Conference USA East
– C-USA Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– C-USA 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown
Charlotte 49ers
The 49ers weren’t able to do a whole lot last year in just six games, and it’s going to be a struggle without a whole lot of easy Conference USA games. They’ll be lucky to be favored in any FBS game until the regular season finale at Old Dominion.
2018: 5-7 2019: 7-6 2020: 2-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 6-6
Realistic Worst Case Record: 2-10
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 4-8
Sept. 4 Duke
Sept. 11 Gardner-Webb
Sept. 18 at Georgia State
Sept. 25 Middle Tennessee
Oct. 2 at Illinois
Oct. 9 at FIU
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Florida Atlantic
Oct. 30 at WKU
Nov. 6 Rice
Nov. 13 at Louisiana Tech
Nov. 20 Marshall
Nov. 27 at Old Dominion
– Full Schedule Analysis
Florida Atlantic Owls
Willie Taggart is starting to get the guys together to make a good run at the Conference USA title, but it’ll be a bit of a fight to get everything going with dangerous games against Georgia Southern and Air Force in a tough September. The Conference USA slate isn’t bad outside of road games at UAB and WKU.
2018: 5-7 2019: 11-3 2020: 5-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 at Florida
Sept. 11 Georgia Southern
Sept. 18 Fordham
Sept. 25 at Air Force
Oct. 2 FIU
Oct. 9 at UAB
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Charlotte
Oct. 30 UTEP
Nov. 6 Marshall
Nov. 13 at Old Dominion
Nov. 20 at WKU
Nov. 27 Middle Tennessee
– Full Schedule Analysis
FIU Golden Panthers
After a disastrous winless 2020, the Golden Panthers should be a whole lot better, and they should get off to a much better start. Expect 2-0 before going on the road for three straight games. It’ll likely take owning all the home games in conference play to get bowl eligible.
2018: 9-4 2019: 6-7 2020: 0-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7
Sept. 2 Long Island
Sept. 11 Texas State
Sept. 18 at Texas Tech
Sept. 25 at Central Michigan
Oct. 2 at Florida Atlantic
Oct. 9 Charlotte
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 WKU
Oct. 30 at Marshall
Nov. 6 Old Dominion
Nov. 13 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 20 North Texas
Nov. 27 at Southern Miss
– Full Schedule Analysis
Marshall Thundering Herd
New head coach Charles Huff gets handed a relatively light slate. There aren’t any games against Power Five programs, the UAB and WKU games are at home, and it might just take a win at Florida Atlantic to own the East. Beat Navy and Appalachian State early on, and this could be a special year.
2018: 9-4 2019: 8-5 2020: 7-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 9-3
Sept. 4 at Navy
Sept. 11 NC Central
Sept. 18 East Carolina
Sept. 25 at Appalachian State
Oct. 2 at Middle Tennessee
Oct. 9 Old Dominion
Oct. 16 at North Texas
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 FIU
Nov. 6 at Florida Atlantic
Nov. 13 UAB
Nov. 20 at Charlotte
Nov. 27 WKU
– Full Schedule Analysis
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
It’s been an awful last two seasons for the Blue Raiders, and it might not start any better after a win over Monmouth to kick things off. There should be enough winnable games late to push for a bowl, but it’ll be a fight.
2018: 8-6 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7
Sept. 4 Monmouth
Sept. 11 at Virginia Tech
Sept. 18 at UTSA
Sept. 25 at Charlotte
Oct. 2 Marshall
Oct. 9 at Liberty
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at UConn
Oct. 30 Southern Miss
Nov. 6 at WKU
Nov. 13 FIU
Nov. 20 Old Dominion
Nov. 27 at Florida Atlantic
– Full Schedule Analysis
Old Dominion Monarchs
Welcome back, Old Dominion football. Ricky Rahne finally gets to start his era after the program didn’t play in 2020 – this will be one of the biggest X factor teams in Conference USA. It’s likely going to sputter in September, and it’ll be tough to be favored anywhere the rest of the way, but there should be at least three wins to build off of.
2018: 4-8 2019: 1-11 2020: 0-0
Realistic Best Case Record: 6-6
Realistic Worst Case Record: 1-11
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 3-9
Sept. 4 at Wake Forest
Sept. 11 Hampton
Sept. 18 at Liberty
Sept. 25 Buffalo
Oct. 2 at UTEP
Oct. 9 at Marshall
Oct. 16 WKU
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Louisiana Tech
Nov. 6 at FIU
Nov. 13 Florida Atlantic
Nov. 20 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 27 Charlotte
– Full Schedule Analysis
WKU Hilltoppers
Okay, WKU – get your late 2019 groove back. The defense should be strong, the offense improved late last year, and there’s a warm-up against UT Martin to get ready for what should be an interesting year. It’ll be a rough first few games, but with Florida Atlantic at home and Marshall at the end, the Hilltoppers should build up a big base of wins in the middle of the season.
2018: 3-9 2019: 9-4 2020: 5-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6
Sept. 4 UT Martin
Sept. 11 at Army
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 25 Indiana
Oct. 2 at Michigan State
Oct. 9 UTSA
Oct. 16 at Old Dominion
Oct. 23 at FIU
Oct. 30 Charlotte
Nov. 6 Middle Tennessee
Nov. 13 at Rice
Nov. 20 Florida Atlantic
Nov. 27 at Marshall
– Full Schedule Analysis
Conference USA West
– C-USA Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– C-USA 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The Bulldogs were in a rebuilding year anyway, so it might as well have been 2020. This year’s version should be much stronger, and the schedule should be a bit of a help as long as they can handle the road games against UAB and Rice.
