The Conference USA has been reshaped and retooled for the 2024 college football season, adding Kennesaw State and a plethora of new faces across the board. How does each team stack up against each other in terms of their schedules?
The Conference USA Strength of Schedule indicates which team has the toughest road ahead in 2024 — and the Blue Raiders have their work cut out for them.
2024 Conference USA Strength of Schedule
Before we get to the rankings, we need to examine how we generated these metrics.
From our cross-conference strength of schedule:
CFN’s exclusive strength of schedule metric was crafted carefully using as many resources as possible ahead of the 2024 season. Using a bevy of metrics such as returning production, roster projections, coaching staff, incoming talent, home-field advantage, and other factors, the CFN SOS analyzes which teams have the most difficult and easiest schedules this season.
CFN’s strength of schedule metric included each team’s transfer portal classes, valued quarterbacks returning to their school, and continuation among the coaching staffs into the ranking.
These factors all awarded schedule difficulty more heavily based on merit and projection, as opposed to looking back at results from last season, though those results were factored in moderately. They’ve also been updated following all the reports from spring practice, final transfer portal class numbers, and the most up-to-date roster and depth chart files we have on hand.
MORE: Strength of Schedule for All 134 Teams
Here’s how the CUSA teams align for the 2024 season:
1) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Toughest Game: @ Ole Miss
Easiest Game: vs. Tennessee Tech
S.O.S. Score: 9.10
National Rank: 73rd
MORE: Middle Tennessee’s 2024 Football Schedule
2) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Toughest Game: @ Alabama
Easiest Game: vs. Eastern Kentucky
S.O.S. Score: 8.19
National Rank: 80th
MORE: Western Kentucky’s 2024 Football Schedule
3) UTEP Miners
Toughest Game: @ Tennessee
Easiest Game: vs. Southern Utah
S.O.S. Score: 8.06
National Rank: 84th
MORE: UTEP’s 2024 Football Schedule
4) Sam Houston Bearkats
Toughest Game: vs. Liberty
Easiest Game: @ Kennesaw State
S.O.S. Score: 7.98
National Rank: 85th
MORE: Sam Houston’s 2024 Football Schedule
5) New Mexico State Aggies
Toughest Game: @ Texas A&M
Easiest Game: vs. SE Missouri State
S.O.S. Score: 7.17
National Rank: 96th
MORE: New Mexico State’s 2024 Football Schedule
6) Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Toughest Game: @ Louisville
Easiest Game: @ Kennesaw State
S.O.S. Score: 7.04
National Rank: 97th
MORE: Jacksonville State’s 2024 Football Schedule
7) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Toughest Game: @ NC State
Easiest Game: vs. Nicholls
S.O.S. Score: 6.31
National Rank: 110th
MORE: Louisiana Tech’s 2024 Football Schedule
8) Kennesaw State Owls
Toughest Game: vs. Liberty
Easiest Game: vs. UT Martin
S.O.S. Score: 5.79
National Rank: 119th
MORE: Kennesaw State’s 2024 Football Schedule
9) FIU Panthers
Toughest Game: @ Liberty
Easiest Game: vs. Monmouth
S.O.S. Score: 4.90
National Rank: 131st
MORE: FIU’s 2024 Football Schedule
10) Liberty Flames
Toughest Game: @ App State
Easiest Game: vs. Campbell
S.O.S. Score: 10.42 (+0.13)
S.O.S. Score: 3.60
National Rank: 133rd
MORE: Liberty’s 2024 Football Schedule
KEEP READING: Top 10 Easiest College Football Schedules in 2024
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