All summer long, the number one topic surrounding Conference USA has been expansion.

Will the Big East take a team away? Will C-USA add on? If so, should the conference create a championship game?

Well, this much was made clear during the league's media event a few weeks ago: The coaches are through talking about expansion. They are ready to play some football.

And, on the field, the defending champion is TCU -- coincidentally, C-USA's most recent expansion project. In just two years, the Horned Frogs have raised the bar of competition in what was already a solid football league.

	Inside Conference USA
	Can new head coach John Thompson fix the East Carolina defense? Can either Micky D'Angelo or Dustin Almond step up at QB and get the Southern Miss offense rolling? How far can the Tulane offense carry the Green Wave? Find out in Conference USA team-by-team story lines.

Eight of the 11 Conference USA coaches favored TCU to win the title again this season, but they might be executing a slightly different game plan this time around. In 2002, the Frogs led the nation in total defense (240 ypg allowed) but ranked just 66th in total offense.

Expect the TCU defense to be formidable, as usual, but the offense should be much improved. Technically, the Horned Frogs return only a few offensive starters, but their "new" quarterback and running back were actually the driving force behind the unit's most productive stretch of last season.

QB Tye Gunn and RB Lonta Hobbs are now sophomores, and their presence is the biggest reason TCU might be even better than it was in 2002.

If any team is able to challenge them for conference superiority, it will most likely be Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles are among the C-USA favorites every year, which is a tribute to the consistency of the program under head coach Jeff Bower.

They are, once again, a defensive-oriented team and will be led by all-America-caliber linebacker Rod Davis. If USM can get a needed offensive spark from new coordinator Rip Scherer, there isn't a game on the schedule it can't win.

The "X factor" in the race is conference newcomer South Florida, which may have been the best team that nobody saw last season. The Bulls went 4-0 against C-USA teams, while piling up a 9-2 record in only their second year at the I-A level. They must replace some key members of that squad, however, and might still be a year away from challenging for the conference title.

In addition to the new team, this season in Conference USA will be highlighted by three new coaches -- two of whom have previous ties to the league. New Louisville head man Bobby Petrino was the coordinator of the greatest offense in the Cardinals' history, and new East Carolina coach John Thompson coordinated some of the best defenses in C-USA history while at Southern Miss.

First-year Houston head coach Art Briles also brings new energy to that program with what is expected to be a wide-open offense.

Game of the Year
TCU at Southern Miss, Nov. 20. The Golden Eagles were embarrassed on national TV in Fort Worth last season, so this one is all about redemption, and maybe even a conference title to increase the stakes. One of the other big games of the year for C-USA will also take place on a Thursday night in Hattiesburg, when Nebraska pays Southern Miss a visit on Sept. 25.

Offensive Player of the Year
Mewelde Moore, RB, Tulane: Although he has gone largely unnoticed due to a lack of TV exposure, Moore has statistically been one of the best offensive players in college football over the last two seasons. In both 2001 and 2002, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards while tacking on more than 500 receiving. Expect him to have another big year on one of the conference's best offensive units.

Defensive Player of the Year
Rod Davis, LB, Southern Miss. A ball hawk who averaged almost 13 tackles per game last season, Davis has been named to the first team of many preseason all-America squads. He has become a more disruptive force behind the line of scrimmage with each college season and was credited with causing almost 100 yards lost in 2002. If USM has a strong year, Davis has a legitimate chance to win the Butkus Award.

Brad Edwards is a researcher for ESPN.