AAC spring prospectus: West division transition begins
The addition of Navy for the 2015 season will allow the American Athletic Conference to split into a pair of six-team divisions, which in turn will allow for a conference championship game between the two divisional winners.
Navy will join the West Division, geography be damned, and join Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa. The East Division features UCF, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, USF and Temple.
On paper, at least, the East is the tougher of the two divisions. Central Florida and Cincinnati tied Memphis for the American title a season ago; both should remain among the league's upper crust in 2015. East Carolina is a perennial contender, while Temple has made significant strides under Matt Rhule.
Half of the West, meanwhile, will be led by first-year head coaches: Tom Herman at Houston, Philip Montgomery at Tulsa and Chad Morris at SMU. While Memphis will be difficult to unseat, Navy should be in contention deep into November.
The biggest change for the better may be the addition of the championship game. As seen elsewhere — the Mountain West Conference, Mid-American Conference and Conference USA — adding the title game gives the best teams in the American one last chance to state their case for the access bid to the College Football Playoff.
Three spring storylines:
1. SMU installs tempo. Eventually, the success of Morris' tenure will be dictated by how well the staff fares in recruiting area high schools — a task made easier by the staff's built-in connections in the Dallas area and beyond. When it comes to the 2015 season, SMU's ability to charge toward bowl eligibility depends on how ably the returning cast can grasp Morris' up-tempo style. Morris estimated in early January that the offense will install about half of the system by the end of drills, but grasping the mentality behind the fast-pace scheme will be far more important than the nuts and bolts.
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2. Willie Taggart's hot seat. Once a can't-miss hire — by virtue of his success at Western Kentucky and area roots — Willie Taggart's two seasons at South Florida have failed to inspire confidence. As such, no other American coach enters the spring in bigger need of a turnaround: Taggart has just six wins in two years, with just one victory coming in nonconference play, and must show progression this season to bolster his diminishing job security.
3. Foundation set at Houston. Moreso than the other first-year head coaches in the American — and the wide majority of first-year coaches across the country — Tom Herman inherits at Houston a program poised for an immediate run of success. Remember that Houston won eight games a year ago; remember as well that Houston wasn't satisfied with eight wins. So the former Ohio State offensive coordinator takes on a team not just with the ability to match or exceed last year's total, but the desire to move beyond eight wins to the top of the conference. As with other rookie coaches, the spring will be vital for Herman and his staff.
Five impact newcomers:
1. Cincinnati OL DeLonte' Murray. By enrolling early, the junior-college transfer will have the opportunity to replace Eric Lefeld as the Bearcats' left tackle.
2. Tulsa QB Chad President. The four-star prospect should benefit from the coaching change and incumbent starter Dane Evans' average play last fall.
3. Memphis WR Jae Oglesby. After originally signing with Clemson, Oglesby spent one season at Fork Union Military Academy before landing in the Tigers' signing class.
4. SMU QB Ben Hicks. The Elite 11 selection joined the Mustangs in time for spring drills. He may just end up a multiple-year starter in Morris' quarterback-friendly system.
5. Temple DB Kareem Ali, Jr. One of two four-star prospects in Temple's signing class, Ali should find an immediate role in the secondary rotation.
Spring game schedule:
March 28, South Florida; April 4, Cincinnati; April 10, Memphis; April 11, Connecticut; April 18, Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa; April 25, Temple (Navy will not hold a spring game).