Temple picked to finish third in AAC East Division

NEWPORT, R.I. – For the second year in a row, Temple has been picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference East Division in the preseason football media poll. The results were released during Tuesday's AAC football media day.

Last season the Owls did indeed finish third in the East Division.

Defending AAC champion Central Florida, coming off a 13-0 season, was picked as both the East Division preseason champion and the overall conference champion.

The Knights received 25 of the 30 first place votes to win the division and 19 of 30 first place votes to win the overall title.

South Florida, which earned five first place votes, was picked second in the East Division and Temple was third.

Temple finished 7-6 last season, winning four of its final five games, including a 28-3 win over Florida International in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl.

Defending West Division champion Memphis was picked to repeat, earning 23 of the 30 votes. The Tigers also received seven votes to win the overall championship.

Last year year UCF defeated Memphis, 62-55, in two overtimes in the AAC title game.

Here are the preseason polls with the number of first place votes in parenthesis.

Central Florida (19)

Memphis (7)

South Florida (3)

Houston (1)