Which G5 Underclassmen Are Headed To The NFL: Offense Edition

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Every year, college players ready to no longer "play school" declare their intentions to join the revolving cast of the NFL. Some are guarantees like Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, while others decide to make the jump without knowing what their futures bring.

With that said, let's take a look at the offensive players of the G5 that have declared for the upcoming draft.

Quarterbacks: (1)

• Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo: 6,999 yards passing with 55.8% completion percentage and 49 touchdowns. 201 rushes for 757 yarrds and 16 touchdowns in 32 games played. 2018 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. #7 best QB according to USA Today. 

Jackson is an interesting case for the new NFL. Among the quarterbacks eligible for the draft, Jackson is one of the best dual threat players on the board. His size, 6-7 and 245 pounds, is intriguing and he has an impressive arm, but a completion rate below 60% is worrisome and may scare off some teams. He will get drafted, but do not expect Jackson to go in the first three rounds.

Running Backs: (7)

• Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis: 431 rushes for 3,545 yards and 36 touchdowns. 63 catches for 758 yards and 8 touchdowns in 38 games played. Finished 10th in 2018 Heisman voting. 2018 Consensus All-American. #1 in NCAA in rushing ypa., #2 in rushing touchdowns, #2 in rushing yards. #8 best running back according to USA Today.
• Joshuwa Holloman, RB, Eastern Michigan: Track athlete. 
• Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State: 581 carries for 2,829 yards nad 33 touchdowns. 60 cathces for 511 yards nad 1 touchdown in 38 games played. #2 nationally with 302 rush attempts in 2018, #7 nationally in rushing touchdowns (17), #8 nationally with 1,415 yards rushing. 
• Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic: 714 carries for 4,287 yards nad 66 touchdowns. 51 catches for 397 yards and  touchown in 38 games played. 2017 CUSA MVP. Most rushing attempts in NCAA, #4 in rushing yards, #1 in rushing touchdowns in 2017. #8 in career rushing touchdowns (66). 
• Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State: Only played one season at Utah State. 153 carries for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns. 23 cathes for 351 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games played. 
• Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic: 232 carries for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns. 22 catches for 227 yards and  touchdowns in 37 games played. Career 26.1 yards per kickoff return. 
• Tony Pollard, RB/KR/WR, Memphis: 139 carries for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns. 104 catches for 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns in 40 games played. 30.1 yards per kickoff return for his career, including 7 touchdowns. Career leader in kickoff return touchdowns and led the nation with a 40.0 kickoff return average in 2017. 

Let's start with the best of the group. Memphis running back Darrell Henderson was the most explosive running back in the nation last season. He is a bit undervalued due to his time at Memphis, but the Tigers have produced quality NFL players in the past. He is easily a 2-3 round pick in my opinion and has more explosion than any other back in the draft.

Mattison and Singletary are both impressive players that carried the ball quite a bit in their college careers. There are worries that Singletary is more of the player he was as a senior rather than the dominant back he was as a junior. Mattison was a workhorse in 2018, giving scouts the thought that a bit of tread is gone from the tire. Both should hear their names called in the 5-6 rounds of the draft, if not earlier.

Thompson has the chance at being a late round pick, but would have benefited from spending one more season with the Aggies. Same with Kerrith Whyte Jr. He would have been the feature back in the Owls offense with the opportunity to shine in Kiffin's offense.

Tony Pollard is an interesting prospect. He set the kickoff return touchdown record in three seasons and has a full season averaging 40 yards per return in 2017. Whether he is drafted or not, Pollard should be on a roster with a chance to earn a KR/PR job and has the ability to produce in the running and passing game as needed.

Tight End: (3)

• Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State: 51 catches for 637 yards and 8 touchdowns in 19 games played. 
• Dax Raymond, TE, Utah State: 72 catches for 873 yards and 3 touchdowns in 27 games played. 
• Keenen Brown, TE, Texas State: One year at Texas State. 51 catches for 577 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games played. Top 10 in Sun Belt in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2018. 

Of the three, Brown is the most intriguing. Brown was a no factor with the Cowboys, but turned into a receiving option of choice at Texas State. He has the size and ability to block, but has to prove he is willing to do so at the NFL level.

Warring and Raymond have a chance to make a roster, but their chances of getting drafted depend on how multiple their skill sets can be at the next level.