2018: 8-5 2019: 10-3 2020: 5-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 at Mississippi State
Sept. 11 SE Louisiana
Sept. 18 SMU
Sept. 25 North Texas
Oct. 2 at NC State
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at UTEP
Oct. 23 UTSA
Oct. 30 at Old Dominion
Nov. 6 at UAB
Nov. 13 Charlotte
Nov. 20 Southern Miss
Nov. 27 at Rice
– Full Schedule Analysis
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas always finds a way to beat up the bad teams to get a halfway decent record, but this year’s schedule doesn’t have any real breaks. Home games against Marshall, UAB and Liberty are going to be a problem, and second half road dates at Rice, Southern Miss and FIU are all an issue.
2018: 9-4 2019: 4-8 2020: 4-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 3-9
Sept. 4 Northwestern State
Sept. 11 at SMU
Sept. 18 UAB
Sept. 25 at Louisiana Tech
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 at Missouri
Oct. 16 Marshall
Oct. 23 Liberty
Oct. 30 at Rice
Nov. 6 at Southern Miss
Nov. 13 UTEP
Nov. 20 at FIU
Nov. 27 UTSA
– Full Schedule Analysis
Rice Owls
Work with us here. Rice should be able to build on all of the positives growing under head coach Mike Bloomgren, however, there isn’t any one game that the Owls can’t lose other than the date with Texas Southern. Assume, though, that they’re strong enough to get through the Conference USA season with a big breakthrough year.
2018: 2-11 2019: 3-9 2020: 2-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 2-10
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 at Arkansas
Sept. 11 Houston
Sept. 18 at Texas
Sept. 25 Texas Southern
Oct. 2 Southern Miss
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at UTSA
Oct. 23 at UAB
Oct. 30 North Texas
Nov. 6 at Charlotte
Nov. 13 WKU
Nov. 20 at UTEP
Nov. 27 Louisiana Tech
– Full Schedule Analysis
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Southern Miss is starting over with Will Hall, and it has the ability to pull up out of the disaster or last year if it wins the home games it’s supposed to. The trio to Alabama is the only no-doubt loss. Everything else is winnable, but there will be a few dropped games along the way.
2018: 6-5 2019: 7-6 2020: 3-7
Realistic Best Case Record: 9-3
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 at South Alabama
Sept. 11 Grambling
Sept. 18 Troy
Sept. 25 at Alabama
Oct. 2 at Rice
Oct. 9 UTEP
Oct. 16 UAB
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 6 North Texas
Nov. 13 at UTSA
Nov. 20 at Louisiana Tech
Nov. 27 FIU
– Full Schedule Analysis
UAB Blazers
UAB gets plenty of benefits of plenty of doubts at this point under head coach Bill Clark, but there should be a loss at Georgia and probably at Tulane and Marshall – everything else is winnable. The team is good enough to roll through the Conference USA slate, but there will be a few missteps on the way to another strong year.
2018: 11-3 2019: 9-5 2020: 6-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4
Sept. 4 Jacksonville State (in Montgomery)
Sept. 11 at Georgia
Sept. 18 at North Texas
Sept. 25 at Tulane
Oct. 2 Liberty
Oct. 9 Florida Atlantic
Oct. 16 at Southern Miss
Oct. 23 Rice
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 Louisiana Tech
Nov. 13 at Marshall
Nov. 20 at UTSA
Nov. 27 UTEP
– Full Schedule Analysis
UTEP Miners
Yeah, UTEP won three games last season and started to be more competitive, but two of the wins came against FCS teams and the other was against a ULM squad that went 0-10. Outside of the home date with Bethune-Cookman, it’s going to take something special to push past four wins without victories against Old Dominion, New Mexico and New Mexico State as a base.
2018: 1-11 2019: 1-11 2020: 3-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 6-6
Realistic Worst Case Record: 1-11
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 2-10
Aug. 28 at New Mexico State
Sept. 4 Bethune-Cookman
Sept. 11 at Boise State
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 25 New Mexico
Oct. 2 Old Dominion
Oct. 9 at Southern Miss
Oct. 16 Louisiana Tech
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Florida Atlantic
Nov. 6 UTSA
Nov. 13 at North Texas
Nov. 20 Rice
Nov. 27 at UAB
– Full Schedule Analysis
UTSA Roadrunners
Jeff Traylor came up with a strong 7-5 first season at the helm, but the schedule gets a lot more interesting this year if some of the key Conference USA teams are stronger. Can the Roadrunners get by Southern Miss, Rice and/or UAB at home? If they win two of those three, they’ll get to six wins.
2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 7-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 2-10
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7
Sept. 4 at Illinois
Sept. 11 Lamar
Sept. 18 Middle Tennessee
Sept. 25 at Memphis
Oct. 2 UNLV
Oct. 9 at WKU
Oct. 16 Rice
Oct. 23 at Louisiana Tech
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 at UTEP
Nov. 13 Southern Miss
Nov. 20 UAB
Nov. 27 at North Texas
– Full Schedule Analysis
2021 Early College Football Predictions, Schedules
ACC | American Athletic | Big Ten
Big 12 | C-USA | Independents
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12
SEC | Sun Belt