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Magazine Correction Notice:

The Conference USA Preseason Preview and Power Poll package which appeared in the just-published Bonesville.net The Magazine was written by Denny O'Brien. It was inadvertently attributed to Ron Cherubini because of a technical error.

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*Mascot Fight: Pirate vs. Blue Devil*

More from Bruce Satterfield...

The first full week of college football features three consecutive days of Conference USA action, including rare contests on Sunday and Monday.

Highlighting the slate are five games pitting C-USA teams against in-state rivals, though outside of Louisville-Kentucky, most of the matchups could be labeled snoozers.

No game looms larger than the Labor Day contest between Texas Christian and Cincinnati, both of which should figure in the race for one of C-USA's five bowl berths. Much of the week, however, can be characterized as Blowout City, which is what you would expect when I-AA foes come to town.

My C-USA Power Poll, which debuted this week in Bonesville.net The Magazine, you might say, goes against the grain by ranking Southern Miss ahead of BCS hopeful Louisville. But these rankings are based on where the teams are right now, not where they might eventually be. After all, there are unforeseen factors that weigh in during the season, such as injuries, which, by the way, are inevitable.

Simply put, the Cards have too many question marks present to rank them ahead of USM right now. Offensive line? Receiving corps? Is the defense really that good?

And if the two were to play today, I'd take those ornery Eagles in a heartbeat — and twice again on Sunday.

East Carolina at Duke

The last time ECU and Duke squared off was the 2000 season opener -- loss number three in Duke's current 23-game skid. The Pirates are looking to end a streak of their own, having lost three consecutive dating back to last season.

The Bucs find themselves in a situation eerily akin to last year. Duke, which brought in former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Ted Roof during the offseason, has made schematic and personnel changes on defense, meaning the Pirates will have to adjust on the fly. That could make things a little interesting with new quarterback Paul Troth under center.

C-USA Power Poll

1. Southern Miss - The Golden Eagles are as hungry as ever and return 18 starters from last year's 6-5 team. That's a very dangerous combination.

2. Louisville - QB Dave Ragone is among the nation's best, but must break in new receivers and a new offensive line. No problem, he says.

3. Cincinnati - Gino Guidugli returns under center and is eager to prove his freshman season was no fluke. In LaDaris Vann and Tye Keith he has a sensational receiving corps with which to work.

4. East Carolina - The Pirates have a lot of unknown quantities on both offense and defense, says head coach Steve Logan. He'll start learning more about them real soon.

5. TCU - The Frogs have the defense and mentality to finish in the league's upper half. Now, if they could just find a running game.

6. Memphis - When you think about Tommy West-coached teams, defense generally comes to mind. However, that will once again be the Tigers' weakness and is why they'll go bowl-less in '02.

7. Houston - The Cougars should be C-USA's most improved team this season. After going winless in '01, it'd be hard not to be.

8. Tulane - Even though QB Patrick Ramsey has taken his talent to the pros, the Wave shouldn't miss a beat on offense with JP Losman under center and RB Mewelde Moore carrying the load. The defense, however, is a different story.

9. UAB - On the field, the Blazers have almost as many issues as they do off. That's a mouthful.

10. Army - Head coach Todd Berry continues to improve the Knights steadily on offense. The jury is still out on the defense.

Roof has taken a similar path to the one chosen by ECU defensive boss Tim Rose, putting more speed on the field. That formula, coupled with the fact that Troth has thrown just four collegiate passes, should keep the Pirates on the ground with Art Brown and Marvin Townes operating behind an experienced, talented offensive line.

The Devils, no doubt, will try their best to disrupt Troth early, but look for offensive coordinator Doug Martin to keep things simple for his greenhorn field general by utilizing his backs, while mixing in play-action.

Don't be surprised if the Pirates start slowly. It could take time for Troth to get his feet wet. Simply put, though, the Pirates have too much talent, a lot more speed, and too many ways to hit the Devils to not find their rhythm, eventually.

The Pirates will post a 200-plus yard rushing day, and Richard Alston will provide an explosion play. Meanwhile, Steve Logan's prodigious QB will gain more confidence as the game progresses.

East Carolina will deploy a similar gameplan on defense, utilizing its speed to get after an inexperienced quarterback. Carl Franks hasn't shown his hand on who that may be, but every indication out of Durham is that Adam Smith, not Chris Dapolito will be the next pilot of Air Ball.

Big and lanky, Smith lacks the mobility of his predecessor -- D. Bryant -- which will add more pressure on Duke's big, but inexperienced offensive line. So, it shouldn't come as a shock that running back Chris Douglas will get plenty of touches, while bulldozing fullback Alex Wade clears the way.

Duke wouldn't be Duke, though, if it didn't open things up and take its shots down field. Paul Jette's revamped secondary has been preparing for this moment since December and is itching to lock-and-load on young Blue Devil receivers.

Pressure is the name of the game in Rose's remodeled system, something Duke has yet to prove it can handle. The Bucs get to Smith often, forcing numerous mistakes.

Even if the offense doesn't crank into full gear, or the defense at times finds itself on its heels, ECU's special teams should provide enough of an X factor to win the game. The Pirates have an award-winning cast, headlined by kicker Kevin Miller, punter Jarad Preston, and return specialist Marvin Townes.

