Liberty flamed the Conference USA in 2023, going undefeated and taking home the conference title. Unfortunately for the other nine teams, including newcomer Kennesaw State, the Flames are the favorites to run the table again.
But are there any programs that could play spoiler on the 2024 Conference USA Power Rankings?
2024 Conference USA Power Rankings
10) Kennesaw State Owls
Preseason Rank: 10 (no change)
Last season, the Owls went 3-6, with all three of their wins coming against Division II programs. That’s not the whole story, as head coach Brian Bohannon redshirted many of his best players after guiding Kennesaw State to four FCS playoff berths from 2017-2021. Still, with question marks at QB and along the offensive line, Kennesaw State’s inaugural season in the FBS won’t be the most welcoming.
The defense suffocated UTSA’s ground game, allowing just 2.3 yards per carry. Yet, the Roadrunners got whatever they wanted through the air, as QB Owen McCown exploded for 340 yards and three TDs. The opposite was true in Week 2, as Louisiana had its way on the ground.
Kennesaw State has gained just 175 yards on 75 carries this season and can’t throw itself back into games.
9) UTEP Miners
Preseason Rank: 6 (-3)
UTEP went 38-85 under the previous two coaches, but that’s going to change with Scott Walden now at the helm. He began his head coaching career at 26 with Division III East Texas Baptist, becoming the youngest NCAA coach to hold the title in 2016.
Walden’s program went 7-3, and he left the following year to be an assistant at Southern Miss. Then, in 2020, he got his next HC shot at FCS-level Austin Peay, leading the Governors to a 26-14 record, two conference titles, and a playoff bid across four years.
He brought many of his players with him to UTEP, so there’s reason to believe in the Miners’ future. A 40-7 Week 1 loss to Nebraska and an FCS-over-FBS upset at the hands of Southern Utah will throw fans into an early maelstrom, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.
8) New Mexico State Aggies
Preseason Rank: 5 (-3)
New Mexico State just had its best two-year stretch (17 wins) in six decades, but with its head coach, offensive coordinator, QB1, and TE1 off to Vanderbilt, the program will likely return to Earth in 2024.
New HC Tony Sanchez has been with the school as a WRs coach since 2022, so there’s at least some continuity. However, his head coaching track record isn’t all that exciting, as UNLV posted a 20-40 record during his time leading the Rebels (2015-2019).
The Aggies beat Southeast Missouri in Week 1 and gave Liberty a run for its money in Week 2, but outside of some big plays, the passing game has looked ugly through two weeks.
7) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Preseason Rank: 8 (+1)
For the first time since 2006, Middle Tennessee will have a new head coach at the helm, as Derek Mason succeeds Rick Stockstill.
The last time we saw Mason as a leading man, Vanderbilt went 0-8 (he posted zero winning seasons across seven years in Nashville). And the last time we saw him at all, he coached the 2022 Oklahoma State defense that allowed 440 yards per game, one of the worst marks in the nation.
In short, I’m not sure Mason was the correct hire, but he’ll have a chance to prove me wrong. The offense returns some intriguing skill-position talents and will be led by QB Nicholas Vattiato once again. The offensive line will have four new starters, which isn’t ideal, and the defensive first team only has two familiar names from last season.
The result of the turnover was a closer-than-you’d-like win against Tennessee Tech and a better-to-forget-it loss to Ole Miss. We’ll see how the team gels over the course of the season, but the Blue Raiders have stumbled out of the blocks.
6) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Preseason Rank: 9 (+3)
Following two straight 3-9 campaigns to begin his tenure, Sonny Cumbie’s seat is heating up. Only six starters return, and much of the team’s projection rests on the shoulders of QB Jack Turner.
Turner exited the Week 1 contest against Nicholls after only eight passes due to injury, and the offense suffered because of it. The Bulldogs can’t turn the ball over and expect to win vs. FBS teams.
5) Sam Houston Bearkats
Preseason Rank: 7 (+2)
Sam Houston had a rude awakening in the FBS last season, going 3-9. But a closer look shows reason for optimism. The Bearkats ended the year strong, winning three of their final four games. Additionally, they dropped six contests by 10 points or less, including a five-point defeat to 2023 CUSA champ Liberty and an overtime loss to Jacksonville State.
The offense just needs to score more than 20 points per game (second lowest in the CUSA last season). They did just that against a veteran-laden Rice defense, winning 34-14. Unfortunately, the Bearkats fell back down to Earth in Week 2 as they ran into the bulldozer that is UCF’s rushing game.
4) FIU Panthers
Preseason Rank: 4 (no change)
Did FIU go 4-8 last year? Yes. Does HC Mike MacIntyre return 11 starters, including rising true sophomore Keyone Jenkins? Also yes. Lexington Joseph, who put up 536 yards and five TDs in 2022, returns from injury, bolstering a backfield that already has Shomari Lawrence and Kejon Owens.
Losing star WR Kris Mitchell to Notre Dame will sting, and the offensive line must improve after allowing 46 sacks last fall, but there is enough talent on both sides of the ball to make a bowl game for the first time since 2019.
Dueling Indiana in Week 1 was a tough draw, as the Panthers couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground. The only positive takeaway was the defense’s ability to keep the score relatively respectable (31-7). Week 2 was much more indicative of what we should expect from the Panthers, as they erupted against Central Michigan, 52-10.
3) Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Preseason Rank: 3 (no change)
Rich Rodriguez’s Gamecocks wasted no time introducing themselves to the FBS, going 9-4 with a bowl victory. The element of surprise is gone, but Jacksonville State has the talent to repeat its success in 2024 — if it finds an answer at QB.
Logan Smothers and Tyler Huff can’t get anything going offensively, and neither can RB1 Anwar Lewis, although he hasn’t been allowed to due to the scoreboard. The result is a 0-2 start to the season, slashing their odds of challenging for the CUSA title.
RB2 Ron Wiggins will miss significant time with injury, which is a blow to the backfield’s projected production, but none of it matters if Rodriguez doesn’t find stability at the sport’s most important position.
2) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Preseason Rank: 2 (no change)
Tyson Helton has led the Hilltoppers to eight or more wins in four out of the last five seasons, and they’re the biggest threat to Liberty in the CUSA. Texas State’s T.J. Finley transfers in to man the offense and has the arm talent to mitigate any drop-off from Austin Reed.
Malachi Corley’s departure to the NFL diminishes the WR corps, but there are several standout options still available, including Dalvin Smith, Kisean Johnson, and Michael Mathison.
Although the Hilltoppers weren’t expected to defeat the Crimson Tide in Week 1, they also weren’t expected to score zero points and give up 63. The offense continued to look mediocre against Eastern Kentucky in Week 2 but took home the dub.
WKU has time to get right, as it doesn’t have many tough matchups before squaring up against Liberty and Jacksonville State to end the season.
1) Liberty Flames
Liberty marched to an undefeated regular season and the CUSA title in its conference debut. With QB Kaidon Salter and RB Quinton Cooley back and a soft schedule on deck, the Flames are primed for a repeat performance in 2024.
KEEP READING: 2024 Strength of Schedule For All 134 FBS Teams
Liberty coasted to a 41-24 win over Campbell but broke a sweat in a 30-24 victory on the road against New Mexico State. Neither the offense nor the defense has been as dominant as they were in 2023, which is something to keep an eye on moving forward.
A Sept. 28 date at Appalachian State is the Flames’ toughest on-paper matchup — a place in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is well within reach.
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