This is a magazine I've never purchased before this year and was completely unfamiliar with. Its a little thinner than the others and is slightly different in the way they evaluate the teams.

But the thing that caught my eye was this magazine came closer to what my evaluation of the teams will probably be. Normally the three privates in the western section of the conference are dismissed and looped together in the 4, 5 and 6 spots - remember last year when we were picked last? But ESPN must have done a bit more homework and picked us 2nd behind Houston (the obvious top pick), saw that we had the skill kids returning and how competitive we were, even in our losses. Now don't get me wrong, they still cater to the BCS model and grudgingly allow Houston a top 25 rank, but thats it.

Top National Rank
1. Bama
2. Clemson
3. Michigan
4. Fla St
5. OU
6. LSU
7. Baylor
8. Stanford
9. Notre Dame
10. Ohio St

Houston is ranked #18 and OSU is #15.

They also have a "Football Power Index" which is different than their above ranking. I assume it is what they think the true strength of the teams. But of course most of this is just a subjective formula to begin with. So here are the FPI we are most interested in and their number.

AAC
#44 - USF
#48 - Houston*
#63 - Temple
#70 - Cincy*
#78 - TU
#82 - Navy*
#84 - UCONN
#85 - Memphis*
#91 - SMU*
#94 - ECU*
#100- UCF*
#106- Tulane*
AAC Teams we play in 2016*

Non Conf Teams we play
#17 - Ohio St
# 77 - San Jose St
#104 - Fresno St

So if the FB Power Index is correct, we are higher than 6 teams in the AAC we play plus Fresno and probably NCAT which again is not included being an FCS team. That is 8 wins plus they have us in a virtual tie with SJSU and we get them in Tulsa. So its not hard to project possibly 9 wins.

More Later.

9 wins.......Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

9 wins would be awesome