Wide Receiver: (9)

• Jalen Guyton, WR, North Texas: Transfer from Notre Dame. 103 catches for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns in 25 games played. 
• Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo: 135 catches for 2,235 yards and 23 touchdowns in 999 career games played. 
• Dredrick Snelson, WR, Central Florida: 106 catches for 1,519 yards and 15 touchdowns in 32 games played. 
• John Ursua, WR, Hawaii: 189 catches for 2,662 yards and 24 touchdowns in 33 games played. #9 in receptions (89), #5 in receiving yards (1,343), and #1 in receiving touchdonws (16) in 2018. 
• Preston Williams, WR, Colorado State: Transfer from Tennessee. 16 catches for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns in 7 games played at Tennessee. 96 catches for 1,345 yards and 14 touchdowns for Colorado State in 2018. #1 nationally with 96 receptions, #4 with 1,345 receiving yards, and #3 in receiving touchdowns (14) in 2018.
• Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State: 203 catches for 2,960 yards nad 19 touchdowns in 29 games played. Top 10 in Sun Belt in receptions in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Led Sun Belt in receiving yards in 2015 and 2017. 
• Cortrelle Simpson, WR, Richmond: Transfer from Temple. 96 catches for 1,670 yards and 11 touchdowns in 20 games played at Richmond. 
• Jovon Durante, WR, Florida Atlantic: Transfer from West Virginia. 60 catches for 726 yards and 7 touchdowns at WVU. 65 catches for 873 yards and 5 touchdowns at FAU in 36 total games played.
• Jazz Ferguson, WR, Northwestern State: Transfer from LSU. 2 catches for 17 yards at LSU in one game played. 66 catches for 1,117 yards and 13 TD at Northwestern State in 11 games played.

One thing the NFL has realized in the last several years is that talent at wide receiver can be found at all levels. This group has multiple transfers from P5 programs in addition to very effective players that battled injuries.

The most exciting of the transfers is Colorado State's Preston Williams. The former Vol looked like a bust in Knoxville, but made the trip to the MWC and led the nation in catches. More impressive is the fact that he did so on a down Rams team that struggled with consistent quarterback play.

Ursua, Hart, and Johnson are pass catching machines, but past injuries will be scrutinized by the medical crews of NFL teams. Hart in particular is small but explosive and could be a steal for the right team in the right offense.

The FCS is sending two players from the wide receiver group and I feel like both are in need of another year at the college level. Ferguson was especially explosive in 2018, but he only had two college catches before last season.

Offensive Line: (2)

• Chidi Okeke, OT, Tennessee State: Transfer from LSU. Two-year starter at TSU. First-team OVC in 2018. 
• Tyler Roemer, OT, San Diego State: Started 23 straight games for SDSU. Former USA Today Freshman All-American. Kicked off SDSU team in 2018. 

Finally, the offensive line comes to the party. Okeke seemed like a player ready to declare for the NFL as soon as he set foot on the Nashville campus of TSU. He seems a year away, but it remains to be seen if he will hear his name called this spring (not incredibly likely).

Roemer is very interesting because he will fall into the character issues category. He is a former Freshman All-American and started 23 games in a row before being suspended and then removed from the Aztec roster.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/28/17): The Trojans Are Back

By Fliry Vorru (talk) - I created this work entirely by myself., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18588335

It has been a wild roller coaster of a season for Troy. From defeating LSU to losing to South Alabama, there has rarely been a boring week for the Trojans. A few plays here and there and Troy could be sitting at 11-0 heading into a de facto Sun Belt title game. Instead, they are sitting at 9-2 and will at the very least share the Sun Belt with a win over Arkansas State.

Let's take a look at the weekly poll.

Others Receiving Votes: Houston 4, NIU 3, Ohio 3, Army 2, Arkansas State 2, Central Michigan 2. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @BenMoore247, @AStateFanRules, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @DPattersonTX.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/20/17): The AAC Is King

This week saw the top four continue to pull away from the rest of the top ten with virtually every voter ranking UCF, Memphis, Boise State, and USF in some combination of the top four. Fresno State is back in the top ten, giving the MWC three of the top ten to go along with three AAC programs. Only the Sun Belt is not in the top ten this week, but Troy is very close to giving the conference representation.

