Although I think we have some of the best fans in the country, I feel I must reiterate that I've been very impressed with our fans this week! I have read multiple comments from people at each school that reads something similar to the following:

 "I'm a (insert your team here), but I'm rooting for (insert other C-USA team here) in the postseason! Go C-USA!"

 Trust me, your comments don't go unnoticed. I regularly look at message boards, comments at the end of news articles and anything else I can find! It's so great to see a unity towards one conference, even when we have heated rivalries between our school and in our various sports!

 Conference USA is very proud of our postseason presence in Men's and Women's Basketball and we are very proud to have you all as tremendous fans! Of course, you all already knew this, but let's show the rest of the nation!

Go C-USA!

Wally Szczerbiak is calling a few C-USA Basketball Championship games on CBS College Sports, so we asked a few players how to spell his last name. This is what they came up with

Besides his basketball skills, JR Reynolds of Rice showcases his singing skills. What do you think about his rendition of John Legend's "Ordinary People"?

Twelve C-USA student athletes greeted excited elementary students at La Le Preparatory School in El Paso, Texas before the first tipoff of the 2011 Buick C-USA Basketball Championships. Take a look!

Hello internet world and faithful Conference USA fans! Welcome to my C-USA blog debut. Prepare yourself as I give you an intern's look at the conference, subject you to my thoughts and ask for your help with some important Conference USA projects.

Another Big Weekend in C-USA

Conference USA has six teams playing against BCS AQ teams this weekend and four of them are televised.

Friday, Sept. 17

Kansas at Southern Miss, 7:00pm, ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 18

East Carolina at Virginia Tech, 12:30pm, ESPN3

Washington State at SMU, 2:30pm, CBS College Sports

Northwestern at Rice, 6:00pm, All-Access

Tulsa at Oklahoma State, 6:00pm, All-Access

Houston at UCLA (Rose Bowl) 9:30pm, on FSN

The opponents are big, but two are 0-2 and it's probably not the two you would think it would be:  Virginia Tech and UCLA. It just so happens that these two teams are playing against last year's C-USA divisional champions--East Carolina, the reigning two-time C-USA champions, and Houston, whose offense has piled on more mileage than what I'll accumulate during the month of October (I'm traveling to all 12 C-USA schools). Anyway, this weekend will be a good test of Conference USA's football strength this season. What do you think will be the record of these six match-ups on Monday? Let's get to the breakdown, shall we?

Kansas at Southern Miss, 7:00pm, on ESPN

Having only played each other once before, I wouldn't call these teams rivals, but they definitely possess a lot of similarities that would make it hard for the series not to turn into an instant classic.

 "It's like looking at us on film," Southern Miss Defensive Coordinator Todd Bradford said about Kansas' offense.  Well, there may be a reason for that--Kansas' first-year co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Darrell Wyatt spent the previous two seasons on the sidelines of... you guessed it, Southern Miss as offensive coordinator and assistant coach.

"Obviously, there are a lot of things that they are doing that we do and we will do a lot of things that they do so we will have to see who executes well," Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora said.

So, besides which team executes better, that in-turn relies heavily on which defense executes better.

This year, Kansas ranks first in the Big 12 for pass defense, having given up the fewest yards (211) and second-fewest touchdowns (one) in the conference through two weeks. Southern Miss' offensive star DeAndre Brown is definitely on KU's radar as the guy to stop this year. Last year Brown had two great plays against KU, a 22-yard touchdown and a huge 49-yard grab. This year, Kansas players are describing him as "a Freak," "a Specimen," "Talent," "Big," "Physical," and "Fantastic." And they are right. Will KU's defense be able to stop Brown this year with his 165 yards in just two games and averaging 18.3 yards per carry? It will definitely be exciting to watch.

It may look like Kansas' defense is ready, but are they ready to go into Hattiesburg where the Golden Eagles are on a nine-game home winning streak? Kansas is coming off an impressive win against then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, so their heads may be a little high in the clouds for the roaring and hungry crowd at The Rock. Southern Miss is ready to show the world how they protect their house and show the Jayhawks that they aren't in Kansas anymore. (...couldn't help myself)

East Carolina at Virginia Tech, 12:30pm, on ESPN3

The Pirates aren't going to Blacksburg to prove anything about the Hokies, but rather that East Carolina is dominant and always has been--people should be watching more for ECU's power and poise on the field.

