2011 College Football Conference Previews- Conference USA
Conference USA is one of the more respected Mid-Major conferences in college football despite the fact it only had one team in the final USA Today top 25 poll from last season. The level of play continues to improve each year as the top teams in each division of this conference can hold their own against the majority of the teams in the six major conferences.
The following is a brief preview of each team in Conference-USA along with their current odds to win the conference title this season as provided by BetOnline.com.
East Division
Central Florida +250
The Knights are coming off one of their best seasons in school history after compiling an 11-3 record overall and a 7-1 record in conference play. The season was capped off with a 10-6 victory over Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. George O’Leary’s squad returns seven starters offense including sophomore quarterback Jeff Godfrey, who is poised for even bigger and better things in 2011. The area of concern could be a defense that only has four starters back from last year.
East Carolina +1500
The Pirates will find out where they stand right off the bat this season with a home opener against South Carolina on Sept.3. QB Dominique Davis is back for another season after passing for 3,967 yards and 37 touchdowns and scoring another nine TD’s with his feet. If East Carolina is going to have any chance at competing for the title, it will have to tighten up a defense that gave up an average of 44 points a game in 2010.
Marshall +1200
The 2010 season started with six losses in the Thundering Herds first seven games, knocking them out of not only the East Division race but out of the college bowl picture as well. To avoid a similar fate this season, Marshall will rely on a defense that returns nine starters from last year. The experience this unit brings with it should be able to turn some of those losses into wins.
Memphis +5000
The Tigers only notched one victory against 11 defeats in 2010 so there is only one way for this team to go this season. Just nine starters return from last year which could be considered a good thing given that they lost the majority of their games by two or more touchdowns. Memphis will be a break in 2011 with just one BCS school on the schedule; an opening day clash with Mississippi State.
Southern Mississippi +250
The Golden Eagles return 16 starters from last year’s 8-5 ballclub, making them the team to watch in the East this year. They have a very capable leader in quarterback Austin Davis, who threw for 3,103 yards and 20 TD’s in 2010. The defense will be led by All-Conference DE Cordarro Law and OLB Ronnie Thornton.
UAB +800
Neil Callaway will be starting his fifth year as head coach at UAB and is still looking for his first winning season. Last year the Blazers went 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference. The key could be the play of quarterback Bryan Ellis, who showed flashes of brilliance over the final eight games of the year. UAB also has RB Pat Shed, who led the team with 847 rushing yards last year.
West Division
Houston +175
The good news for the Cougars this season is that quarterback Case Keenum was granted a sixth season of eligibility after missing the majority of last year with a knee injury. He returns to an offense that was ranked 13th in the nation in scoring last year with an average 37.7 points a game. Another positive is that Houston will have its entire linebacking corps back on defense.
Rice +1800
The Owls finished 4-8 last season which was actually one of their better efforts over the past few years. They will have 17 starters back including nine players on an offense that averaged close to 30 points a game. Rice will have to do a much better job on the defensive side of the ball after giving up close to 40 points a game.
Southern Methodist +650
Head Coach June Jones’ Mustangs took a small step backward in 2010 after an 8-5 season and a 45-10 victory over Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl in 2009. They managed to win the West Division with a 6-2 conference record, but finished the season 7-7 overall. They will have 10 starters back on offense including QB Kyle Padron, who threw for 3,828 yards and 31 TD’s last year.
Tulane +3000
The Green Wave managed to win just two games in the conference last season and the prospect for a dramatic turnaround this season simply does not exist. They were ranked 80th in the nation in scoring and 113th in points allowed; giving up close to 40 points a game. Making matters worse is the fact that Tulane plays a 13-game schedule which includes seven teams that qualified for a bowl game last year.
Tulsa +800
The Golden Hurricane overcame a slow start in 2010 to win seven straight games down the stretch sparked by a shocking 28-27 victory over Notre Dame. They finished the year at 10-3 overall and have high expectations for another magical run with 18 starters returning. If Tulsa can survive a brutal September with games against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Boise State, it should be set for another deep run in the conference.
UTEP +5000
Minors crashed and burned as well down the stretch last season by losing six of their last seven games after starting the season 5-1. They will have nine starters back on defense, but will pretty much have to start from scratch on offense with just two starters back from last year.
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