Earlier this week, we discussed players to watch and surprise teams in Conference USA. Now, it’s time to answer the all-important question: which team will win the conference championship?
Question: Which team will win Conference USA this year?
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
I’ll break down each division and then give my winner.
Southern Mississippi will win the West in a race that won’t even be close. The Golden Eagles have a ton of talent returning on offense, including Nick Mullens (who was the best quarterback in the nation on third down in 2015), Ito Smith (1,128 yards rushing, 515 yards receiving), D.J. Thompson (779 yards receiving, 6 TD), and All-Conference center Cameron Tom. The defense welcomes back six starters, including Dylan Bradley (12.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks), Xavier Thigpen (4.5 sacks), D’Nerius Antoine (89 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 INT, 4 forced fumbles), and Cornell Armstrong (2 INT, 10 PBU). Using the aggressive scheme of new defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro, the USM D should continue to produce a ton of negative plays.
The East division is a lot more wide-open than people think. Yes, Western Kentucky is loaded on offense (as noted in our Players To Watch Roundtable). However, Middle Tennessee State’s offense is extremely dangerous with Brent Stockstill (308.1 yards per game last year) under center, while Marshall returns several key players from a stellar defensive unit that led the conference in yards per play, total defense, and third down conversion defense last year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them capture the division crown over the Hilltoppers.
Since only one team can advance to the C-USA title game, I’ll pick MTSU. While all of these teams are just about even, the Blue Raiders get the nod because they play Western Kentucky at home. Even if – and it’s a big if – Marshall were to beat Middle Tennessee, it still has the misfortune of playing Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. That won’t be an easy place to win this fall.
The Golden Eagles will edge the Blue Raiders in what should be an awesome championship game. It will be a high-scoring affair with Mullens outdueling Stockstill.
Go ahead and clear your schedules on December 3, this will be a contest that you don’t want to miss.
Kevin Causey
On Twitter @CFBZ
Any logical person is going to choose Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers went undefeated in the conference last season and then went on to win the championship game. They look to be just a step above the competition.
I like what Southern Miss has done over the last few years in getting back to respectability. I worry about their coaching change and if they can take the next step this season with a new coach at the helm.
The other teams at the top of the heap last year in C-USA (La Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee) are near the bottom of the conference in returning starters (as is WKU). I really want to pick and up and coming team that is going to overtake WKU but I just don’t see a logical one. It may happen, but until it does I’m going with the Hilltoppers to repeat mainly based on their not seeming to be a lot of competition in C-USA right now.
Joe Dexter
On Twitter @BuckeyeRadio
While I agree with Kevin’s logic, there is another team in Conference USA that has been more dominant for a longer time. And in 2016, that team will look to avenge an UGLY loss to Western Kentucky to end the season and propel them to the conference championship game.
With just five returning starters on offense last year, the Thundering Herd of Marshall went 10-3 and 6-2 in Conference USA last season, despite replacing all-time passing Rakeem Cato with a freshman gun slinger.
Doc Holiday might be 34-16 in conference play heading into his seventh season at Marshall, but only five of those have come in the last three seasons.
The Herd have represented the East in two of the last three conference championship games.
Sophomore quarterback Chase Litton didn’t have a Cato-like season as a freshman, but he did show signs of growth throughout the year, despite the offense lacking continuity at times.
He’ll need to find more consistency in 2016 for his team to win a title, but development under Holiday is nearly guaranteed in second-year quarterbacks in Huntington, West Virginia. Cato threw 304 more completions in his second go around as Marshall’s signal caller. He tossed 22 more touchdowns and increased his completion percentage by ten percent — connecting on 69.5 percent of his pass attempts.
It’s not a stretch to think that Litton will follow suit.
On defense, experts might be worried about Marshall replacing seven of its starters from a year ago. However, with defensive coordinator Chuck Heater developing young talent alongside some proven veterans, there’s no reason to think Marshall couldn’t finish with a top-30 defense.
And, as we all know, defense wins championships.
