Conference USA East Predictions
1. Southern Miss Golden Eagles - Southern Miss is perhaps the most balanced football team in the league on both sides of the ball. An offense which averaged 32.9 points per game in 2009 should once again be tough to stop. With eight starters back on the defensive side of the football, the Golden Eagles should be able to make the necessary improvements to become East champs. In fact, I expect Southern Miss to boast the best defense in the league in 2010.
2. UCF Knights -The Knights were one of only two C-USA teams to beat a high-octane Houston squad during the regular season in 2009, and they figure to be right in the mix for an East title if QB Rob Calabrese can do the job. That might be a big if, though, considering he lost the starting job last season.
3. Marshall Thundering Herd - Marshall appears to be on the way back up. Amazingly, the Thundering Herd are 118-19 all-time at Joan C. Edwards stadium. That's quite the home field advantage. The Herd get six games at home in 2010, and that means they should have an excellent shot to go bowling again.
4. East Carolina Pirates - The Pirates have been the team to beat in C-USA the last couple years under coach Skip Holtz, but that will change in 2010 with Holtz moving on and 28 seniors also departing.
5. Memphis Tigers - The Tigers finished just 2-10 last season, including 1-7 in conference play. We won't see major improvement in 2010, but we could see some as an experienced offensive line should help the offense move the football down the field. Plus, I really like the hire of Larry Porter. He's young, enthusiastic and excited about rebuilding this football team.
6. UAB Blazers -I just can't see the Blazers making much noise without QB Joe Webb at the reigns. He did it all for UAB, and I expect the offense to struggle without him.
Conference USA West Predictions
1. Houston Cougars - Led by QB Case Keenum, Houston boasts the most explosive offense in all of college football, ranking No. 1 in scoring (42.2 points per game), total yards (563.4 yards per game) and passing (433.7 yards per game). The key to winning an overall C-USA title will be the defensive side of the football, and improvement is expected after hiring former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart.
2. SMU Mustangs - After lifting Hawaii to a BCS bowl game, coach June Jones moved on to SMU, and he has already made major strides there. The Mustangs went 8-5 last season, after going just 1-11 in 2008, and they could have been 11-5 when you consider that they lost two games in overtime and another by just three points. It was the biggest turnaround in the FBS, and I believe Jones will make sure the wins keep piling up.
3. UTEP Miners - UTEP broke a school mark for yardage in 2009, and I believe you'll see the Miners post a few more wins this season, partly because of improvement and partly because of a favorable schedule. There is a high probability that the Miners could get off to a 4-1 start. Looking further down the schedule, they could get off to an even better start than that.
4. Tulsa Golden Hurricane -I wouldn't be surprised if Tulsa bounced back in 2010, but I think it will take the Golden Hurricane another season. They have a tough schedule with road games against Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, East Carolina, Houston and SMU. Plus, their running game, which has been so vital to the success of the offense, wasn't nearly as strong last season.
5. Rice Owls -Rice is another team that I feel is a year away from seriously contending for the West. The Owls should be a lot more competitive this season with an improved offense, but a defense with plenty of holes will keep the wins from piling up.
6. Tulane Green Wave - Tulane has won only two conference games the last two seasons, and it's hard to think major improvement is on the way when look at how young the defense is. Tulane was the worst offensive team in the league last season in terms of scoring and the second worst defensive team in terms of points allowed.
Conference USA Title Game Prediction - Houston over Southern Miss.
If you're interested in seeing which schools I've picked to win college football's other conferences, be sure to check out my 2010 college football predictions.
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