(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
As the season draws closer with each passing day, you can feel the anticipation of college football fans nationwide.
As a hardcore fan, I constantly search the preseason magazines and Internet web sites for the latest nugget of information to try to get a handle on just how my team will perform this upcoming year.
Strangely enough, although my alma mater is a relatively successful BCS school, I find myself drawn to those Tuesday night MAC and Sun Belt Conference games on ESPN during the course of the season.
Maybe I am just a fan. Maybe I am just a fanatic. It is too close to call.
Either way, there is pleasure to be found in looking past your own little world and peering into another's for a quick fix of college football action to hold you over until Saturday.
All that said, my gut tells me that there may be no more interesting conference battle royal this year than what will take place in Conference USA's East Division. Pay attention, fans—this race could get good.
Right away, you start to think of East Carolina and what they accomplished last year. They definitely earned the right to be considered a favorite, not just for the East Division title, but for the conference title as well.
However, I am going to go in a little bit different direction than most. Although ECU will be a formidable opponent for anyone on their schedule, I think the eventual winner of CUSA's East Division will be Southern Miss, and with good reason.
Southern Miss has a projected eight starters returning on both offense and defense. That's eight starters back on an offense that ranked 20th nationally in total offense and 31st in scoring offense. Southern Miss is going to score early and often on whomever they face. Don't be surprised when their improved defense shuts down a few people this season either.
If Southern Miss has a chink in their armor, it could be special teams, where they have to replace do-it-all kicker Britt Barefoot. If they can find a serviceable punter and field goal kicker, the Golden Eagles could flirt with a top-15 ranking late this season.
I won't go so far as to call for an undefeated season with a tough schedule that includes games against Virginia, Kansas, East Carolina, Houston, Tulsa, and Louisville, but a 10-win season is there for the taking.
Southern Miss predicted record: 10-2
My second place finisher in the division is East Carolina. They may be the second best team in the conference and not get a chance to play in the Conference Championship game, which is a shame.
East Carolina will benefit from having quarterback Patrick Pinkney back for what seems like his 23rd year of eligibility. What his experience will bring to this team cannot be overstated, and if East Carolina does win their division, it will be because of Pinkney.
This will be a very experienced team with 18 seniors in their "two-deep" on the depth chart. As is the case with Pinkney, do not discount the value of a senior-laden team and the experience they can draw on to get themselves out of tight spots.
If ECU does have a problem, it is in their running game. They have the line and the passing game, but if teams don't have to concern themselves with stopping the run, opposing defenses will sit back in zone coverage and dare ECU to throw the ball. Although Pinkney is capable, ECU was only the 60th-ranked passing attack in the nation last year. Look for that number to improve this season.
Still, the Pirates need a running game if they are going to pull out wins in Chapel Hill, Morgantown, Tulsa, and Huntington, as well as at home against Virginia Tech and Southern Miss. Don't sleep on Appalachian State either.
East Carolina predicted record: 9-3
Central Florida may be in the running for most improved team in the conference—if not the country—in 2009. Although they won't win many more games, if they do win any more at all, they can only get better statistically over their dreadful performance last season.
Out of 119 FBS programs last year, UCF finished 119th in total offense. That is dead last, my friends. It will be hard not to improve on numbers that bad.
The good news for the Knights is that they have almost every single playmaker back from last year's offense. That means more experience and more time working together to gel as a unit. They won't scare anyone into thinking they will contend for the division crown, but they should be good enough to flirt with bowl eligibility.
The defensive front seven should be a strength for this team. It will have to be to get around what will surely be a long season in the secondary. If coach George O'Leary can get his defensive backfield even serviceable by October, it could get interesting in Orlando.
The Knights now have the experience they lacked last season. Now they have to prove they have the talent. A ridiculous non-conference schedule that features Miami, Texas, and suddenly-tough Buffalo, coupled with an unfavorable conference slate, probably means the Fighting O'Learys will be lucky to get bowl eligible, but 6-6 beats last year's output of 4-8.
Central Florida predicted record: 6-6
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