"We face a Virginia Tech team that has had two tough losses," said Pirates' head coach Ruffin McNeil. "I know Coach Beamer, and I know those guys are not happy with where they are, and I know they will do a great job getting that team together... We have to worry about ourselves again this week and not Virginia Tech as much. Even though we respect Virginia Tech, we have to make sure we take care of our business and what we can control."

ECU had the fewest returning starters in C-USA (7), so their previous two wins have given them a lot of experience. With a win as emotionally draining as the one over Tulsa and another win to keep their confidence level high, the Pirates will be facing a Virginia Tech hungry for their first win of the season.

Washington State at SMU, 2:30pm, CBS College Sports

Conference USA has played only 12 games against Pac-10 teams, and of those 12, our teams have hosted only five. So on top of adding two more Pac-10 games to the list just this weekend, SMU welcomes Washington State to the wonderful world of C-USA football.

The Mustangs are ready to take revenge on the Cougars after last year's loss. WSU fell to Oklahoma State, 65-17, in the season opener, then the Cougars had to come from behind to defeat FCS opponent Montana State, 23-22.

Northwestern at Rice, 6:00pm, All-Access

Rice leads this series 4-1 and is coming off a road win at North Texas. So, those are pretty good signs going into Saturday's game against at 2-0 Northwestern team at Rice Stadium.

"We played them when I was at TCU and they were really big back then. Now they are big and fast. Pat (Fitzgerald) has done a great job recruiting. They are very multiple offensively. Their quarterback is a big-play guy and they have running backs who are big-play guys.... You can tell they are a very well-coached football team. They play very hard," Rice Head Coach David Bailiff stated.

Wildcat quarterback Dan Persa is a big-play guy; he along with his big-playmakers scored on each of their first three possessions, including a 15-play, 89-yard scoring drive on their opening possession.

Oh, and the recruiting that Coach Bailiff was talking about, Northwestern brings five players home to Houston: CB Justan Vaughn (Pearland), CB Demetrius Dugar (Aldine), LB David Nwabuisi (Episcopal), DT Will Hampton (Cy Creek) and WR Venric Mark (St. Pius X).

Tulsa at Oklahoma State, 6:00pm, All-Access

This is going to be a very fun intrastate game to watch. In 87 seasons, Tulsa and Oklahoma State traveled the 73 miles between each other for 69 games. Of those, 24 games were decided by a touchdown or less. So, the excitement of rejoining these two rivals is definitely up there as this is only the second meeting of the two in nine years.

With a last minute loss to ECU for their first game, and a great win against Bowling Green for their second, Tulsa's talent is just going to keep on getting better, especially with G.J. Kinne at the helm and his ever-so-productive wideout Damaris Johnson taking things into his own hands, literally. Tulsa's offense has already racked up more than 1,000 yards in just two games, but so has Oklahoma State. Tulsa has a high yardage QB with the C-USA's top all-purpose runner from last year, OSU also has a productive QB with "if not the best running back in the country, then one of the best" according to Coach Graham. Tulsa's defense has given up a little over 800 yards whereas the Cowboys have given almost 700. So these teams are almost equal when it comes to play.

(Thanks to Bill Haisten of Tulsa World Sports Extra, as he dug up the history of these two)

Houston at UCLA (Rose Bowl) 9:30pm, on FSN

Well, like Virginia Tech, UCLA is 0-2 and definitely wasn't expecting to be. It's too bad that they face the Houston team that has racked up more than 100 points in just two games...yes, points, while UCLA didn't even get on the scoreboard against Stanford. One thing going for the Bruins though is that they will be at home, or at least the closest to home in Pasadena for the game at the Rose Bowl.

"We've never been there. I'd say out of the 66 guys that are traveling, probably 60 haven't seen a mountain in their life," Coach Sumlin said. Well, I'm from the mountains in Virginia, and I can tell you that they aren't too intimidating, beautiful yes, but not intimidating, so that's good as far as outside factors working against Houston on a road game.

The big question going in to this game is if Case Keenum will be ready to face the Bruins after suffering a concussion in the game against UTEP.  Sumlin has been very mum on his condition and we are all waiting to hear No. 7's status.

In the meantime, we get another look at back-up QB Cotton Turner. The coaches and players have a lot of confidence in Turner and as they should--he had only one incompletion and threw for 69 yards and a touchdown to finish out the game.

"He knows what he's doing. He has been in this offense and has excelled very well. Last game he came in and had a tremendous game. He had one incompletion, and I didn't realize that it was the one I dropped over the middle. He would have been 100 percent if it wasn't for me," WR James Cleveland stated on his trust and acclimation of Turner.

