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Overlooked no more: Cincinnati favored in American

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Being overlooked won’t be a problem for Cincinnati this season.

The Bearcats are favored to win the American Athletic Conference — and loving it.

“As my teammates would say, ‘It’s about time,'” Cincinnati cornerback Adrian Witty said. “Since we’ve been here, it’s no respect. We’re winning. What else more do you want?”

“Here” is the Big East. Or at least it was the Big East. This is Year 2 of the American, the re-incarnated Big East. Cincinnati relocated from Conference USA to the Big East in 2005 and has had only two losing seasons since. Every other year the Bearcats have won at least eight games. They’ve won double-digits five times, played in two BCS bowls and are 29-9 in the last three years.

So, yes, when the Bearcats bring back 17 starters and hand the quarterback job to former five-star recruit and Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel, they are a deserving favorite to win the conference. And with a couple of tough nonconference road games at Ohio State and Miami, the Bearcats set themselves up for a chance to earn a spot in a New Year’s bowl.

Things to know about the American Athletic Conference this season.

NO SHOWDOWN: Cincinnati and defending conference champion Central Florida won’t play this season. The 11-team league plays eight conference games, so each team misses two league foes. And the conference championship game doesn’t start until next season, when Navy joins to give the AAC two six-team divisions. The Bearcats seemed to draw the smoothest path to a title among the top contenders with no UCF, and Houston and East Carolina at home.

REPLACING BLAKE: UCF QB Blake Bortles was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft. He’ll be tough to replace. Likely getting the first crack will be sophomore Justin Holman. Also getting a look are redshirt freshman Pete DiNovo, freshman Tyler Harris, and Boise State transfer Nick Patti, who is from Orlando. SMU is the other team in the American replacing a star quarterback after Garrett Gilbert’s departure.

WELCOME: Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina join the American this season, three more Conference USA imports. Tulsa is coming off a tremendously disappointing season, going 3-9 after being picked as one of the favorites in C-USA. Tulane was one of last season’s surprises, going 7-6. East Carolina has some retooling to do, but is expected to be the best of the newcomers, a league title contender.

PITCH AND CATCH: East Carolina features one of the most productive quarterback-receiver combos in the country in Shane Carden and Justin Hardy. Carden threw for 4,139 yards and accounted for 43 touchdowns (33 TD passes) last season. Hardy needs 84 catches (he had 114 last year) to become the FBS career leader. Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles had 349.

HOLD THAT LINE: Memphis is taking small steps forward under third-year coach Justin Fuente. If the Tigers take a big leap, they’ll be led by one of the better defensive lines outside the Big Five conferences. DE Martin Ifedi had 11 1-2 sacks last season, and DE Ricky Hunter and NT Terry Redden are potential all-conference players.

SOPHOMORE STARS: Big things are expected from two sophomore quarterbacks who burst onto the scene as freshmen in 2013. Houston’s John O’Korn threw for 3,117 yards and 28 touchdowns as the Cougars bounced back from a down 2012 to win eight games. He also has the best group of receivers in the conference, led by Deontay Greenberry.

Temple’s P.J. Walker threw for 2,082 yards and 20 TDs and ran for 332 yards. He gives the Owls hope for a big bounce back from 2-10 in coach Matt Rhule’s first season.

HUSKIES’ HOPE: Connecticut’s Bob Diaco, the former defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, is the only first-year coach in the conference, and he starts with a couple of marquee home games in the first month. The Huskies open against BYU and host Boise State on Sept. 13.

GOOD SIGN: Year 1 under coach Willie Taggart was ugly at times for South Florida (2-10). However, the Bulls signed the top recruiting class in the conference.

STRANGE SCHEDULE: Cincinnati does not play its first game until Sept. 12 against Toledo. Most teams will have played twice by then.

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Predicted order of finish:

1, Cincinnati. 2, Houston. 3, UCF. 4, USF. 5, East Carolina. 6, Memphis. 7, SMU. 8, Tulsa. 9, Temple. 10, Tulane. 11, Connecticut.

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Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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