Others Receiving Votes: Troy 15, Ohio 15, Army 4, Navy 3, Houston 2. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @BenMoore247, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/13/17): Army Joins The Party

Due to some technical difficulties, the weekly G5 Top 10 is out a little later tonight than usual. We experienced a bit of upheaval throughout the top 10 with Army and Houston taking advantage in earning a spot. Overall, this was a closer than usual vote (other than the top four) with NIU and Houston only two votes ahead of Troy and North Texas.

Others Receiving Votes: North Texas 11, Troy 11, Fresno State 8, Wyoming 5, Florida International 4, Navy 1. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU.

Which Teams Have The Best Shot Of Going To The CUSA Title Game: The End Of Times

It is not yet the middle of November and we already seem to be down to the final three teams last in the Conference USA race. North Texas, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International are in control of their fates and two of the three teams will make up a surprising CUSA title game.

Think about that for a moment, this is the P5 equivalency of getting a Mississippi State/Kentucky matchup in the SEC title game. Notice that North Texas, FIU, and FAU have yet to play for the CUSA title since making the move from the Sun Belt.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the CUSA race heading into week 11. 

Conference USA East Division:

Contenders: FAU, FIU, Marshall (barely).

Pretenders: WKU, MTSU, Charlotte, Old Dominion.

• Florida Atlantic (6-3, 5-0 CUSA): The Lane Train had plenty of chances to derail, but beat WKU and Marshall in back to back weeks after destroying North Texas. This team is on a roll and benefiting from a weak overall conference to possibly take the title. Barring an epic collapse, they are still in the driver’s seat and could all but clinch the division title with a win over FIU in the Shula Bowl. The question then becomes when, not if, Lane Kiffin leaves for another job. Chance of winning the division: 55%.
• Florida International (6-2, 4-1 CUSA): Credit goes to the Panthers for coming through when all the chips were on the table. Anything less than sweeping Marshall and UTSA would kill their chances at a berth in the CUSA title game. Instead, they won both games and are a win versus Old Dominion from playing rival FAU with the east lead on the line. Of course, there is still a Thanksgiving week matchup with WKU to contend with, but just the fact that they have a real shot at the division title is nothing short of stunning. Chance of winning the division: 44%.
• Marshall (6-3, 3-2 CUSA): Let’s be honest. Marshall’s shot at winning Conference USA ended with back to back losses to FIU and FAU. They had a chance to take control of the race, but instead fell to third place and need tons of help. In addition to beating WKU, UTSA, and Southern Miss, they would need FAU to lose out and FIU to lose two of their final three games. I mean it is possible, but really? Chance of winning the division: 1%.

Conference USA West Division:

Contenders: North Texas, UAB, Southern Miss.

Pretenders: Rice, UTEP, UTSA, Louisiana Tech.

• North Texas (6-3, 5-1 CUSA): Yes, there are two other teams in the west with a shot to win the west, but the Mean Green is in excellent shape. First off, UNT holds tiebreakers over UAB, Southern Miss, UTSA, and Louisiana Tech. What that means is that all they have to do is not lose to both UTEP and Rice. A win in either game sends them to the conference title game. Okay, the division is all but sealed up at this point.  Chance of winning the division: 99%.
• UAB (6-3, 4-2 CUSA): We are officially down to hopes and prayers for the Blazers heading into week 11. Of course, they have to win out, but they also need North Texas to lose to both Rice and UTEP in order to jump them in the standings. On the bright side, winning out guarantees a second place finish and a pretty sweet bowl game. Hope is still alive, but a return season with a conference title was asking a bit too much anyway. Chance of winning the division: 0.5%.
• Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2 CUSA): If UAB is looking for a miracle, the Golden Eagles need one of the craziest endings in college football history to win the division. First, winning out is a given. Second, UNT has to lose to Rice and UTEP. Third, UAB has to lose one more game to fall a game behind in the standings. If all three of those things happen, then USM will represent the west. Settling for a second place finish is not a bad thing considering all of the quarterback issues during this campaign. Chance of winning the division: 0.5%.

Projected CUSA Title Game: North Texas at FAU.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (11/6/17): The MAC Represents

One thing I never saw coming this week was a takeover from the MAC with three teams earning spots in the top 10. Ohio joins Toledo and NIU in the rankings, making the MAC tied for the most most represented with the AAC.

Others Receiving Votes: Houston 14, Fresno State 14, Troy 11, Army 8, Florida International 3, North Texas 3, SMU 2. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU, @BenMoore247, @The_DailyDragon.

College Football Outpost's G5 Top 10 Rankings (10/30/17): #1 Goes Down!!!