On top of it being at the Rose Bowl against a Pac-10 team wanting to put something in the win column if not just wanting to put something on the scoreboard, this is Houston's first real road test. It's unfortunate that Keenum won't be 100% if he plays at all, as the Cougars will want to keep climbing the polls.

So there you have it, folks. These games are offered not based on preference, but merely by the simple fact that the opponents are BCS automatic qualifying teams.

Questions, comments, suggestions? E-mail me or twitter me @CartierBlue, I'm always around. Until the next time... 

I love movies. Any and all movies. I'm a wuss when it comes to scary movies, but I see them anyway. I love action movies. Batman and Rocky: I have their complete sets. Romantic comedies I reluctantly say I'm a fan. BUT... my favorite genre of movie is Classic. Gone With the Wind, Hitchcock, etc...   I must thank my mother for introducing me to Cary Grant at a young age as I have not only seen his movies several times and built a great collection of my own, but I have named my cat after him--Cary Grant the Cat, he's adorable.

Anyway, now that I have truly embarrassed myself by mentioning romantic comedies and my cat in the same paragraph, on to what this has to do with Conference USA. C-USA has totally gone Hollywood. We've all seen Glory Road and We Are Marshall (if not, shame on you! I suggest you do it now), but I am learning that one of Southern Miss's football players will have a documentary made about him and now SMU's football team will have a TV show on CBS Sports documenting their rise back to football prominence. Watch out Ochocinco and T.O., Conference USA is doing some real entertainment...

Having only lived in Dallas for a month now, I did not realize the lifeless state of SMU football before my arrival. And for those of you who love horror flicks, SMU has officially come back from the dead.  

As much as I am intrigued (more truthfully petrified) in the resurrection of something once deemed deceased (Thiller anyone?) I must say this isn't one of those horror films I would hide away from--just the opposite in fact. CBS College Sports and Fox Sports Southwest is following June Jones and his SMU football team this season showing the world what grit and exertion is needed to get back to the top again. The TV show, SMU Football 2010: The Climb, follows the team in the huddle, in the weight room, in the locker room, eating breakfast--everywhere. There are interviews with the players before the games with them telling us their feelings of excitement, nervousness, and determination. There are interviews with the coaches giving us insight in to their minds as they mentally and physically prepare each week. Think HBO's Hard Knocks, only without the profanity. Always a sucker for the exciting and mesmerizing atmosphere of game day, tuning in to SMU Football 2010: The Climb really puts us on the field, in the uniform and in the minds of the college football world. We all have had a team where there were some down years we'd like to forget (I'm a Kentucky Wildcat, I know this feeling well), and this show really gets you into the hearts of these men and their drive to be directors of their own--to turn something once dead, into something truly alive and in full force.

Almost being a sequel to the award winning The Blind Side, the documentary of O.C. Brown at Southern Miss won't have Sandra Bullock in its cast, but rather the real face and real sweat of an athlete who is achieving his goal despite his past. O.C. Brown is an offensive tackle who generated much hype out of Manassas High in Memphis, TN because of his overpowering size and strength and his guest stay-turn-home at one of his coaches' house. He needed help in the classroom and tutoring at night was the only option, unfortunately no tutor was willing to drive to his inner-city home late at night to give him that help. In comes Manassas Volunteer Assistant Coach Mike Ray opening up his home to Brown to get that extra help he needed. This documentary chronicles Brown's rise from an unknown, lowly athlete to a rising star football player at a D-I university. Film Producer Rich Middlemas and film director Dan Lindsay hope to premiere their piece sometime in 2011 at festivals such as Sundance or South-by-Southwest.  They do know that no matter where the film debuts, there will be a screening on USM's campus open to fans, players and coaches. Just like Brown does on the field, and Coach Ray did for Brown, keep your eyes, ears and heart open for the debut of this one.

Memphis Commercial Appeal's Profile on O.C. Brown

Hattiesburg American Profile on Brown's Story

So, there are some great stories out there. It just so happens that C-USA has the privilege to have member schools with rich traditions, heartbreaking tales and truly inspiring stories about real people. Please, if you know of a great story at your university, tell me. It doesn't have to warrant an Oscar or the casting of Angelina Jolie, but I might just show up with my video camera and shoot a documentary on it.

