Finally, we come to the conference games. Not every team starts conference play this week, but enough of them do that we’ll finally start to get a feel for how these guys compare to similar competition, instead of 1-AA teams or BCS contenders. Plus, without so many games per conference, I can now bring you a worthwhile weekend preview instead of having to deal with 12 different games at every corner of the country. So without further ado, here’s what to look for in C-USA this weekend:
Conference USA has 4 games against the Big 12 this weekend, including both of the undefeated teams left.
Southern Miss at Kansas, Fox Sports Net, 1 PM. I won’t pretend to know anything about Kansas, but they’ve made their way up to #20 by beating weaker teams by a lot of points. USM will be their best team yet, but that’s not saying much at this point.
Marshall at Memphis, Comcast Sports South, 2 pm. Marshall is coming off a nice win against Bowling Green, while Memphis has stumbled out of the gates with only a win over 1-AA Tennessee Martin to go on. Memphis is known for starting seasons slow, so Marshall has a good chance of getting out of town with a win.
UTEP at Texas, Fox Sports, 3:30 PM. This will probably be ugly. Sorry, Miners.
UCF at East Carolina, Regional TV, 3:30 PM. ECU is rightfully favored, but they have not looked sharp in losses to West Virginia and North Carolina. UCF has looked weak until the 2nd half of last weeks win over Buffalo, when they seemed to click on both sides of the ball. Can that translate into success on the road at ECU? It’s a tall task, but don’t be surprised if they make a game of it.
McNeese State at Tulane, no TV, 3:30 PM. Tulane better win this one.
Sam Houston State at Tulsa, no TV, 7 PM. See above, insert Tulsa for Tulane.
UAB at Texas A&M, no TV, 7 PM. Well, A&M are no Longhorns, but I suspect they’ll still outgun the Blazers without much difficulty.
Vanderbilt at Rice, CSS, 8 PM. C-USA teams usually have a tough time picking off wins from SEC teams, but this one could be winnable for Rice. Vandy is rebuilding a bit, and there’s the chance that they’re looking ahead to the SEC slate that picks up in week 5. It’s far from a lock, but Rice could surprise here.
Texas Tech at Houston, ESPN2, 9:15 PM. The Big One. Here’s Houston’s chance to bash their way onto the national scene, make Boise State fans sweat, and beat a big in-state squad all in one shot. Based on their game against Texas last week, Tech has a decent defense, but its hard to tell if it’s better or worse than Oklahoma States, who the Cougars happily shredded. This game will most likely be a shootout, and what are you going to watch, Iowa at Penn State?