By breezy421 from Orlando - originally posted to Flickr as IMG_2923.jpg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9104204

Apparently nothing can go according to schedule this season. South Florida looked to be in control after San Diego State failed to hold the top spot. That didn't last for long as the Bulls fell in devastating fashion to Houston on Saturday. 

The Bulls were not the only top 10 team to fall as Colorado State and Fresno State also fell, opening spots for Arkansas State and San Diego State to join the party. 

Others Receiving Votes: SMU 14, Ohio 7, Troy 6, Houston 6, Army 5, Colorado State 5, North Texas 4, Marshall 3, Florida International 3, Fresno State 2. 

Voters This Week: @TheJayBir, @Sports4Heretics, @AStateFanRules, @meangreennation, @LaTechReport, @NorthCoastBias, @cfoutpost, @HuskieUnleashed, @warriorboutit, @TheTowelRackWKU.

Which Teams Have The Best Shot Of Going To The CUSA Title Game: Some Clarity Emerges

It wouldn't be another week of CUSA football without at least one major upset. This week, FIU surprisingly took care of Marshall while UAB snuck out with a win versus Southern Miss. All that did was strengthen the grips of North Texas and FAU on a trip to the CUSA title game. 

Back to back CUSA champion WKU was virtually eliminated from contention after giving up a second half lead in a loss to FAU. Let's see how Conference USA stacks up.

Conference USA East Division:

Contenders: FAU, FIU, Marshall, WKU (Barely).

Pretenders: MTSU, Charlotte, Old Dominion.

• Florida Atlantic (5-3, 4-0 CUSA): Either CUSA is really not very good this year or FAU figured things out after a road loss to Buffalo. They are the only undefeated team in the conference, but face a put up or shut up three-game stretch of the season with Marshall, La. Tech, and FIU on the slate. Win all three and the season finale versus Charlotte doesn’t even matter. A loss to La. Tech wouldn’t be that bad as long as they beat Marshall and FIU. A loss to Marshall or FIU could open the division for anyone to win. Chance of winning the division: 58%.
• Florida International (5-2, 3-1 CUSA): Surprise, surprise, the Panthers are sitting in second place and only one game from a bowl berth. Winning out would give them a 7-1 CUSA record and tiebreakers over FAU and Marshall. There is still a tough game upcoming as UTSA travels to Miami in a virtual division winner elimination game. Only after that win can FIU even think about being the East Division representative. Until they are eliminated, I will not count FIU out. Chance of winning the division: 22%.
• Marshall (6-2, 3-1 CUSA): The Thundering Herd blew a chance to effectively eliminate FIU from the race in a 41-30 loss. What that did was force Marshall into needing a perfect final four games to have any hope of a division title. They have FAU and WKU in the next two weeks with a shot to earn a tiebreaker over both and give WKU a fatal third CUSA loss.  Even going 4-0, they need some help in the form of an FIU loss to take the division. Chance of winning the division: 19%.
• Western Kentucky (5-3, 3-2 CUSA): The Hilltoppers are on life support after blowing a lead versus FAU. That win means that FAU would need to lose three of their final four games to fall behind WKU. Winning out would give them the tiebreakers over FIU and Marshall, eliminating both teams from contention. Asking the only CUSA undefeated to lose three of four to end the season is quite a bit of a request. Chance of winning the division: 1%.

Conference USA West Division:

Contenders: North Texas, UAB, Southern Miss, UTSA, Louisiana Tech.

Pretenders: Rice, UTEP.

