The biggest part of this preview was completed in the previous post. Now I examine the three non-power conferences that have conference championship games: Mountain West, Mid-American (MAC), and Conference USA.
Mountain West - Mountain division
1. Boise State Broncos (6-2 conference; 10-2 overall): Former QB Bryan Harsin returns to campus as head coach, and he plans to continue the scheme created by Chris Petersen. That means a powerful spread offense and a quick blitzing defense. This team is set up for that.
2. Utah State Aggies (6-2; 9-3): QB Chuckie Keeton may be the best quarterback in the conference, and's back with much of his 2013 receiving crew. The defense took a slight hit, but they're still a Top 25 bunch, making this a tough team to beat.
3. Air Force Falcons (4-3; 8-4): QB Ryan Brand performed very well in the Elite 11 camp, so there is an indication that the Falcons' air attack is coming back. They still a sturdy ground game, too, so this offense is great. The defense needs some work, though. If it stiffens earlier than expected, this team could compete for the title.
4. Colorado State Rams (3-5; 6-6): Perhaps the most important concern for this team, especially the offense, is how quickly and how well QB Garrett Grayson recovers from his off-season surgery. They need him and a working passing attack, as they lost their best runner to the Denver Broncos.
5. New Mexico Lobos (2-6; 5-7): The team lost their best running back, but the offensive backfield is still potent. A weak passing game and weak defense spells doom for the team.
6. Wyoming Cowboys (0-8; 1-11): My anticipated overall record says it all -- the Cowboys are over their heads this season.
Mountain West -- West division
1. Fresno State Bulldogs (6-2; 8-4): The Bulldogs have a huge task to replace QB Derek Carr, but Brian Burnell will try. The team needs to improve their running game and defense, also, but they aren't too far from a decent finished product. Fortunately for Fresno, the rest of this division is having a down season, too.
2. San Diego State Aztecs (4-4; 6-6): QB Quinn Kashler leads a decent passing attack, but the rest of the offensive (including the line) needs work. The defense isn't great, which will push Kashler to try to make up for deficits, and that will cause him to make risky plays and mistakes.
3. San Jose State Spartans (3-5; 5-7): QB David Fales is off to the Chicago Bears, leaving the offense in disarray. They have a decent running game, but it's not spectacular. With a porous defense, that running game won't help them enough.
4. Nevada Wolf Pack (2-6; 3-9): This team is mediocre (or worse) all over. They could develop quickly enough to compete, but I question that.
5. Hawaii Warriors (2-6; 3-9): This program has not been producing since June Jones quit. The losses, both on the field and in the financial office, is causing the administration to consider dropping the football program after this season. Will that inspire the team to play above themselves, or cause them to give up early? I suspect the later.
6. UNLV Running Rebels (2-6; 3-10): The team is ineligible for a bowl due to disciplinary action, but they won't have the minimum wins to qualify anyway. Talk about a wasted punishment!
MAC East
1. Buffalo Bulls (6-2; 9-3): QB Joe Licata returns to a team that reached a bowl game for the first time in school history. They need to improve their running game, but otherwise the team remains strong, and are likely to repeat as division champs and capture a second consecutive bowl bid.
2. Bowling Green Falcons (6-2; 8-4): QB Matt Johnson is good, and he has Baylor transfer Robbie Rhodes added to his receiving crew. With their strong defense, this is a powerful team.
3. Ohio Bobcats (3-5; 5-7): This team doesn't stand much of a chance this season. They start a new quarterback, they have a lousy running game, and their defense is slow. Not a good combination.
4. Akron Zips (3-5; 4-8): The Zips are a weak team this year, but if former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is appointed the new president, he may overhaul the athletic department and give the Zips some help next year.
5. Kent State Golden Flashes (2-6; 4-8): The untimely death of center Jason Bitsko could upset both the offensive line and the entire team.
6. Miami Ohio Redhawks (1-7; 2-10): At least they should improve from last year's winless season
7. UMass Minutemen (1-7; 1-11): They will be leaving the MAC in two years, although I don't know who else wants them. They play all other sports in the Atlantic 10, and the "football only" plan only works with Notre Dame.
MAC West
1. Central Michigan Chippewas (5-3; 8-4): It's rare for the Chippewas to be the favorites, but a strong returning squad plus down years for much of the rest of the division should give them a pretty easy path to the conference championship. QB Cooper Rush and WR Titus Davis should be more in sync this season, and really light up the scoreboard. They also benefit from an easy non-conference schedule; they could start 4-0.
2. Western Michigan Broncos (4-4; 7-5): QB Zach Terrell needs to improve, as the running game is practically non-existent. The defense is better, but it was so bad last year, it had nowhere to go but up.
3. Northern Illinois Huskies (4-4; 6-6): Jordan Lynch was most of the offense last season, so now they have the daunting task of replacing him.
4. Ball State Cardinals (3-5; 5-7): They lost their quarterback and best receiver in the off-season, but retain RB Jahwan Edwards and WR Jordan Williams to help the offense. The defense isn't bad, but may take a little time to gel.
5. Toledo Rockets (3-5; 4-8): This team lost most of their key starters on both sides of the ball, so this is definitely a rebuilding year.
6. Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-7; 3-9): This team needs a lot of work.
Conference USA East
1. Marshall Thundering Herd (7-1; 11-1): QB Rakeem Cato can be emotionally volatile, but he explodes for lots of passing yards. If the defense improves, this team could go unbeaten.
2. Florida Atlantic Owls (6-2; 8-4): QB Jacquez Johnson is similar to Jordan Lynch, and will likely be the leading rusher on this team. A strong defense makes them a tough opponent.
3. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5-3; 6-6): QB Brandon Doughty lost his bet receiver, but a strong backfield provides a stable running game for support. The defense lost some good starters, but it still packs a punch.
4. Florida International Golden Panthers (3-5; 5-7): Most of their starters return, so they know each other pretty well. I'm not sure how well that translates to wins, though, as this team was pretty poor last year.
5. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-5; 4-8): With QB Logan Kilgore gone, this team will rely more on their running attack while they groom a new quarterback. The defense needs to improve most, though.
6. UAB Blazers (2-6; 3-9): Austin Brown assumes full-time QB duties. That should add some consistency to the passing game. They could hope for a similar consistency on the defensive line.
7. Old Dominion Monarchs (1-7; 3-9): Don't let last season's record fool you, as the Monarchs played most FCS teams. This team now faces a full schedule of FBS teams. Fortunately QB Taylor Heinicke has plenty of talented targers. A poor defense leaves them in the dust, though.
Conference USA West
The power is clearly in the East division this year, as even the projected division winner won't have a winning record.
1. UTEP Miners (3-5; 4-8): QB Jameil Showers may be better this year, but they'll still lean heavily on a running attack. With a poor defense, they'll fall behind early.
2. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-5; 4-8): One year of experience should help this team, as most of their starters return, but they are not championship caliber yet.
3. North Texas Mean Green (2-6; 4-8): They are rebuilding everywhere: quarterback, offensive line, offensive backfield, and defense.
4. Rice Owls (2-6; 2-10): A touch non-conference schedule combined with a new offense means this team will start slowly and take a while to gel.
5. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (1-7; 2-10): QB Nick Mullens has few experienced targets this season. Without a running attack or stable defense, this team goes nowhere this season.
6. UTSA Roadrunners (1-7; 1-11): This team looks like they were attacked by Wile E. Coyote.
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