If the Blue Raiders can just avoid being manhandled by WKU and LaTech again this year and I'll be happy.
Clearly, there is room for improvement in football. Relevant to this thread, at least MT football has generally been competitive in these first few years in C-USA. With some reasonably obtainable improvement in football, MT could get over the hump to win that conf championship. Fortunately, this offseason has produced some good signs of considerable improvements. IMO, the type of improvements that could legitimately put MT in position for a conf title or two in the next couple/few years. Although I'm not predicting the conf championship this season, I think significant improvements are likely this season. I'm hopeful for MT football to get over that hump of of 6 or 7 wins this upcoming season. If MT can improve and/or replace key positions on both sides of the ball especially at LBs, Safeties, and Linemen (as always), the football team just might seriously contend for that conf title this season.
Of note:
It will likely take a herculean effort for WKU and LaTech to recreate the power of the last couple of seasons into this season.
WKU: Obviously, replacing 6th year record setting QB and NFL draft pick will be felt by their team with at least some dropoff. WKU seems to be losing those key skill players that made them so dynamic and powerful the last 2 seasons. That is WKU will have to replace their NFL draft pick QB and NFL draft pick TE that they loved to target. It looks like they'll have to replace a couple of WRs also. Since that passing game was absolutely key to them, it would seem reasonable to expect a dropoff in their powerful offensive output. With that said, they will still likely be competitive with their returning HC that also returns their OL and RB corps intact this season.
LaTech: Big losses, lots of big shoes to fill. Like WKU, it would be difficult to see LaTech return as powerful of a team this season as last season. IMO, DT may be one of the most underrated and undervalued yet important positions on a team. And wow! LaTech is losing one heck of a powerful DT in 1st RD NFL Draft Pick Vernon Butler at 6-4 320+ lbs! Additionally, LaTech must replace both starting QB and RB. A RB, Dixon, who has been a superstar for LaTech virtually his entire 4 years in Ruston. Having to replace your starting QB and RB would be difficult, but these were both also NFL draft picks too boot. Granted, QB Driskel was a modest late 6th RD pick, but Dixon was a legit mid RD pick (4th). Admittedly, any draft pick even in the 6th round makes for one heck of a talented college football player, particularly at QB. Skip Holtz has a history at this level of finding new players to remain competitive in most seasons. It would seem reasonable to expect that this upcoming season would be no different. LaTech will likely be a competitive team this upcoming season. Having to replace such tremendous talent in key positions that they lost, it would be difficult to see them fielding a team anywhere near as strong and powerful this upcoming season as the last season or two.
I'm not suggesting that WKU or LaTech will be pushovers this upcoming season. I do doubt that they will be anywhere near as powerful and strong as they were last year.