Rivals.com AAC Roundtable: This year's turnaround team?

The 2019 season featured seven American Athletic Conference teams earning bowl eligibility. Four of the five other teams each won four games, while Connecticut -- no longer in the AAC -- went 2-10.

All eyes will be on those bottom teams from last season, particularly in a league as competitive as the AAC. In today's AAC Roundtable, representatives from the Rivals.com sites covering the conference discuss who they feel will be the team that, in 2020, can do the best 180-degree turn from 2019.

Here are the following individuals who have agreed to participate for today's question (all names are in alphabetical order):

Kyle Gauss, assistant editor, OwlScoop.com (Temple)

Brandon Helwig, publisher, UCFSports.com (UCF)

Mike James, publisher, TheMidReport.com (Navy)

Mark Lindsay, publisher, PirateIllustrated.com (East Carolina)

Ben McCool, beat writer, BullsInsider.com (USF)

Jefferson Powell, publisher, Cougars Den (Houston)

Damon Sayles, managing editor, The HillTopics (SMU)

Isaac Simpson, beat writer, TigerSportReport.com (Memphis)

Guerry Smith, publisher, The Wave Report (Tulane)

Jason Stamm, managing editor, BearcatReport.com (Cincinnati)

QUESTION OF THE DAY: JULY 23

Which team has the best shot at a huge turnaround for the better, compared to 2019 results?

GAUSS: I guess the obvious answer would be Houston, as the Cougars essentially punted on their 2019 season. Huge turnaround might be an overstatement, but I do feel like the Cougars will be significantly better than they were last year. Losing D'Eriq King is a massive blow, but Clayton Tune, who started in place of King last season, returns and had some memorable games last season, including a 400-yard performance against SMU and a four-touchdown performance -- albeit with four interceptions -- against Navy. The Cougars have two very good wide receivers in Marquez Stevenson and Keith Corbin.

Dana Holgorsen made the decision to bring in a lot of JUCO and grad transfers to try to plug the holes in his roster. He'll need all the help he can get, especially on defense. The Cougars gave up at least 30 points in all but two conference games last season. If the Cougars can't figure things out on that end of the ball, they could be in for a long season. Count me in the group that thinks that Holgorsen's roster overhaul will work out, to an extent, this season. Again, I'm nowhere close to predicting a conference championship for Houston, but I do feel that the Cougars will be significantly better than they were last season.

HELWIG: Houston. It was an interesting first season for Dana Holgorsen, who was accused of intentionally "tanking" by encouraging players to redshirt. One such player, star quarterback D'Eriq King, eventually took it as an opportunity to transfer to Miami. Though I think they're in the second-tier group of the league, year two with Holgorsen, to go along with some decent returning talent, should put the Cougars back in bowl contention.

JAMES: The answer has to be Houston. Clayton Tune is an underrated passer, and he has a receiver in Marquez Stevenson with All-American potential. After last year's strange midseason redshirting drama, the Cougars should rebound nicely with the return of those players. Houston also suffered critical injuries on defense and along the offensive line, but they should reap the benefits of that this year as the players pressed into service return with a year of experience under their belts.

Tulsa is another team that has a chance to improve. The Golden Hurricane wasn't as bad as their 4-8 record last year. They could have easily beaten SMU and Memphis, and they did beat UCF and Wyoming. In any other Group of 5 conference, they would have been a bowl team. If they are able to keep their OOC schedule -- a much easier slate than last year -- I think that Tulsa has enough returning talent on offense to get to a bowl game.

LINDSAY: East Carolina has probably gotten the least out of the most the last few years. With a solid returning group and six transfer portal players coming in, and a new defensive scheme, they have every opportunity to make a big turnaround.

McCOOL: This one is pretty easy, from my perspective. Just three years removed from back-to-back seasons with 10 or more wins, the USF Bulls are well positioned to make a fast turnaround. While their recruiting talent level has slipped a bit in the past few years, things seem to be improving. The addition of head Jeff Scott, who has a pair of national championships on his resume and one of the richest recruiting backyards in the country, suggests that big things are coming for the Bulls. They won’t be ready to contend for a conference championship in year one, but they should at least double their four win total from last season.

POWELL: Considering Houston went 4-8 last season (2-6 in conference play), I think it's safe to say there is plenty of opportunity for improvement, and there's nowhere to go but up. Last season was an interesting year. With a new head coach and the D'Eriq King decision to not play and ultimately redshirt, it just seemed like everything kind of derailed after the loss to Tulane.

This season appears to be primed as another interesting year with the whole COVID-19 issue, but Houston gets a clean slate and a fresh start. They have plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball, with a handful of preseason all-conference selections led by Marquez Stevenson at receiver. They should have a much-improved defense in year two of the Holgorsen era, and if they can find consistency at the quarterback position and put up numbers like a traditional Dana Holgorsen offense, this team could certainly make some noise and see a big improvement from last season.

SAYLES: Houston is the obvious answer, as many feel last season was considered something of a mulligan. That said, I'm going to go against the grain a little and say Tulsa. I watched the Golden Hurricane beat UCF last season, and they probably are still having nightmares about not finishing the job in a triple- overtime road loss to SMU and a one-point home loss to Memphis.

The schedule is favorable for Tulsa to become bowl eligible this year. They play well at home and have tough conference matchups against Cincinnati and SMU, but they return experienced quarterback Zach Smith, 1,100-yard rusher Shamari Brooks, top receiver Keylon Stokes and several other big-time players on both sides of the ball. Tulsa was a spoiler team in 2019, and it should be looked at as a team to watch in 2020, one that could be playing in a bowl in December.

SIMPSON: I think Houston will improve on last years 4-8 record. A lot of moving parts for Dana Holgorsen in his first year at the helm between redshirt/transfer issues and injuries snapped a six-year bowl streak. Quarterback Clayton Tune showed a lot of promise stepping in for D'Eriq King last season, learning the air raid offense on the fly. He'll come into this year as the clear-cut man under center with some of the AAC's biggest weapons at the skill positions.

They really struggled on the defensive end last year but will reap the benefits of several transfers, specifically in the secondary. I think the Cougars start a new bowl streak in 2020.

SMITH: Houston bottomed out when D'Eriq King quit the team after a disappointing 1-3 start. The Cougars will not be a juggernaut under second- year coach Dana Holgorsen, but they are too talented across the board to go 4 -8 again. Quarterback Clayton Tune should be significantly better after his seven-game starting stint a year ago. Look for the Cougars to return to bowl eligibility and beat at least one of the contending triumvirate of UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis.

STAMM: Houston lost so many pieces early in the season, most notably D'Eriq King, who sat out most of the season, then transferred in the offseason. I don't think the Cougars are in the hunt for the conference championship, but I do expect them to get back to a winning season. And while Dana Holgorsen got the benefit of the doubt last season, I'm not sure he can take another mulligan and still keep his job.

DID YOU MISS PART OF THE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION?

Sunday, July 19: Favorite to win the AAC

Monday, July 20: Dark horse of the year

Tuesday, July 21: Offensive Player of the Year

Wednesday, July 22: Defensive Player of the Year