Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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2026 Conference USA Preseason Award Watchlist Tracker
It is August, and that is proof college football is on the horizon. The later portion of the month is reserved for games, while the early portion is for preseason festivities. Preseason watchlists are a staple of the final month of the offseason, as players of all positions from all over the country are recognized […]
2026 American Conference Preseason Award Watchlist Tracker
It is August, and that is proof college football is on the horizon. The later portion of the month is reserved for games, while the early portion is for preseason festivities. Preseason watchlists are a staple of the final month of the offseason, as players of all positions from all over the country are recognized […]
Owen McCown’s loyalty gives UTSA rare quarterback continuity
The UTSA Roadrunners are the only American Conference program entering the 2026 season with a third-year starting quarterback. That rare continuity can all be traced back to a basketball court in Jacksonville, TX in the late 1990s. More than 20 years before becoming head coach at UTSA, Jeff Traylor coached football and basketball at Jacksonville […]
Which All-Sun Belt players can return to college after court ruling?
On Friday evening of July 31 — exactly 29 days before the 2026 college football season kicks off — game-changing news came out of the U.S. District Court of Colorado. The court ruling by Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to provide an additional year of eligibility to all athletes […]
The Best Quotes, Football and Otherwise, from FCS Players and Coaches During 2026 Media Days
August is here and college football is right around the corner. We can practically feel it in the air. FCS coaches and players gathered to share their thoughts on the upcoming season (amongst other things) over the last few weeks at various media days across the country. Here are some of the things they had […]
After one season away, Sam Houston returns to renovated Bowers Stadium
Sam Houston did not play a single true home game during the 2025 football season. Instead, the Bearkats took a 70-mile commute down I-45 to play at Shell Energy Stadium in downtown Houston, where they competed in front of sparse crowds. That changes in 2026. The fan support, student body, and overall energy will make […]
Tulane and Iowa State move 2028 and 2029 games to Week 0
The Week 0 movement continues to grow. College football’s preliminary week in August wasn’t even used from 2005-15. In 2016, there was one Week 0 game. In 2021, there were five. And this year in 2026, there are eight on the docket. FBS teams are increasingly scheduling Week 0 games, and Iowa State and Tulane […]
From Twitter to Temple: Peter Clarke’s international journey to stardom
All Peter Clarke needed to jumpstart his football career was a Twitter account. The London, United Kingdom native first developed an interest in the sport at age 14 when he played 5-on-5 flag football for the London Warriors program. It wasn’t until age 17 when he exchanged his flags for pads and participated in his […]
“We should play Penn State or Pitt every year”: Keeler eyes regional future for Temple
The anticipation for a Temple football season has never been greater throughout the 2020s decade. The Owls are fresh off their winningest campaign since 2019 after head coach K.C. Keeler guided them to a 5-7 finish in his first season. Temple also retained nine starters without losing a single starter to the transfer portal, promoting […]
2026 American Preseason Previews: UTSA Roadrunners
2025 record: 7-6 (4-4 American) 2025 postseason: defeated FIU in First Responder Bowl, 57-20 UTSA football established a winning culture the instant head coach Jeff Traylor arrived in 2020. Traylor has now spent six years at the helm, and every season resulted in a positive record. This tenure has featured plenty of firsts in UTSA […]
Culture outlasts coach: Why Tulane believes winning sustains in Will Hall era
Four-straight conference championship appearances, two American Conference titles, two AP Top 20 finishes, one Cotton Bowl victory, and one College Football Playoff appearance — all in a four-year span. Tulane completed college football’s most statistically remarkable turnaround in 2022, going from 2-10 to 12-2, and the program has refused to look back. The coaches change, […]
Hartline embraces USF leaving NFL venue for on-campus stadium
The 2026 season represents a crossroads of eras for South Florida Bulls football. It’s a beginning for head coach Brian Hartline, who replaces Alex Golesh as the frontman of the Bulls. Hartline spent the past nine seasons climbing the coaching ladder at Ohio State from an offensive quality control assistant to the offensive coordinator. South […]
“Is this really how I’m going out?”: Daveon Hook’s road back to Rice football
