Southern Miss scheduled its non-conference slate closer to home. The Golden Eagles opened in Hattiesburg against in-state foe Alcorn State and brought UConn to town on September 19 for the first-ever meeting between the 2 programs. Most of their September was played at home. Now they have to go win on the road in a conference game, against the team the league's coaches picked to win the division.
The preseason poll is the backdrop here, and it cuts both ways. Troy was voted 1st in the West, and teams wearing that label get every opponent's best game. For Southern Miss, a road win in Troy is the kind of result that changes how a season looks, and a Tuesday night stage gives them the whole college football TV window to do it.
The injury reports and depth charts aren't set yet, and 9 days is a long time in college football. What the extra rest does to Troy's legs after 2 straight road trips, and how Southern Miss handles its first real hostile environment, are the questions worth watching as game week gets closer. When this is the next game on both schedules and the board is full, the picks will open with it.