Greetings Conference USA students, fans, faculty, staff and alumni! ...and of course, greetings to everyone else. I'm Nicole C Cartier, Conference USA's newest member, and it is my pleasure to provide you with the best, most up-to-date information out there regarding all C-USA sports. Not wanting to make a big boisterous entrance into your lives all at once, I would just like to sincerely say "Thank you" beforehand... for reading and supporting your C-USA blogger.

 -Humbly yours, Nicole C Cartier

OK, now on to business. Football. As many of you, young and old, start school again, whether it's dropping the kids off at school or dropping your jaws looking at that Calc 4 class on your schedule, there's one thing that coincides nicely with the hyphenated words "back-to-school"--football. You wait all summer long for that first kickoff, that initial smell of tailgating food and beverages, and of course yelling at your favorite team with your fellow friends. I mean who schedules their classes around games? Or stays horizontal on the couch on a gorgeous day with the TV set to your favorite games? I raise my hand proudly to both of these actions--I used to schedule my classes around sports schedules ....But, I digress...

Without further ado, and with the help of my very knowledgeable colleagues Russ Anderson and Courtney Morrison-Archer, we give you five of this season's top Conference USA football games to watch. Now, I understand I am just diving in here having not been involved in the guts and glory of previous C-USA football seasons, so I ask that you be gentle and kind with your comments... but passion is always appreciated.  

(In order of appearance)

Southern Miss. vs South Carolina, Thursday September 2 6:30 CT, ESPN

The Golden Eagles fly into Columbia to take on the Ole Ball Coach and the Gamecocks.  Being the first night of college football, this is definitely a great way to start the season. Southern Miss has not just pads on their shoulders, but the weight of starting off the season against a tough SEC school. Analysts project South Carolina to really excel in the SEC this year, with talks of them vying for the title of SEC East champion.

Expect the Eagle defense to soar this season as the defensive unit returns nine starters, including Butkus Award watch list member Korey Williams. Southern Miss will also have a defense full of amazingly athletic guys like sophomore LB Jamie Collins (at 6-3, 231 pounds, has a vertical the same as LeBron James).  Although only four starters return on the offensive side, the Eagles are set at QB with Austin Davis coming back from a foot injury and a back-up QB with statistics reading like a starter in Martevious Young. Young started eight games last year when Davis went down and had over 1,800 yards with 18 TDs and only three interceptions. Coach Larry Fedora will need the experience from his defense in their season opener against a competitor like South Carolina. The longer he can keep fresh bodies out there, bodies with experience, the better the Eagles' chances are at wearing down the Gamecocks.

Given the Eagles profile this year with talented starters and a useful secondary, I see a potential upset in Columbia.

West Virginia at Marshall, Friday September 10, 6:00 CT, ESPN2

This game will definitely be a fun night in the state of West Virginia. This is only the third time WVU has visited Joan C. Edwards Stadium in its years of playing Marshall, so Thundering Herd fans get ready to show how much green spirit you have.

Who doesn't love an intrastate rivalry? But, this also is the home debut of Marshall Head Coach Doc Holliday. Not only did Coach Holliday grow up in the great state of West Virginia in Hurricane, he was educated (twice actually, one Bachelor's one Master's) and employed at WVU. So, it's safe to say that Coach has some deep roots in the Wild and Wonderful. Now we get to see how Coach Holliday used his kindergarten skills of color-ography and mixed those blue and yellow colors together to join the green side.  Bringing in 31 years of coaching on top of his savvy recruiting skills to the Herd, Coach Holliday has a tough schedule this season starting with No. 2 Ohio State and then hosting the 25^th-ranked Mountaineers. Coach Holliday and his boys will definitely already be in the mind-set ready to play on their home field. So bring on some exciting Thundering Herd football and watch has they take it out on the field against the Mountaineers for their home season opener.

TCU vs SMU, Friday, September 24 7:00 CT, ESPN

Get your eggs and sugar-cured ham out for the battle of the iron skillet--winner gets a breakfast at the nearest diner (notice I didn't say free). Anyway, No. 6 TCU visits Coach June Jones and the SMU Mustangs for a special Friday night lights this year in Dallas. Every year, this game never lets anyone down as far as excitement factor--there's just something about a rivalry that seems to negate any sort of ranking, athletic superiority and preemptive mindset. Last year TCU was walking away with the skillet at their home stadium, but when TCU came to Ford Stadium with a number in front of their name the last time, it was the Mustangs that walked away as Iron Chef.