Perhaps the quietest place in Fort Worth, TX on Jan. 2, 2026 was Amon G. Carter Stadium. For over 10 minutes that afternoon, all noise inside the venue was suppressed to silence. The Armed Forces Bowl between the Rice Owls and Texas State Bobcats that drew over 28,000 spectators suddenly seemed trivial when medical personnel […]
2026 American Conference Media Days: Team-by-Team Recaps and Storylines
All 14 American Conference programs gathered at the Hilton Bayfront in St. Petersburg, FL for the league’s 2026 media days. Attendees included Commissioner Tim Pernetti, all 14 head coaches, 29 player representatives, the teams’ mascots and cheerleaders, and even former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden. For the third-straight season, membership remained unchanged, but the league […]
Tim Pernetti talks saving college sports, CFP expansion at American media days
The American Conference went beachside for its 2026 media days, shifting the event to the Hilton Bayfront in St. Petersburg, FL. The 14-team league, unaffected by conference realignment since 2024, is fresh off one of its most successful seasons in history. In 2025, the American champion produced its second-ever College Football Playoff participant, saw three […]
The Biggest Trap Game for Every FCS Contender this Year
Over the last few seasons it feels like the upper tier of the FCS has been a pre-written book that everyone already knows how it ends. Sure, there are a few upsets here and there, but for the most part the top teams go chalk. It’s why we see the same usual suspects standing at […]
2026 American Preseason Previews: UAB Blazers
2025 record: 4-8 (2-6 American) 2025 postseason: did not qualify UAB football returned from the ashes in 2017 and almost instantly became the standard of Conference USA. The Blazers appeared in three-straight CUSA title games from 2018-20 and captured two. From 2018-22, they claimed their first three bowl victories in program history, and it was […]
2026 Conference USA Media Day Notes and Storylines
Conference USA held its annual media days in Arlington, TX on July 20-21. Commissioner Judy MacLeod and all 10 Conference USA head coaches took the podium in Arlington, discussing the biggest storylines entering the 2026 season. Here are highlights from each speaker at the media days: CUSA Commissioner Judy MacLeod Conference USA commissioner Judy MacLeod […]
Rice unveils new Nike uniforms for 2026
On July 1, 2026, six FBS programs switched outfitters. The Rice Owls were included in that list, as they officially swapped out their Adidas gear in favor of Nike. Adidas was the official outfitter of Rice from 2012-25, but the Swoosh is back on the Owls’ uniforms for the first time since 2011. To usher […]
Sun Belt Media Days: Ryan Beard takes over Coastal Carolina
In 2020, the world undoubtedly changed. There were positive aspects of the tumultuous year for some, and perhaps no college football program benefited more from that year than the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Coastal Carolina joined the FBS in 2017 and spent three years struggling to adjust to the highest level. However, everything flipped in 2020. […]
2026 ACC Media Day Storylines: SMU Mustangs
All 17 ACC teams took the stage in Charlotte, NC for 2026 ACC Media Days. This coming season marks the SMU Mustangs’ third in the ACC, and the Mustangs needed no time to adjust. In 2024, they qualified for the conference championship game and College Football Playoff. In 2025, they were alive for a second-straight […]
Napier returns to Sun Belt, tasked with upholding JMU’s winning tradition
Billy Napier was king of the Sun Belt. Prior to the 2018 season, he accepted a head coaching position at Louisiana. The first-time head coach didn’t need any time to acclimate to his new role — he built a dynasty from the get-go. In four years at Louisiana, he produced a 40-12 record and qualified […]
CUSA announces 2026 preseason players of the year and ‘Bowl Confidence Index’
It’s a new-look Conference USA for 2026. For the first time since 2022, the league will not introduce new members. However, the conference reduces from 12 to 10 member programs after the departures of Louisiana Tech (to the Sun Belt) and UTEP (to the Mountain West). The 10-member conference converges in Arlington, TX on July […]
Tulane and LSU to meet in 2030; first Battle for the Rag since 2009
An old non-conference rivalry in The Boot is finally restored. On Saturday, Aug. 31, 2030, the Tulane Green Wave will travel to Death Valley to face the LSU Tigers in a Week 1 matchup. It marks the first installment of the “Battle for the Rag” since 2009. Tulane and LSU were longtime conference affiliates from […]
UDD’s Top 20 FCS Offensive Players for 2026
All of our preseason Top 20 lists for the FCS have been difficult to compose this year but none have been harder than the offensive players. The subdivision truly has offensive talent coming out of its gills in 2026 giving shape to what could be a historically productive year. The quarterback crop is as deep […]
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