The 2017 college football season is still a summer away but already we can’t wait for the action to begin. While it’s still early, we took a look at each conference with early predictions for which teams will come out on top this coming season. Here is a look at our predictions for the winner of every non-power conference in 2017.
American: South Florida
The Temple Owls shouldn’t fall off completely and the Houston Cougars will provide some tough competition. That said, Quinton Flowers is the most productive dual-threat weapon and he will be a nightmare for those teams to compete with when they play against South Florida this season. USF will play in a slightly weaker division than Temple and that should help. The Bulls will have to adjust to a new head coach in Charlie Strong but there is no doubt that he should be able to get an experienced roster ready to contend for title in the American this season.
The Bulls finished 11-2 overall last season and were 7-1 in conference play. They ended the season on a high note as they won their final five games. The issue is they struggled against ranked teams as they were 0-2 against teams in AP Top 25. Strong inherits a team that’s on the rise, though, so look for them to have a big year in 2017.
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Taywan Taylor and Nicholas Norris are gone, but Western Kentucky should still be the best team in the Conference USA. Mike White completed 67.3-percent of his passes while throwing for 4,363 yards and 37 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions last year and he is back to lead the offense. Meanwhile, the ‘Toppers already have room to spare considering the level of talent they had in 2016. A relatively straightforward schedule should help Western Kentucky en route to clinching a conference title in 2017.
Mid-American Conference: Toledo
Logan Woodside will enter the 2017 season as one of the nation’s most productive passers after he finished in the top-10 last season in completion percentage, yards and touchdowns while leading Toledo to a 9-4 record. A friendly schedule that includes hosting Northern Illinois and Western Michigan should also help, with the latter likely set to be their toughest competition. As long as the Rockets protect the Glass Bowl, they should be able to clinch their first MAC championship since 2004.
Mountain West: Boise State
Boise State will once again have to avoid the disastrous loss on the road this season. If they can do that then they will have a good shot at winning the Mountain West title. The Broncos will have some tough competition in San Diego State, Colorado State and Air Force but they have enough talent to overcome each one of those opponents. Brett Rypien will help Boise State overcome the losses of Jeremy McNichols and Thomas Sperbeck while keeping them in the driver seat to win a conference title. There will be some tough competition in the Mountain West this season but the Broncos should have a slight edge.
The Broncos finished their 2016 campaign with a record of 10-3 overall. They were 6-2 in conference play and ended up winning the Mountain Division of the Mountain West. San Diego State was also 6-2 in conference play, though, but finished 11-3 overall.
Sun Belt: Appalachian State
Troy will represent Appalachian State’s toughest competition in the Sun Belt, but the Mountaineers have the more favorable outlook. Appalachian State will manage to avoid both Troy and Arkansas State in conference play and they will host Georgia Southern at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Taylor Lamb is an underrated performer that has the potential to be a star for the Mountaineers this season. Everything seems to be pointing in the direction of Appalachian State winning the Sun Belt title as long as they don’t suffer a major meltdown.
App State claimed the Sun Belt last season with a record of 10-3. They finished the season on a high note by winning their final three contests, though. Their defense was the only one in the conference that allowed less than 100 points. Look for them to continue to rise in 2017.
Click here to bet on the college football futures for the 2017 college football season right now. DSI will have all of the latest lines, spreads and props for this year’s action!