• North Texas (7-1, 4-1 CUSA): Beat Louisiana Tech. As stated before, they are basically then West Division champs if they win over the Bulldogs. With that win, it would take losses in each of the final two CUSA games to keep from winning the division. A loss would send us into chaos as there would then be a multi-team tie at the top and the tiebreaker sheet would come out. Let’s not look at the silly tiebreaker sheet until we are absolutely forced to do so. Chance of winning the division: 65%.
• UAB (6-2, 3-2 CUSA): The only realistic shot for the Blazers is to win out and hope for North Texas to lose two games down the stretch, one to Louisiana Tech and one to either Rice or UTEP. Winning out would give them tiebreakers over Southern Miss, UTSA, and Louisiana Tech in addition to a one game lead over UNT. Not the easiest route to winning the division, but not entirely impossible. Chance of winning the division: 5%.
• Southern Miss (5-2, 3-2 CUSA): The Golden Eagles need to win down the stretch and get a bit of help. They hold tiebreakers over LA Tech and UTSA, but lose in tiebreakers to UNT and UAB. Basically, a win by LA Tech over North Texas and complete chaos is the most realistic route to Southern Miss winning the division. USM would still need UAB and to lose another game and North Texas to lose to either Rice or UTEP to clear out a few of the tiebreakers, but anything is possible. Chance of winning the division: 5%.
• UTSA (5-2, 2-2 CUSA): The Roadrunners, needing a bit of help to win the west, actually have the ability to affect the entire CUSA race in both divisions. All four of their November games are versus teams that still have a shot at winning their division. Win out and the Roadrunners eliminate UAB and LA Tech from contention. Then UTSA needs some help at they need at least one more USM loss and two losses by UNT before the season ends. Can anyone reliably expect Rice or UTEP to beat North Texas? Chance of winning the division: 10%.
• Louisiana Tech (4-4, 2-2 CUSA): Looking down and out not all that long ago, the Bulldogs may have the best shot at taking out North Texas. A win over the Mean Green followed by running the table could throw the division into a multi-team jumble at the top with LA Tech holding tiebreakers over UTSA and North Texas. They would still need some help from losses by UAB and Southern Miss down the stretch to head back to the CUSA title game. Chance of winning the division: 15%.

*It should be noted that if multiple teams (3+) end up in a tie, we are headed to the dreaded tiebreaker sheet and there are just too many possible scenarios to evaluate at this point without driving me crazy.*

Projected CUSA Title Game: North Texas at FAU (again)

Which Teams Have The Best Shot Going To The CUSA Title Game?

By Patrick M. McLeod - http://www.flickr.com/photos/misternaxal/1880129223/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7889392

Halloween week has descended upon college football, so now is as good of a time as ever to take a look at Conference USA standings and how things shaking out. It has been an interesting season to this point with multiple plot twists worthy of a blockbuster movie. Could you have imagined that FAU would look dominant in conference play while preseason west favorites UTSA and Louisiana Tech sit on the outside looking in at this point in the season?

Speaking of preseason favorites, which teams were picked by the media to take each division?

• College Football News: MTSU (East), Louisiana Tech (West)
• USA Today: WKU (East), Louisiana Tech (West)
• Athlon: WKU (East), Louisiana Tech (West)
• CUSA Media Poll: WKU (East), Louisiana Tech (West)

How do those predictions look at this point in the season?

East Division:

Contenders: FAU, Marshall, WKU, FIU (technically).

Pretenders: MTSU, Charlotte, Old Dominion.

• Florida International (4-2, 2-1 CUSA): The Panthers have been a bit of a surprise this season under Butch Davis. They have to only win two of their final six games to become bowl eligible, an accomplishment for the ages considering the last few years. That aside, FIU is still in the running for the east with only one loss (MTSU) in conference play. They have yet to play the meat of their CUSA schedule with trips to Marshall and FAU while hosting Marshall, UTSA, ODU, and WKU. Already a game behind FAU and Marshall in the loss column, they would likely need to sweep their four remaining east opponents. Otherwise, it would take too many tiebreakers falling in their favor to have a shot at the division. Chance of winning the east: 1%.
• Western Kentucky (5-2, 3-1 CUSA): The Hilltoppers are an incredibly tough team to figure out. They are 5-2 and barring a letdown for the ages, will get to six wins and another bowl game. Their one loss in CUSA play was versus a west opponent, taking most tiebreakers from that specific game off the table. Running the table would give WKU yet another east division title, but they have FAU and Marshall sandwiched between a trip to Vanderbilt, making that goal just a bit harder. Lose to either FAU or Marshall and WKU is almost completely out of title game hopes, barring multiple teams finishing with the same record. Basically, sweep FAU and Marshall and the path is clear. Chance of winning the east: 20%.
• Florida Atlantic (4-3, 3-0 CUSA): Credit has to be given to Lane Kiffin and company for turning a team that looked in trouble after week four into a potential division winner. Sitting at 3-0 after a big win over North Texas, the Owls face a make or break section of their season. Trips to WKU and Louisiana Tech sandwich a visit from Marshall and the Owls could be cruising to a division title if they go 3-0. Winning two of three would almost certainly put them within reach of the title if those two wins are against WKU and Marshall. That would give them the tiebreaker over both teams with only FIU and Charlotte left on the schedule. TL;DR: Beat WKU and Marshall and you will almost certainly win the division. Chance of winning the east: 45%.
• Marshall (6-1, 3-0 CUSA): After an ugly win over Charlotte to start CUSA play, the Thundering Herd have rolled to a 3-0 conference record and overall bowl eligibility. They will be heavy favorites over FIU on Saturday, knocking FIU out of division title contention and setting up a huge four-game end to the season. With UTSA and Southern Miss still left from the west, while also facing WKU and FAU from the east, Marshall by far has the toughest end to the season. As with WKU and FAU, pulling the sweep over the other two would put them in a great spot to win the division and head to the CUSA title game. A loss to either opens the door to losing via tiebreaker, so we have to wait until October 11 to figure out Marshall’s true fate. Chance of winning the east: 34%.

