Conference USA Power Rankings: WEEK 2

The second week of the Conference USA season has come to a close. You can see my power rankings from last week right here. In short, the conference is wide open with only one undefeated team (the 1-0 UAB) left. Here's my breakdown.

1. Central Florida (14-1) - The Golden Knights suffered their first hiccup of the season: a 76-71 loss to Houston. The good news? They still carry a strong set of non-conference wins, and no other team looks poised to dominate the conference over the next few weeks.

2. UAB (11-3) - UAB is the only unbeaten team in C-USA. That said, it's only one win (due to the postponement of their matchup against East Carolina). They did manage to outlast a solid UTEP squad after three overtimes. They look ready to compete, however, with any team in the conference.

3. UTEP (14-4) - Tim Floyd's squad has game this year. They are 2-1 in C-USA with a 3OT loss against UAB. More importantly, they rebounded by handing Tulane their first home loss of the season (with a dominant first half under the leadership of star Randy Culpepper).

4. Tulane (12-4) - The Green Wave's 7 game winning streak disappeared after a home loss to UTEP. They showed some strength after making a solid comeback run in the second half. With ECU and Tulsa next on the schedule, look for Tulane to regain its strength.

5. Memphis (13-4) - Easily the most overrated team of the conference. Despite holding a national ranking several weeks ago, tough losses at Tennessee and SMU have brought the Tigers back to earth. Let's see what happens with Southern Miss., UAB, and UCF next on the schedule.

6. Southern Mississippi (13-3) - The team's 13-3 record (and 2-1 so far in the conference) looks good. That said, they have played a cupcake schedule and barely overcame Rice (at the bottom of the conference) in overtime. USM will need to stay hot if they want to scale the conference over the next few weeks against some threatening squads.

7. SMU (10-6) - The Mustangs responded well to a loss against Tulane by laying a beatdown on the then-ranked Memphis Tigers. They are now 1-1 in the conference and have some potential, but a lot of early losses may hold them back.

8. Houston (9-6) - In David and Goliath fashion, Houston took down the undefeated Golden Knights. Doesn't change a slew of losses to teams ranging from Louisiana Tech to UT-San Antonio. Maybe the UCF win will give them some serious momentum, though.

9. Marshall (12-5) - The Thundering Herd has faltered in C-USA after strong non-conference play. They are now 1-2 in C-USA with UAB and Memphis on the horizon. Marshall will need to rebound fast if it wants to be a contender this year.

10. Tulsa (8-8) - Not much to write home about here. 1-1 in C-USA with a loss to UTEP and a win against Rice. Their .500 record may take a hit when they take on the Green Wave, UTEP, UAB, and Memphis in the next six games.

11. East Carolina (8-7) - Still above .500 due to the cancellation of a few games due to weather. They take on Tulane today at home.

12. Rice (8-9) - Rice is 0-3 already in Conference USA despite showing a little spark from time to time. With matchups against UTEP and UCF next, it looks like 0-5 may be in the Owls' future.

Agree or disagree?