Welcome to our new series entitled "Buy, Pass, Sell." In this edition, I will take you through which teams that I am buying into, passing on, and which teams that I choose to sell on in the AAC (formerly the Big East). The conference lost it's name, and lost members, while adding other members from Conference USA and the MAC. In essence, this conference has lost its' essence, and will lose it's only viable championship contender after 2013 in Louisville, who joins the ACC in a brilliant move for the school, both athletically and academically. Let's take a look at By, Pass, and Sell.
Buy
Louisville: As mentioned above, the Cardinals are the only viable contender for a BCS birth out of this conference, and they have a major Heisman candidate in QB Teddy Bridgewater, who is one of the best players that you will see this season. This is the final season in the AAC for Louisville, and they will go out with a bang. Louisville, if they make an undefeated run, may be playing for the final BCS title in January, but they will need some help.
Pass
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights will leave as well after this season for the Big 10. That's not nearly the loss that Louisville is for the AAC, as Rutgers always seems to come up short in the end. Nothing about this program excites me this season, nor does it any other.
UCF: The Knights won 10 games last fall. If George O'Leary's record has been any indication, they will struggle this season. That is the history of this program, one on and one off. There is a decently talented core to this team, but history tells me that I should sell. I will just pass instead.
Cincinnati: I am not a Tommy Tuberville guy, and his hiring by the UC administration after Butch Jones bolted for Tennessee left me wondering about general sanity. Tuberville had not taken on Texas Tech by storm, and was a bad fit in Lubbock. The Bearcats are built for a spread offense, but Tuberville likes a traditional I formation offense, which the Bearcats are lacking the parts for. I am passing for now, but am leaning toward selling.
Sell
Connecticut: There is no way that I am buying into the Huskies right now. Especially not as long as Paul Pasqualoni is coaching this program. Some publications have the Huskies as high as 4th in the AAC this season, but strangely enough, I only see 4 wins total on the year, with 3 in the first month. I am left unimpressed.
SMU: June Jones has a problem at QB in Garrett Gilbert. News flash: No matter how much people keep pushing this kid as someone who will break out, he still makes too many mistakes to ever be a quantifiable star, and makes Jones' pass happy offense a liability. With holes all over the field to fill, I choose to sell on SMU.
South Florida: I love the Willie Taggert hire, but he has his work cut out for him. Jim Leavitt got this program respectable, but they never achieved greatness, and Skip Holtz bombed out. Bobby Eveld will likely be the QB, but this unit, which was anemic at best last fall, needs rebuilding. The defense tanked last season as well, and so there is just too much work here to do to simply buy or pass on, so I will be selling.
Temple: The Owls have their 3rd coach in 4 years in Matt Ruhle. There is a transition into a new offense taking place, and a total overhaul is coming. There is not much hope for a bowl, and I see only 5 wins on the horizon. I may be buying in a year, but right now, I suggest a sell off on Temple stock.
Memphis: Why would anyone buy Memphis stock? This program has been in the tank for decades, and it's not going to change now. This is just a no brainer sell.
Houston: This program was in great shape a couple of seasons ago. Now they are selected to finish last in a fairly weak AAC. Tony Levine is in trouble as the head coach, and this program is headed in the wrong direction. What a mess.
Coming Next: Buy, Pass, Sell ACC Edition
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