OCTAVIO JONES | Times
With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, first place in the American Athletic Conference West Division will be up for grabs Saturday, when Navy hosts Tulsa.
As that key matchup -- and a wave of other important conference games -- looms, here's a look at how the league is stacking up, as voted upon by a conference-wide panel of beat reporters.
1. USF (7-2, 4-1 AAC): The Bulls got a needed bye week before embarking on a critical three-game stretch to close out the regular season. USF must win its final three games -- at Memphis, at SMU and home against rival UCF -- and hope Temple stumbles against Tulane or East Carolina to make the AAC title game.