Chaotic Saturday Narrows AAC Field

While they may not be officially dead yet, you can pretty much write off the Houston Cougars. With their complete flop against Tulane* the Cougars drop to 3-2 in AAC play and have basically no chance to get into a position where their win over Memphis matters in a tie breaking sense. Also effectively out of contention is Temple, who lost in dispiriting fashion against Memphis in what is looking to be the Tigers last big test of the year.

*Is the Bearcats dominating win against the Green Wave on the road, down Gunner Kiel now kind of a sneaky decent win as far as the AAC goes?

So, where do we stand after this week in terms of the championship race? Well, it's Memphis's to lose barring a hilarious turn of fortune from one of the following, Tulane, USF and UConn. It is not out of the realm of possibilities for one of those three teams to spring the upset. Remember UConn decisively beat Central Florida, but they also just lost to Army.* In theory the Huskies have the defense to give the Tigers problems, but the offense is their issue as it will be forever, by decree of god apparently.

*Before you go gloating remember that UC lost to an infinitely worse Army team in 2004

There are other crucial games that will take place in the last month of the season; the Bearcats hosting ECU Thursday, ECU traveling to Orlando on the final Thursday of the regular season for example. But those are sideshows, barring a complete collapse from the Tigers they will claim a share of their first conference crown in 43 yeas. The major question that will be settled  by the month of November is whether anyone else will be joining them at the summit.