This year Coach Jones brings back 17 starters from their first bowl appearance in 25 years AND posted the largest margin of victory of any bowl game, 45-10. Sophomore standout QB Kyle Padron was also named Sheraton Hawaii Bowl MVP his last outing. Emmanuel Sanders will be missed along with his record breaking statistics, but these young Mustangs have a lot left to show this year. It will be a battle for SMU as TCU returns their dangerous offense, but the defense lacks a little bit of the luster it had from their 2009 campaign with two stars in DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington departing, as well as a pair of All-MWC first-team cornerbacks. This little break in defense should be an advantage to Padron and RB Zach Line, who rushed for seven touchdowns last season. Receivers Aldrick Robinson, the lone starting senior on the offense, and junior Terrance Wilkerson, who combined for 89 receptions, 1,327 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009, will also be expected to shine for the Mustang offense.

Whatever the outcome, you should be walking away feeling pleasantly fulfilled. Now, I'll be at the diner down the road, as I just made myself hungry.

 Houston at SMU, Saturday, October 23 2:30 CT, CBS C

Both of these teams both gained AP Preseason Poll votes, so naturally this game should garner a must-see from any C-USA fan. The aforementioned reasons of the Mustangs' preseason vote against the offense of this year's Houston team should see a very high-scoring game as both teams' accumulated very high offensive statistics last year.

I've previously mentioned SMU's offensive case, now here is Houston's: Case Keenum. Currently on Heisman watch, he is on the clock to break two major NCAA records; he is just 4,122 yards from breaking the career passing record set by Timmy Chang in 2004 (17,072), and he's 32 TDs away from Graham Harrell's career touchdown mark of 134. Also, let me remind you that he'll be supported by three returning receivers with over 1,000 yards. Given that last year Keenum threw for 5,641 yards and 44 touchdowns, I'd say that history will be made this season and you should definitely be on watch as these two square off in Dallas, Texas, to watch the yards accumulate for these two programs.

Tulsa at Notre Dame, Saturday, October 30 1:30 CT, NBC

Tulsa Football has been one of the top teams in the Western Division of C-USA since winning the inaugural C-USA Championship in 2005. It will be interesting to see how 41 returning letterman fare against the rebuilding Fighting Irish and first-year coach Brian Kelly.

Quarterback G.J. Kinne is back and so are two of his most productive receivers, Damaris Johnson and Charles Clay.  Kinne racked up more than 3,000 total yards and 27 touchdowns in Coach Graham's spread offense and should provide plenty of points and highlights for wideout Johnson, who has two of the top four all-purpose yardage season totals in Conference USA history, amounting to 2,693 yards. Tulsa's offense shouldn't have any problem against Notre Dame's defense as they ranked in the bottom half of the country in all major defensive categories and gave up some serious yardage; they also return 9 starters from that same team.  Defensively, no team in Conference USA allowed fewer rushing touchdowns (nine) than Tulsa's last year and it took 28 quarters for a team to finally run in for a score.

It will definitely be a great day in South Bend for some football, but also because it has been 12 years since a Conference USA team has played the Fighting Irish. Count on this game's score to reach high numbers as each team as some quality offensive playmakers and also, something to prove.

Honorable Mention:

Tulsa at East Carolina, Sunday, September 5 1:00CT, ESPN2

This is the first conference game, so naturally it needs to be recognized. East Carolina, two-time reigning C-USA Football Champions, will welcome in new Head Coach Ruffin McNeill in a newly expanded stadium. More fans equal louder stadium which also equals greater home field advantage. The great people in Greeneville, NC have deemed it the Purple and Gold event and encourage all attendees to wear a certain color assigned to their seating section. Did I mention it will be on ESPN2?  Exciting day for Pirate Nation. Big challenge for both teams. Huge start for the conference.

Houston at UCLA, Saturday, September 18 9:30CT, FSN

This will be Houston's first big game on a national stage against a PAC-10 power. Oh, and it's at the Rose Bowl. The Cougars hope to walk away with a big win in Pasadena on their path to another bowl victory to close out the 2010 season.

So fellow sports fans, I give you my first C-USA Blog. If you didn't see your favorite team mentioned, it doesn't mean they won't be exciting to watch! I just only had 5 spots....Anyway, I always welcome comments and suggestions as well as ideas you may have for a future blog, and I always give credit where it is due.

Please email me with questions, comments, stories regarding your favorite sport, team, what-have-you. I would love to start a weekly mailbag with your emails... or Twitter me, CartierBlue.

And as always support your conference; join us on Facebook and Twitter,