West Division:

Contenders: North Texas, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, UTSA, UAB (technically).

Pretenders: UTEP, Rice.

• Louisiana Tech (3-4, 1-2 CUSA): Despite sitting at 1-2 in conference play and a devastating loss to Southern Miss to rebound from, there is still hope in Ruston. As with any two-loss team, running the table is almost the only way to win the division. That includes beating Rice, North Texas, FAU, UTEP, and UTSA. Doing that alone would knock every other contender except UAB and Southern Miss from contention. La Tech would then need the Blazers to lose one game down the stretch and Southern Miss lose two games. Another long shot possibility. Chance of winning the east: 8%.
• UAB (4-3, 2-2 CUSA): I am not saying that the Blazers hopes of winning the division went up in smoke on Saturday, but basically they did. The first thing that has to happen is beating Southern Miss, Rice, UTSA, and UTEP. That would put them at 6-2 in the division, a game ahead of UTSA, and a tiebreaker winner over Southern Miss. In addition, they would need two losses by North Texas. That is a tough request considering UNT’s schedule down the stretch. Chance of winning the west: 1%.
• UTSA (4-2, 1-2 CUSA): Football is a game of inches and no truer is the case than with the Roadrunners. A play here or a tackle there and they are sitting pretty and rolling to a division title. Instead, they are sitting at 1-2 in CUSA play and need Southern Miss and North Texas to both lose 2+ games down the stretch. They also need to take care of business and beat UTEP, FIU, UAB, Marshall, and Louisiana Tech to end up at 6-2 in CUSA play. That is asking quite a bit and adding what they need from USM and UNT is almost asking the impossible. Chance of winning the west: 3%.
• Southern Miss (5-2, 3-1 CUSA): The Golden Eagles are the only team other than North Texas that has a high chance at winning the division. They have a very winnable final three games (UAB, Rice, Charlotte) before facing Marshall in the regular season finale. If North Texas loses down the stretch and is sitting one game behind USM, then the Marshall game becomes everything. A win would give them the west. I know it sounds sacrilegious, but Southern Miss fans must root for Louisiana Tech when they face North Texas on November 4. Chance of winning the west: 41%.
• North Texas (4-3, 3-1 CUSA): Considering they took one of the worst beatings in school history, hope is still alive for the Mean Green. Honestly, nearly everything else within division fell perfectly to give them a chance at the west division crown. They have played the hardest part of their in-conference slate and should cruise wins over Old Dominion, UTEP, and Rice. The game that could decide which team represents the east will be played on November 4 in Ruston, Louisiana. A win over the Bulldogs and a sweep of the dregs of the conference this year guarantees UNT a spot in the title game. Chance of winning the west: 47%.

CUSA title game prediction as of today (10/22/17): Marshall vs. North Texas. 

Conference USA Power Rankings (9/4/17)

It was an odd start to the season for CUSA as the elites struggled with inferior opponents, MTSU no showed versus Vandy again, and Marshall showed that you don’t always need an offense to win a game. With that said, let’s take a look at the CUSA power rankings.

