Just how much does it hurt Conference USA to lose Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt this season?
The league had to quickly scramble this offseason to change up its schedule, it’s having to do even more to keep the business going with Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA bolting in 2023 – Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State will enter the fun – and all of that will likely be the main focus of the 2022 season.
And then UAB, UTSA and WKU should be the stars of the conference again.
Where’s the big surprise going to come from?
The problem is that too many schedules have too many tough non-conference games, but it should be entertaining as several teams will likely be fighting for bowl eligibility over the final few weeks.
Knowing there’s going to be a crazy outlier to screw this all up, here are the 2022 Conference USA preseason predictions.
– 2022 CFN College Football Preview of Every Team
Conference USA Preseason Predictions
Conference USA Predicted Finish
1. UTSA
2. WKU
T3. Florida Atlantic
T3. Louisiana Tech
T3. North Texas
T3. UAB
7. Middle Tennessee
8. Charlotte
T9. Rice
T9. UTEP
11. FIU
Charlotte 49ers
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 3-5
2021: 5-7, Prediction: 3-9
2020: 2-4, 2019: 7-6, 2018: 5-7
Aug 27 at Florida Atlantic L
Sept 1 William & Mary W
Sept 10 Maryland L
Sept 17 at Georgia State L
Sept 24 at South Carolina L
Oct 1 UTEP W
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 at UAB L
Oct 22 FIU W
Oct 29 at Rice L
Nov 5 WKU L
Nov 12 at Middle Tennessee L
Nov 19 Louisiana Tech W
Nov 26 OPEN DATE
Charlotte Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Florida Atlantic Owls
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 5-3
2021: 5-7, Prediction: 8-4
2020: 5-4, 2019: 11-3, 2018: 5-7
Aug 27 Charlotte W
Sept 3 at Ohio L
Sept 10 SE Louisiana W
Sept 17 UCF L
Sept 24 at Purdue L
Oct 1 at North Texas L
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 Rice W
Oct 22 at UTEP L
Oct 29 UAB W
Nov 5 OPEN DATE
Nov 12 at FIU W
Nov 19 at Middle Tennessee L
Nov 26 WKU W
FAU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
FIU Golden Panthers
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 0-8
2021: 1-11, Prediction: 5-7
2020: 0-5, 2019: 6-7, 2018: 9-4
Sept 1 Bryant W
Sept 9 at Texas State L
Sept 17 OPEN DATE
Sept 24 at WKU L
Oct 1 at New Mexico State L
Oct 8 UConn W
Oct 14 UTSA L
Oct 22 at Charlotte L
Oct 29 Louisiana Tech L
Nov 5 at North Texas L
Nov 12 Florida Atlantic L
Nov 19 at UTEP L
Nov 26 Middle Tennessee L
FIU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 4-4
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 5-7
2020: 3-6, 2019: 4-8, 2018: 8-6
Sept 3 at James Madison L
Sept 10 at Colorado State L
Sept 17 Tennessee State W
Sept 24 at Miami L
Oct 1 UTSA L
Oct 8 at UAB L
Oct 15 WKU L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 at UTEP W
Nov 5 at Louisiana Tech L
Nov 12 Charlotte W
Nov 19 Florida Atlantic W
Nov 26 at FIU W
MT Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 5-3
2021: 3-9, Prediction: 7-5
2020: 5-5, 2019: 10-3, 2018: 8-5
Sept 3 at Missouri L
Sept 10 Stephen F Austin W
Sept 17 at Clemson L
Sept 24 at South Alabama L
Oct 1 OPEN DATE
Oct 8 UTEP W
Oct 15 at North Texas L
Oct 22 Rice W
Oct 29 at FIU W
Nov 5 Middle Tennessee W
Nov 12 at UTSA L
Nov 19 at Charlotte L
Nov 26 UAB W
Louisiana Tech Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
North Texas Mean Green
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 5-3
2021: 6-7, Prediction: 3-9
2020: 4-6, 2019: 4-8, 2018: 9-4
Aug 27 at UTEP W
Sept 3 SMU L
Sept 10 Texas Southern W
Sept 17 at UNLV L
Sept 24 at Memphis L
Oct 1 Florida Atlantic W
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 Louisiana Tech W
Oct 22 at UTSA L
Oct 29 at WKU L
Nov 5 FIU W
Nov 12 at UAB L
Nov 19 OPEN DATE
Nov 26 Rice W
North Texas Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
Rice Owls
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 2-6
2021: 4-8, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 2-3, 2019:3-9 , 2018: 2-11
Sept 3 at USC L
Sept 10 McNeese State W
Sept 17 Louisiana L
Sept 24 at Houston L
Oct 1 UAB L
Oct 8 OPEN DATE
Oct 15 at Florida Atlantic L
Oct 22 at Louisiana Tech L
Oct 27 Charlotte W
Nov 5 UTEP W
Nov 12 at WKU L
Nov 19 UTSA L
Nov 26 at North Texas L
Rice Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
UAB Blazers
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 5-3
2021: 9-4, Prediction: 8-4
2020: 6-3, 2019: 9-5, 2018: 11-3
Sept 1 Alabama A&M W
Sept 10 at Liberty L
Sept 17 Georgia Southern W
Sept 24 OPEN DATE
Oct 1 at Rice W
Oct 8 Middle Tennessee W
Oct 15 Charlotte W
Oct 22 at WKU L
Oct 29 at Florida Atlantic L
Nov 5 UTSA W
Nov 12 North Texas W
Nov 19 at LSU L
Nov 25 at Louisiana Tech L
UAB Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
UTEP Miners
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 2-6
2021: 7-6, Prediction: 3-9
2020: 3-5, 2019: 1-11, 2018: 1-11
Aug 27 North Texas L
Sept 3 at Oklahoma L
Sept 10 New Mexico State W
Sept 17 at New Mexico L
Sept 24 Boise State L
Oct 1 at Charlotte L
Oct 8 at Louisiana Tech L
Oct 15 OPEN DATE
Oct 22 Florida Atlantic W
Oct 29 Middle Tennessee L
Nov 5 at Rice L
Nov 12 OPEN DATE
Nov 19 FIU W
Nov 26 at UTSA L
UTEP Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
UTSA Roadrunners
2022 Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 7-1
2021: 12-2, Prediction: 6-6
2020: 7-5, 2019: 4-8, 2018: 3-9
Sept 3 Houston L
Sept 10 at Army L
Sept 17 at Texas L
Sept 24 Texas Southern W
Oct 1 at Middle Tennessee W
Oct 8 WKU W
Oct 14 at FIU W
Oct 22 North Texas W
Oct 29 OPEN DATE
Nov 5 at UAB L
Nov 12 Louisiana Tech W
Nov 19 at Rice W
Nov 26 UTEP W
UTEP Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
WKU Hilltoppers
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2022 Conference USA Prediction: 6-2
2021: 7-5, Prediction: 9-5
2020: 5-7, 2019: 9-4, 2018: 3-9
Aug 27 Austin Peay W
Sept 3 at Hawaii L
Sept 10 OPEN DATE
Sept 17 at Indiana L
Sept 24 FIU W
Oct 1 Troy W
Oct 8 at UTSA L
Oct 15 at Middle Tennessee W
Oct 22 UAB W
Oct 29 North Texas W
Nov 5 at Charlotte W
Nov 12 Rice W
Nov 19 at Auburn L
Nov 26 at Florida Atlantic L
WKU Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
