C-USA Preview: Week 13

Some of the nation is done for the year, but not C-USA. All 12 conference teams are in action on the season’s final big weekend, and both divisions are still in question. What’s big, what’s blah, and what’s somewhere in between? Check it:

Game of the Week:
Tulsa at Rice - Win, and you’re in (Part 1). Tulsa needs a win over Todd Graham’s old Rice squad to advance to the conference title game. The ‘Cane deftly avoided a landmine at Army last week, and should come to Houston a bit more focused and sharp than they were in upstate New York. Still, these are the kind of games that tend to surprise folks, what with Rice’s resurgent play of late and the Graham factor to add a little awkwardness to the equation. I think Tulsa returns to its days of squeakin’ it out, getting a late Paul Smith TD to ice the win and the title. Tulsa 38, Rice 30.

UTEP at UCF - Win and you’re in (Part 2). With a victory over UTEP, the Knights won’t just advance to the title game, they’ll host it, with the league’s best overall mark at 9-3 and 7-1. The Knights are currently on a 5 game heater that started with a Week 8 triumph over Tulsa. UTEP has stunk up the joint since failing to capitalize on a fortuitous midseason homestand, but I’ve gotta think the Miners have one big outing left in them. IF UTEP comes out with a chip on its shoulder, this one stays close. That’s a big IF, but I don’t think UCF ices it until late, late in the fourth. UCF 41, UTEP 30.

Best of the Rest:
Tulane at E. Carolina - The Pirates are still shaking their heads over the Marshall loss, which will haunt the bunch well in to the offseason. Still, if ECU gets to 7-5 with a win over Tulane, they’ll be bowling. ECU is one of the best equipped Ds in the league to stop yardage machine Matt Forte, and nobody takes care of the ball better than the Pirates, who lead the league in turnover margin with a whopping +1.27 per game. Forte gets 150, but ECU gets the win and the postseason ticket. ECU 38, Tulane 20.

Ho Hum:
Arkansas State at Southern Miss - The Golden Eagles are one of three key C-USA teams sitting on 6-5 and needing a win to really cement the bowl hopes. The Indians are a scrappy Sun Belt squad that caused big problems for good teams early (lost by 8 to Texas, beat Memphis), so So. Miss knows they’re dangerous. Still, the gut says that the Eagles are significantly better and have too much to play for following a topsy turvy regular season. Show me another team that has lost to Rice but beaten ECU. So. Miss 38, Arkansas State 29.


SMU at Memphis - The Tigers are rolling, with four wins in their last five, and only the triumph over UAB not coming down to the wire. Now, they get SMU, who hasn’t won sine September, trying to send off coach Phil Bennett in atypical fashion: with a win. Martin Hankins might be the second half MVP of the C-USA, and he should be in line for another big game here. Still, beware: SMU has a ton of close losses, and the Tigers have a ton of close wins. Eventually, the ball has to bounce the other way. Memphis 34, SMU 30.

Booooooring:
UAB at Marshall - OK, this game probably won’t BE boring, but the implications are. UAB is playing for...uh, pride? The term is loosely defined when applied to a UAB squad that hasn’t been within two TDs in any of its losses since September. The Blazers are trying to claw their way out of last, but no visiting team has won in Huntington since Southern Miss on October 21st. When you look at this UAB squad, do you see “trend buster”? Didn’t think so. Marshall 40, UAB 16.

Texas Southern at Houston - The Cougars will put on a good show in whatever bowl they end up in, assuming they take care of business against Texas Southern this weekend. It shouldn’t be a problem, although it may take until a bowl game for the Cougs to get over the humiliation at Tulsa. I don’t know alot about Texas Southern, but I know this: this is a 0-10 FCS team playing on the road against a relative in-state power. They’ll play with heart, but very little skill. Houston 48, Texas Southern 9.