Tulsa and UCF were an unlikely pairing in Conference USA's inaugural championship game.

This season, a title rematch wouldn't be a surprise at all -- despite the cautious manner in which coaches Steve Kragthorpe and George O'Leary approach the possibility.

"We're still learning how to win, but I do think that they got a taste of what it's about, so we have a chance," said O'Leary, whose UCF team was winless in 2004. "Wanting to win and expecting to win are two different thought processes. ... A lot of people don't know how to win."

UCF returns nine starters on both offense and defense from last year's 8-5 team that won the initial East Division title in the revamped and expanded conference. (The Golden Knights were among six C-USA newcomers).

"It was satisfying for the players and the coaching staff, especially coming off that perfect season," O'Leary said. "The main thing was the kids understood how and why things occurred."

Tulsa was coming off consecutive one-win seasons when Kragthorpe took over in 2003, and hadn't had a winning record since 1991. The Golden Hurricane are now defending C-USA champions and coming off a 9-4 season -- two years after his 8-5 debut.

"We're certainly not at a destination," Kragthorpe said. "It's hard when you're building a program, and it's hard to sustain success, too. ... Just because something is good doesn't mean it's going to be easy."

Especially in the stronger West Division with Houston and UTEP -- the only C-USA teams to beat Tulsa last year -- both returning record-breaking senior quarterbacks.

Kevin Kolb has already surpassed Andre Ware and David Klingler on Houston's career passing list with 9,155 yards, the most among active I-A quarterbacks. Jordan Palmer, the brother of 2002 Heisman Trophy winner Carson, is UTEP's career leader with 7,489 passing yards and 62 TDs.

Tulsa junior quarterback Paul Smith threw for 2,847 yards and 20 touchdowns -- with only six interceptions -- last season. He is among seven returning starters on an offense that averaged 33 points and 402 yards per game.

Kragthorpe is eager to see how the Golden Hurricane respond to being favored to defend a championship.

"We are in a little different mode," Kragthorpe said. "But we'll literally start over and overhaul the engine. It's not time for a tuneup. ... The pieces of the puzzle are floating out there, and I feel good about the ingredients that we have."

Team capsules in predicted order of finish:

East

UCF: QB Steven Moffett (2,925 passing yards, 22 TDs), TB Kevin Smith (1,178 yards, 9 TDs), FB Jason Peters (585 yards, 5 TDs) and WR Mike Walker (64 catches for 855 yards, 9 TDs) are among nine returning offensive starters. ... Nine defensive starters also back.

SOUTHERN MISS: The Golden Eagles have 12 straight winning seasons under coach Jeff Bower, with bowls eight of the last nine years. ... Junior QB Jeremy Young replaces three-year starter Dustin Almond. Young is an intelligent player that Bower says "just needs to cut loose."

EAST CAROLINA: The rebuilding under Skip Holtz got a boost with two straight wins to end 5-6 season. ECU had three wins previous two seasons. ... Senior QB James Pickney passed for 2,773 yards and 14 TDs last year after missing the spring and playing in his third offense in as many seasons.

MARSHALL: Coach Mark Snyder is more comfortable than a year ago, when he took over the last day of spring drills with only six returning starters. The Herd were 4-7, their first losing record since 1983. Ten starters, including two quarterbacks who split snaps, return on offense.

MEMPHIS: With three-time C-USA offensive player of the year RB DeAngelo Williams gone, Tigers will try to be more balanced offensively. ... The departed trio of Williams (114 points), K Stephen Gostkowski (101) and RB Maurice Avery (44) scored 259 of Memphis' 326 points last season.

UAB: Blazers had losing season in '05 with QB Darrell Hackney, and the playmaker is gone. "If we come through at quarterback, we can be really good," said coach Watson Brown, who plans to use two QBs. "If we don't, we're probably picked where we should be."

West

TULSA: Coach Steve Kragthorpe, 21-17 in three years, got contract extension through 2011 season. ... Nine starters back on defense.

HOUSTON: QB Kevin Kolb's favorite target, Vincent Marshall (71 catches, six TDs), also returns. ... Eight games in Houston, starting at Rice. ... Three of four C-USA losses by a combined 10 points. ... Ten defensive starters back.

UTEP: QB Jordan Palmer already holds nearly every school passing record, and coach Mike Price believes he is ready "to really be the guy that we can go to, that we don't need anybody else out there." ... Eight starters back on offense, nine back on defense. ... Miners were 8-1 last season before three straight losses. "It's been a catalyst for us going into this season," Price said. "We haven't forgotten what happened ... the way we faded."

SMU: Mustangs ended '05 with three straight victories and best record since last winning season in 1997. Coach Phil Bennett liked the way his fourth season ended, but, "5-6 is not turning the program. It's been 22 years since SMU has been to the postseason, and that's long enough." ... Highly touted redshirt freshman Justin Wills, who can throw and run, takes over at QB.

RICE: Todd Graham, part of impressive turnarounds as defensive coordinator at West Virginia and Tulsa, is new energetic head coach for Owls, 1-10 last year with only one winning season since 1997. ... Graham changed the look of the program even before a game, helping raise about $5 million for major improvements at 56-year-old Rice Stadium. ... Owls will run a no-huddle, non-basic offense.

TULANE: Green Wave are back home in New Orleans and the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina forced them to play 11 games in 11 weeks in 11 stadiums last fall. ... Senior QB Lester Richard has started 17 times in two seasons since transferring from LSU.