2026 College Football Predictions: Conference USA

Man, this conference continues to just get worse and worse. They lost two teams this year (UTEP & LA Tech), and were not able to lure anyone away from other conferences. I believe this conference will c,ome down to three teams, like it does just about every year. Western Kentucky has to be the favorite, Tyson Helton seems to find a way each year to reload and get the most out of the players he gets. Jacksonville State will be right there with the Hilltoppers, but the team I think could be a sneaky pick to win the conference is Delaware. They have a great offense, they just need the defense to improve.

Intriguing Team: Kennesaw State. Yes, the reigning champs are very intriguing. I know that I have them as 8-4, but I could also see them going 4-8. They only have two offensive starters returning, but Jerry Mack can put together a team, so I see them being competitive.

Hot Seat: Derek Mason needs to see some kind of improvement at Middle Tennessee State. He is only 6-18 since taking over in 2024. Granted, expectations are not high in Murfreesboro, but I am sure they were hoping for more than six wins after hiring a former SEC head coach.