson while Larry McCammon III and Lowkey Lewis will be a fearsome duo in the backfield. LaJohntay Wester will return as the top receiving threat after a year in which he caught 62 passes for 719 yards and eight touchdowns.
Memphis Tigers
- 2022 Conference Record: 3-5
- 2022 Overall Record: 7-6
The Tigers posted a lackluster 3-5 conference mark and just managed to drift above .500 overall but the oddsmakers are bullish on their chances this season to win the AAC crown. Quarterback Seth Henigan will return for his third season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback but has lost all his top targets from last season.
However, Henigan will welcome Toledo transfer DeMeer Blankumsee who has already made an impact at training camp and will likely be the top option when Henigan unloads. But while the receiving corps may be a bit of a mystery, the backfield is quite the opposite. The dynamic duo of Jevyon Ducker and Brandon Thomas in the backfield along with former Old Dominion steamroller, Blake Watson, will add yet another powerful runner to the Memphis offense.
NCAAF Pick: SMU to Win the AAC (+300) at BetAnySports
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product
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