2009 - 2010 Conference USA Football Prediction and Preview

Conference USA put themselves firmly in the middle of the college football scene with some great seasons by several teams. East Carolina shocked teams out the gate and the high power offense of Tulsa led them to 11 wins. This year they look to take it to the next level and be heard from in the BCS!

East Carolina Pirates-the defending C-USA Champs finished the year with the trophy but it could have been a better year. They started the year 3-0 with upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia but then came back to earth with three losses. Skip Holtz has made the Pirates winners and that will not change this year as they bring back a dominating defense. Patrick Pinkney returns as quarterback and will provide leadership in the huddle but they need to find a running back to have a great year. This team finished 84th in rushing last year but if they can turn that around they may win another crown.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane—Tulsa is the one of the elite teams in the conference and they have no signs of slowing down. Head coach Todd Graham has implemented a system that can put up points on anyone. They lose QB David Johnson but should be able to find another to fit in the system and Jacob Bower should get the call. The defense will have to put more pressure on opposing teams, but should do enough to get this team back to the top of the standings.
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles—if this defense plays like it did down the stretch last year this will be a good season for the Eagles. They return a ton of talent on defense and are led by NT Anthony Gray. On offense if wideout DeAndre Brown can return from a broken leg he will be one of the best receiver’s in the country. The schedule starts off with some home games that could pad their win total before a tough finish with three out of four on the road.
UAB Blazers-The strength of this team will be senior quarterback Joe Webb. He is a dual threat that can run and pass the football. He had some stellar numbers last year rushing for over 1,000 yards and passing for over 2,300 yards. Those numbers will increase with 10 starters back on offense. The defense brings back plenty of experience as well, but that may not be a good thing. The defense ranked near the bottom in almost every defensive category. The offense will need to carry this team through the season.
Houston Cougars—Coach Kevin Slumlin wanted a high power offense in Houston and that is exactly what he has produced. This offense will get only better this year with all of the main components coming back. Case Keenum is playing quarterback this year again and will try to match his 44 touchdown performance from last year. The offensive line has some holes but they should have replacements. It is the defense that will make life miserable for Slumlin. Houston gave up 31 points per game last year and this has to improve if they want to fight for the title.
University of Central Florida Golden Knights-George O’Leary is back to lead the Knights and he has to try and make up for a putrid season in 2008. The defense will return the majority of the starters and should make up the best front line in the conference. The problem is they may be on the field longer than they should making up for the offense. Brynn Harvey returns at tailaback and he may give this team some hope with the offensive line still in tact from a year okay. If the offense can score the Knights will have a great year. Look for plenty of low scoring games from the Knights.
Memphis Tigers-Tommy West will lead a very explosive Memphis team on to the field this year. They have an impressive offense led by QB Akrelon Hall, a dual threat that can run and pass. He is joined in the backfield by Curtis Steele and together they will put up some points this year. The problem is they return just one starter on the offensive line and if they can’t fill those holes it could lead to a long year for the Tigers.
UTEP Miners-Coach Mike price very could be coaching his last year with the Miners. After missing a bowl yet again the window is closing on Price. The offensive is explosive and QB Trevor Vittatoe is back and has the potential to throw for over 3,000 yards again this year. The problem lies within the defense. They allowed an average of 37 points allowed per game and lost the best tackler. If the defense does not improve UTEP will do poorly and Price will be out.
Rice Owls—Rice came out of nowhere and actually won a bowl game in 2008. Now that everyone is taking the Owls seriously you can look for a poor season. The reason they will take a step back is because they lost three main components starting with quarterback Chase Clement. The defense returns eight starters but that may not be good as they ranked 111th in defense last year. Without the offense to bail them out it is going to be hard to string wins together.
Marshall Thundering Herd-Head Coach Mark Snyder has to be happy about returning eight starters on both sides of the ball. The experience will be helpful but the talent is not there. Mark Cann nearly gave his position at quarterback away and he will have to impress in the spring to keep it. Marshall has the ability to pull of some upsets but they are not in the same caliber as other teams in this conference and will be happy with a bowl bid.
SMU Mustangs—June Jones may be thinking twice about his decision to leave Hawaii after the Mustangs just managed to get one win in his first season. Bo Levi Mitchell is back to run June’s offense at quarterback but he will need more help with the ground game that was pitiful last year. The defense returns eight starters, but that is from a horrible defense that allowed 38 points a game. June will need time to get his system in place and the players to run it, until then four wins would be a gift.
Tulane Green Wave—Bob Toledo has a big job in front of him as coach of the Green Wave. With just two wins last year the team played admirably but will have to do much more to make a difference in C-USA. The good news Andre Anderson is back on offense. The tailback was injured last year and this was the reason for the ugly offensive performance for most of the season. The bad news is the defense allowed an average of 218 rushing yards per game. The defense did not get any better and it looks like another tough season for the Wave.

Conference USA Winner: East Carolina Pirates