Three Things We've Learned From Week Seven Conference USA Football

1. Marshall & Western Kentucky are the class of the conference

Shocking news right? To the surprise of nobody, Marshall and Western Kentucky are dominating their conference opponents right now.

The Hilltoppers played North Texas in a glorified scrimmage Thursday night, trying out trick plays and even let the Mean Green believe they belonged on the same field, as at one point WKU had a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.

The Toppers reeled off 20 unanswered points after toying with UNT en route to a 55-28 beatdown to clinch bowl eligibility for the fifth straight year. They have scored at least 41 points in every conference game with an average victory margin of 32 points this season.

While the Toppers are getting all of the acclaim due to their video-game offense, Marshall is quietly dispatching teams like a defending conference champ should.

Marshall marched into FAU Stadium Saturday afternoon, played their C-game with star running back Devon Johnson missing much of the contest, and won 33-17 easily. They now have more wins in FAU's shiny new stadium than FAU does in the past year.

I'm sure Doc Holliday and the Marshall staff will remind every recruit in the state of Florida of that feat on the recruiting trail this offseason if FAU fails to win another home game at season's end.

Like WKU, Marshall is 6-1 and bowl eligible. The two are on a collision course to enter their final game of the season undefeated in conference play.

When they square off on November 27, they may be playing for not just a chance to represent C-USA East in the conference championship game, but for a G5 bid as well.

2. FAU & UTSA probably aren't going to be bowl eligible

I know, I know. More shocking news right. Both are a combined 2-11 with one win apiece and both defeated a cellar dweller in their respective divisions for that win. If Conference USA wasn't so awful these two teams would definitely be the worse in conference.

I was undoubtedly wrong about thinking this would be the year for FAU to turn the corner.

The team has blown leads in the fourth quarter, continues to turn the ball over, and can't win home games. And worse, injuries are starting to become an issue.

Jaquez Johnson dressed, but didn't start at quarterback for the second time this season leaving Jason Driskel to run the offense. The offense scored 10 points despite four trips to the red zone in the loss 33-17 home loss to Marshall.

But it could be worse for the Owls. They could be playing like the Texas - San Antonio Roadrunners.

The Roadrunners nearly allowed Southern Mississippi to triple their offensive output Saturday night in a 32-10 loss in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

For the entire game, UTSA had 205 total yards on offense. 65 yards came via passing. Yikes.

Like myself, UnderdogDynasty contributor Jared Kalmus figured there was still hope to be salvaged in thinking UTSA could make a bowl game.

Nope. Not even close my friend.

FAU and UTSA both can technically still reach bowl eligibility this year. But this ain't intramurals brother. UTSA is 1-6 and still has home games against Rice and MTSU on the schedule, whereas FAU is 1-5 with road games against Western Kentucky and Florida on the schedule.

3. The middle pack of the conference is a mess

Halfway through the season we have learned that Marshall and WKU are the best teams. Charlotte and North Texas are the worst teams.

After that its a complete free for fall.

Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Rice, and Southern Miss are each 2-1 in conference play.

FIU, FAU, and UTSA are each 1-2 in conference play and Old Dominion is 1-1.

With so much parity in the league, on any given Saturday any of these teams could defeat one another and no one would bat an eye in dismay.

That's going to make quite an interesting stretch when their are three weeks left in the season when teams will be jockeying for bowl position.

Typically as the season progresses you begin to see some separation from teams as tiers begin to take shape but I doubt we see that from this conference with it being so diluted.

It wouldn't surprise me to see a cluster of 6-6 teams at season's end.