1. Western Kentucky (1-0, 0-0): Sure, EKU is a rival, but the Hilltoppers looked a bit disinterested and looking ahead Saturday night. A win is a win and with Illinois, Louisiana Tech, and Ball State filling out a September slate, things will only get tougher for WKU.
2. Louisiana Tech (1-0, 0-0): It is hard to get up to play versus a vastly inferior opponent. The Bulldogs took care of business, but have quite a bit to work on before facing Mississippi State, WKU, and South Carolina in the next three weeks.
3. MTSU (0-1, 0-0): As usual, the Blue Raiders choked against their neighbors from Nashville. All you can really do is throw that game out the window and start new. Wins over Syracuse and Minnesota in the next two weeks could completely change the trajectory of the program this season.
4. Old Dominion (1-0, 0-0): It was an ugly game, but Old Dominion held off a tougher than expected Albany squad in week one. LaRussa showed flashes of brilliance and should have his spot cemented as a starter with his week one performance. Three turnovers cannot happen versus North Carolina and Virginia Tech if they want to pull an upset or two.
5. UTSA (0-0, 0-0): Weather kept the Roadrunners from playing in week one. They instead get to start their season with a trip to a Baylor squad smarting from a loss to Liberty in week one. If they can get this win, they could be looking at a possible 9/10 win season this fall.
6. Marshall (1-0, 0-0): I don’t even know what to make of the Thundering Herd. They cannot expect to score 21 non-offensive points every week. Until the offense proves they are improved from last season, Marshall sits in the middle of the CUSA pack.
7. Southern Miss (0-1, 0-0): There is hope for the Golden Eagles as they have found their quarterback in Kwadra Griggs. There were multiple chances for USM to beat Kentucky and they would have moved to #6 if they did, but they could not pull out the win. With Southern and ULM next on the slate, USM should start CUSA play at 2-1 overall.
8. North Texas (1-0, 0-0): The Mean Green took care of business in week one and beat the doors off Lamar as expected. Now, they have a real challenge with SMU and Iowa on the schedule before starting CUSA play with a visit from UAB.
9. UAB (1-0, 0-0): The Return got off to a great start in week one with a 38-7 win over Alabama A&M. The Blazers get into real FBS action in week two versus a solid Ball State squad, followed by Coastal Carolina. Five wins are possible for UAB this year.
10. Charlotte (0-1, 0-0): The 49ers hung around and had a chance to get within a score versus EMU, but could not put things together offensively in the 24-7 loss. Fix some mistakes and Charlotte could be battling for a bowl berth.
11. Florida Atlantic (0-1, 0-0): The Lane Kiffin era got off to a lackluster start versus a solid Navy squad. The players looked lost at times and the coaching staff looked ill prepared for the triple option of Navy. It could get ugly for the Owls in the next two weeks as they travel to #9 Wisconsin and Boston College comes to town.
12. UTEP (0-1, 0-0): The Miners were never going to compete with Oklahoma on the road. Forget that game. This week marks a matchup with Rice that could determine the worst team in Conference USA.
13. Florida International (0-1, 0-0): If Kiffin’s era got off to a lackluster start, the Butch Davis era started with a disaster. Playing rival UCF, the Golden Panthers are lucky that they didn’t give up 80 points. It was bad.
14. Rice (0-1, 0-0): With Stanford, Houston, Pitt, and Army making up the non-conference schedule, this could be the year that Rice goes 0-12. The best chances for the Owls to win a game might come in September as they travel to UTEP and host FIU.

Top 10 G5 Rushers: Week One

Only one G5 running back broke 200 yards in Week One as Ray Lawry of Old Dominion heads into Labor Day as the nation's leading rusher.

CUSA Week One Preview

With all CUSA members except for North Texas kicking off the season this week, let's take a look at each matchup and who will win.

Conference USA Players to Watch

There is lots of talent all over the board in Conference USA this year with some of the craziest offensive numbers as well as some of the better defensive players in the nation. Unsure of who to watch for in the conference this season, let's take a look and find out who should be noticed among CUSA this season.

2015 Conference USA Football Schedule

2015 Conference USA Football Schedule:

64 FBS to FBS transfers dot the CUSA landscape

Conference USA programs have been able to bring in players from other FBS programs on a regular basis to fill holes, give players second chances, and give players a chance to compete for playing time when that was not a possibility previously. 64 FBS to FBS transfers are currently on Conference USA team rosters with with five schools bringing in 5+ of those players.

NFL Draftees

With the 2015 NFL draft in the books, the MWC, MAC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Independent programs saw 24 players drafted by NFL teams with many more signing UDFA contracted with teams.

Conference USA football schedules

Conference USA Bowl Chances

Conference USA Bowl Chances

Conference USA recruiting 6/15/13

Conference USA has 41 commits from the class of 2014. Rice leads with 11 of the 41 commits while UAB, MTSU, FIU, and North Texas all have yet to officially secure a commit.