Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 17th annual college football preview guide which will contain 18 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the two division champions but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for Conference USA in 2023, which has become by far the worst conference in FBS due to the migration of several of its former members into the American Athletic Conference.

1	Liberty (10-3, 6-2)- conference champion

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Western Kentucky (October 24)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Jacksonville State (October 10)

Bottom Line: It seems like Liberty loses a ton of personnel every season, and they always manage to exceed expectations by reloading faster than expected. This team will continue to be well-coached, as Jamey Chadwell arrives from Coastal Carolina to take the reigns from Hugh Freeze, and I think this league is just easy enough for the Flames to become a surprise conference champion this season.

2	Western Kentucky (8-5, 6-2)– conference runner-up

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Middle Tennessee (September 28)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Louisiana Tech (October 5)

Bottom Line: The Hilltoppers will be explosive on offense as always, but their defense will struggle, as I don’t expect them to have a top 20 turnover margin again in 2023.

3	Louisiana Tech (7-5, 5-3)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Western Kentucky (October 5)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Jacksonville State (November 18)

Bottom Line: The Ragin Cajuns’ will fight their way back into a bowl game for the first time in three years thanks to a much softer conference slate and a dynamic QB/RB duo in former Boise star Hank Bachmeier and former all-conference performer Marquis Crosby.

4	FIU (5-7, 4-4)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Middle Tennessee (November 11)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at New Mexico State (October 4)

Bottom Line: Mike McCarthy will continue his rebuilding project in South Florida by bringing the Panthers to the cusp of bowl eligibility. However, they just lost too much to the portal in the offseason for me to call for them to have a winning season.

5	Middle Tennessee (6-6, 4-4)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. UTEP (November 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. FIU (November 11)

Bottom Line: The Blue Raiders showed a lot of promise in 2022, as they won eight games including a shocking win at Miami-FL. Unfortunately, this squad has to replace its quarterback and top three receivers, and opens the season on the road against Alabama and Missouri. If MTSU leaves those games battered and bruised, then it could be a long season in Murfeesboro.

6	UTEP (6-6, 4-4)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Liberty (November 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Sam Houston (October 25)

Bottom Line: Phil Steele called for the Miners to make it all the way to the conference title game this season, and while I am not that high on this team, I do think they are good enough on the lines of scrimmage to take advantage of a favorable schedule and return to bowl eligibility. Will this be the year UTEP gets its first bowl win since the LBJ administration?

7	New Mexico State (6-7, 3-5)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. FIU (October 4)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Hawaii (September 23)

Bottom Line: The Aggies continued their impressive unbeaten run in bowl games last year with an upset victory over Bowling Green to end the season. This year, they may end up on the outside looking in during bowl season due to a brutal schedule that has the Aggies playing away from home in 7 different games, including cross county trips to Auburn, Western Kentucky, and Liberty.

8	Sam Houston (3-9, 2-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Offensive Live

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. UTEP (October 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. FIU (October 18)

Bottom Line: It is difficult to predict how these teams transitioning from FCS to FBS will perform. They have traditionally struggled, but James Madison reinvented the wheel last year and won the Sun Belt straight out of the FCS ranks. I think this squad has enough talent, especially defensively, to win some games in this league, but their overall lack of size and depth will be a problem.

9	Jacksonville State (3-9, 2-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Offensive Live

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. UTEP (October 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. FIU (October 18)

Bottom Line: Like the Bearkats of Sam Houston, the Gamecocks enter the FBS rankis this year after a successful run in FCS. The notorious Rich Rodriguez knows how to coach at this level but it will take a while for this team to adjust to FBS competition on a week in and week out basis.