Miller's accuracy inside 45 yards will alleviate pressure off Troth to punch it in, while Preston's strong leg and a strong coverage team should translate into poor field position for the Devils. Alston and Townes are both threats to break big returns, especially with ten solid blockers leading the way.

The Pirates move the ball early, behind the legs of Brown and Townes, but struggle in the red zone offense. Sooner or later, though, the Pirates get it going and bedevil Duke by the spread -- Pirates 27, The Streak 24, Duke 13.

This backyard battle features a contrast in styles, pitting Rice's option attack against Houston's one-back aerial assault. Defense isn't the forte of either, meaning the final score could make Arena League coaches exceedingly envious.

Nobody, outside of Duke, could use a win more than Dana Dimel's Coogs. After a disappointing 2000, Houston posted a rotten egg in the win column last year, but nonetheless has reason to be upbeat. Quarterback Nick Eddy is serviceable, and KeyKowa Bell, Brandon Middleton, and Brian Robinson make for a strong throng of receivers.

Eddy should have a blast playing catch with his three musketeers, who are much more athletic than the Owls' undermanned secondary. But look for Rice to find paydirt often, too, just not enough to win this up-and-down match. Houston steams Rice, 38-35.

Tommy West has a history of scheduling a few non-conference cupcakes, dating back to his days in Clemson. Considering the fact he was dismissed from his previous post, maybe he should schedule more.

West does appear to have the Tigers on the rise, however, and has changed everything from the uniforms to the offense in the City of Elvis. Well, at least the offense is looking better.

Quarterback Danny Wimprine, who burst on the scene as a freshman, will see plenty of rest in this one, and Dante' Brown, the Tigers' All C-USA candidate at running back, will likely get a half-day vacation, too. The Tigers should gallop past the Racers with ease, 40-13. If not, perhaps West shouldn't be so ambitious with future schedules.

Jackson State at Southern Miss

Head coach Jeff Bower will learn little more about his team than the knowledge he gained during preseason camp. But that's okay, considering the Eagles are breaking in a new field general and one-time All C-USA running back Derrick Nix will see his first action in almost two seasons.

Even if the offense sputters, which it won't, the defense and special teams could score enough to win this one handily. Look for USM's smothering defense to rock Tigers ball carriers all day long in this 55-7 landslide.

Southern at Tulane

It isn't exactly the Bayou Classic, but it will likely draw the biggest gate for Tulane this season. I-AA Southern boasts a larger fan base and will make for a halfway decent crowd in the cavernous Superdome.

A battle of the bands would certainly make it more interesting, though the Jazzy Jags would win that contest hands down. That's about all the fireworks Southern will provide on the coarse Superdome carpet.

Tulane still lacks the horses defensively, but has talent galore on offense. QB JP Losman, WR Roydell Williams, and RB Mewelde Moore should post career numbers by intermission, as the Wave washes away the Jags, 48-20.

Florida QB Rex Grossman kicks off his Heisman campaign against a depleted UAB defense. Gone are high-rounders Eddie Freeman and Bryan Thomas, who last year anchored one of the nation's most sturdy frontlines.

About the only thing UAB can look forward to is the Florida sunshine and a hefty paycheck. In case you didn't notice, the Blazers kinda need the money these days, but even a trip to The Swamp won't be enough to get them in the black.

The offense has never been dynamic under Watson Brown's direction, and shouldn't be explosive this year, either. Especially on Saturday. Quarterback Thomas Cox is marginal at best under center, and has mediocre talent surrounding him. Florida coach Ron Zook gets his first win in Gator Blue and Orange, and it will be a big one, 47-7.

The Cards have owned their neighboring rivals since John L. Smith's arrival. Don't expect the Wildcats to buck that trend anytime soon.

Timing is everything in football, and the 'Cats couldn't have picked a worse time to participate in this Bluegrass battle. Coming off two-consecutive C-USA titles, the U of L is primed to score a hat trick, and will be more than happy to thump its uppity rival along the way.

In a game that could take upwards of four hours, southpaw rivals Dave Ragone (Louisville) and Jared Lorenzen (Kentucky) will toss more passes than Papa John will pizzas in this lopsided opener. Kentucky's buffet killing QB shouldn't walk away empty handed, though. Look for the 275-pounder to down a couple of extra large supremes, while his 'Cats purr timidly in a 41-17 loss.

This Labor Day special features a couple of dark horses some say could make a serious run at Louisville and Southern Miss. If either plans to entertain such aspirations, winning the season opener is critical.

C-USA definitely saved the best for last this week, as this early season grudge match is easily the most intriguing game on the slate. Cincinnati, some say, is the darkhorse that can post a serious challenge to Southern Miss and Louisville, while TCU already proved last season that it can thump the league's so-called big boys.

In a game that figures to be close, you would think the home-field advantage would give the Bearcats a bit of an edge. Nippert Stadium, however, has never been an intimidating place to play, and the Frogs showed last season they weren't shy about hopping into enemy territory and collecting a marquee win.

Sensational Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli couldn't have picked a tougher opener. TCU has a knack for frustrating glamour boy QBs and you can rest assured head coach Gary Patterson will let the dogs out in this one.

When push comes to shove, always go with the better defense early in the season, plain and simple. The 'Cats have more question marks on that side of the ball, which is why I like TCU to post a laborious victory, 23-20.

Yes, I realize that I ranked Cincinnati two notches higher than TCU in my preseason C-USA Power Poll. Let's just chalk it up as a minor upset.