When you’re talking college football, don’t forget Conference USA and USM, someone remarked to me recently. Well, the man ordering coffee at new McDonald’s Tracetown did for a fact have a point.

Truth of the matter, everytime I&160;think C-USA, I think Southern Mississippi, essentially the dominant football school in that league since it started. Jeff Bower has a great program over there in Hattiesburg, and I&160;don’t look for it to change anytime soon.

However, some pre-season publications – including Athlon Sports -&160;seem to think Tulane will be the team to beat this fall in that league, with USM right behind.

&uot;Coach Chris Scelfo is known as a top-notch recruiter and his latest talent haul is impressive,&uot; Athlon’s columnist says of the Greenies of 2000. &uot;Athlete Lyneris Elpheage (bad as Scelfo) can play on either side of the ball, Ronald McClendon has world class speed, and expect receiver Roydell Williams to play immediately,&uot; he added.

Shows what he knows. No, just kiddin’, who knows but what Tulane actually will move from eighth in 1999 to first in 2000!

But USM was an impressive 6-0 in C-USA last fall, and 8-3 overall with a bowl win as a wrap-up prize. I think the Southerners will shine again this fall, although rugged teams like East Carolina, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Cincinnati and Army will have a say in the league. And did I mention that USM was C-USA champion last fall?

It’s gonna be interesting to see just how well the Southerners actually come out this season. Bit things are expected of quarterback Mickey D’Angelo, I understand, and Skylor Magee is a crack linebacker with great potential, as is lineman Myron Powe and others in camp.

Southern Miss, incidentally, opens at Tennessee Sept. 2, so we should get a line on coach Bower’s team early. But, wait, Alabama hosts USM just two weeks afterwards -&160;Sept. 16. Then Oklahoma State? Yep.

Memphis, S. Florida, Tulane, Houston, Louisville, UAB, Cincinnati and East Carolina make for quite a rugged schedule after the Vols, Crimson Tide and OSU. You sure can’t knock a slate like that. Bowls will be watching the Southerners just in case they’re strong again.

College football; is there any sport better?!

… HURRIED&160;HASH:&160;I’ve always been a Yankee baseball fan – ever since I used to borrow a copy of The Natchez Democrat back in the late 1930s and 1940s to see how Lou Gehrig and other Yankee greats were doing in the American League … That’s why Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter’s heroics in the All-Star Game a few days ago caught my eye. His two-run single in the fourth inning proved to be the biggest scoring blow of the game, although local Atlanta favorite Chipper Jones’ homer for the Nationals in the third was the big noise for the Nats, who fell 6-3 …&160;The Braves are hanging in there atop the National League East, and that’s good. But the Yankees I follow are shaky in first most of the time in the American East.

… If pre-season National Football League offerings are your cup, you can tune in someplace a week from Saturday (July 29) and catch the New Orleans Saints at the New York Jets at 7 p.m., or Atlanta at Indianapolis at the same time … Dallas plays host to Pittsburgh on Sunday, which should be a good ‘un, and Cleveland is at home to Philadelphia – both at 7 p.m. I figure there are many out there just like me … ready!