Conference USA looks completely different from how it might have looked a few years ago. Delaware, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Missouri State and Sam Houston State have all joined the conference within the last five years, and most have made the jump from the FCS level to the FBS level.
The C-USA has become a practical launching pad for programs to get up to FBS form and then move on to other conferences. Could a team from this conference of misfits find itself in the College Football Playoff?
1. Liberty Flames (Prediction: 11-1, 8-0)
Liberty is one of the best Group of 5 programs in the country. They’ve done a remarkable job over their first seven years playing FBS football, recording a record of 61-27. In their first year in the C-USA, Liberty won the conference and should represent the conference once again this season.
Q4 4:02 — 26 Amarian Williams — Pass Defended(14) pic.twitter.com/Vuq7nFsdxg
— BeLoudWearRed🔥🦅 (@BeLoudWearRed) September 10, 2023
Now, can they get to the CFP? Unfortunately, their strength of schedule will most likely keep them out, and Liberty most likely won’t have a “quality-win” on their resume. However, finishing the year in a bowl game still goes a long way for a team that just entered a conference three years ago, and could look to get a bump into another conference in the future.
2. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Prediction: 9-3, 7-1)
Head coach Tyson Helton has done wonders at WKU. He’s had an above .500 winning record in the C-USA ever since taking over the Hilltoppers program in 2019. Last season, WKU was embarrassed in the conference championship game, 52-12 against Jacksonville State. Helton’s team should find themselves back in the championship game, and this time around, the beginning of WKU’s season will look different. Kicking the season off with a win against Sam Houston could provide the Hilltoppers with the tie-breaker they’d need to make it to a showdown against Liberty. Given how poor the rest of the conference will look, there most likely won’t be a representative other than Liberty in the CFP, but a strong bowl game could be in place.
3. Sam Houston State Bearkats (Prediction: 8-4, 7-1)
Sam Houston State will undergo a new regime with Phil Longo at the helm. The former Wisconsin offensive coordinator will return five players on offense, but none on defense. Opening the year against a tough WKU squad could follow at least two more losses against UNLV, Hawaii and a dominant Texas team. Fortunately, for Sam Houston, they play in a cakewalk of a conference, and a one-loss conference record should be a possibility for a team looking to find its footing under a new head coach.
4. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (Prediction: 7-5, 5-3)
Probably, the biggest dark horse to challenge for the crown in the C-USA is Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are returning 12 starters,—five on offense, and 7 on defense. Unfortunately, those two units ranked 100th and below in FBS football. Now, if they can improve on those numbers and head coach Derek Mason calls the game the right way, perhaps they can contend. The toughest part of their conference schedule comes in the final two weeks of the season against WKU and Sam Houston. If they split, that’d be huge, but a sweep could be possible, and a shot at the title game would go with it, but a chance to establish the culture of the program might be just what Mason needs for 2026.
5. Jacksonville State Gamecocks (Prediction: 7-5, 5-3)
Right out of the gate, the defending C-USA champs will face off against the conference’s potential best in Liberty. Jacksonville State went into Lynchburg, Va., and beat the Flames, and all but cemented the conference title as there’s to lose. However, this year, Rich Rodriguez is no longer at the controls. First-year head coach Charles Kelly comes over from Auburn, where he was the co-defensive coordinator. Growing pains will happen for the Gamecocks. However, the program’s culture under Kelly will need to be established for the 2026 season.
6. Delaware Blue Hens (Prediction: 4-8, 3-5)
Unlike some of the other FCS teams making the transition to the conference, the Delaware Blue Hens were among the top in the league year in and year out…