Never too early to assess conferences
With spring football in the books, here’s how the college conference races are shaking out with four months to go until the start of the season.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Favorite: South Florida. The Bulls are set for a successful debut under Charlie Strong, who inherits a strong offense and should quickly address a lackluster defense.
Dark horse: Memphis. The league’s most potent offense might be enough to lift the Tigers to the top in Mike Norvell’s second season. Bringing up the rear: Connecticut.
ATLANTIC COAST
Favorite: Florida State. You can’t go wrong between FSU and Clemson, but the Seminoles hold a slight advantage coming out of the spring. Now, about that opener with Alabama …
Dark horse: Miami ( Fla.). Mark Richt and the Hurricanes still look like the early favorite in the Coastal Division.
Bringing up the rear: Virginia.
BIG 12
Favorite: Oklahoma. The Sooners will begin the summer in the Big 12 driver’s seat even if it hasn’t been a pretty month- plus for Bob Stoops and OU.
Dark horse: Oklahoma State. It might seem strange to call Oklahoma State a sleeper, but the loaded and explosive Cowboys are still flying under the radar. Bringing up the rear: Kansas.
BIG TEN
Favorite: Ohio State. An influx of early enrollees this spring helped begin the process of solidifying a depth chart ravaged by NFL departures.
Dark horse: Wisconsin. A smooth schedule, improved quarterback play and the program’s annual consistency point toward a potential banner year.
Bringing up the rear: Rutgers.
CONFERENCE USA
Favorite: Western Kentucky. While maintaining the program’s recent run might be hard, a productive first spring under new coach Mike Sanford put the Hilltoppers in the early lead.
Dark horse: Middle Tennessee. Hiring Scott Shafer as defensive coordinator is a move that could lift the Blue Raiders over the hump in the East Division.
Bringing up the rear: UAB.
MID- AMERICAN
Favorite: Toledo. After playing bridesmaid to Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, the Rockets will rise..
Dark horse: Northern Illinois. The Huskies might be only a healthy quarterback away from reclaiming a spot atop the West Division. Bringing up the rear: Kent State.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Favorite: Boise State. The margin for error is smaller than ever in the Mountain Division, but Boise State’s talent, experience and coaching should put it in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
Dark horse: Colorado State. A new stadium is not the only thing CSU has to look forward to. The Rams will be dangerous should they address three holes along the offensive line and cut down on big plays allowed on defense.
Bringing up the rear: Fresno State.
PAC- 12
Favorite: Southern California. Let the hype machine roll for quarterback Sam Darnold.
Dark horse: UCLA. The Bruins’ star quarterback, Josh Rosen, seemed healthy and ready to hit his stride. Bringing up the rear: California.
SOUTHEASTERN
Favorite: Alabama. Surprised? It’s the same old story in Tuscaloosa. Dark horse: Georgia. In this case, teams such as LSU and Auburn don’t qualify for the dark- horse label. After going 8- 5 in 2016, Georgia does. Bringing up the rear: Mississippi and Vanderbilt.
SUN BELT
Favorite: Troy. The Trojans get the edge over Arkansas State and Appalachian State after developing depth at running back, receiver and linebacker.
Dark horse: Georgia Southern. Reembracing the option style will bump the Eagles up a notch. Bringing up the rear: New Mexico State.