The Texas 20, No. 10: Are Rice or UTEP ready for the national spotlight?

[caption id="attachment_17951" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photos by Mary Scott McNabb and Diana Porter Photos by Mary Scott McNabb and Diana Porter[/caption] This is the Texas 20, DCTF’s countdown of the 20 biggest storylines heading into the 2015 football season.No. 20: Is there a college sleeper in Texas?No. 19: Which Texas high school football records will be broken? No. 18: State title games headed to Houston No. 17: Will anyone play defense this season? No. 16: Can Allen keep dominating without Kyler Murray? No. 15: Cameron Yoe’s chase for a fourth straight title No. 14: New coaches at SMU and HoustonNo. 13: Can DeSoto finally get over the hump?No. 12: What will be the best region in the state? No. 11: Is anyone on the college coaching hot seat?Today, we’ve reached No. 10: Are Rice or UTEP ready for the national spotlight? Fair or not, when national college football folks (or, really, people outside the state of Texas) think of the Lone Star State, they don't immediately think of Rice or UTEP. Maybe it's because they place in Conference USA, a solid but decidedly second-tier FBS conference. Maybe it's because of their location — Rice a the small private college in a professional sports town, while UTEP is in the lonely west Texas outpost of El Paso. Or maybe it's because they just haven't won a ton: since the breakup of the Southwest Conference in 1995, the two have combined for a grand total of one outright conference championship (Rice's 2013 C-USA title). But if 2015 goes the way the Owls and Miners are hoping, that national anonymity could go away in a hurry. Let's start with Rice. Yes, coach David Bailiff must replace significant pieces, especially on defense, where just three starters return. And yes, the schedule is borderline brutal. But few teams in Conference USA will boast the kind of offensive core that the Owls will, with QB Driphus Jackson and a two-headed monster at running back with Jowan Davis and Darik Dillard. If the offensive line blossoms, and a wide receiver alongside Dennis Parks emerges, the Owls could soar offensively. The defense will be a work in progress, but Rice appears to have the next star in the middle in linebacker Alex Lyons. It will be up to him to lead the way for some of the younger players — like DE Brian Womac or safety Cole Thomas. But forget the defense. Forget the offense, even. Ultimately, the X factor for the Owls is the man on the sideline. David Bailiff has established himself as one of the most underappreciated coaches in the nation, but if he can work his magic one more time, he — and the program he's helped to build — will be under the radar no longer. Meanwhile, out in El Paso, there is little doubt what the offensive identity of Sean Kugler's offense will be: running the ball. With four starting offensive linemen back and, oh yeah, the state's top returning rusher in Aaron Jones, the Miners are going to pound and pound and pound. But ironically, the strength of the attack may come down to the passing game, to the ability QB Mack Leftwich (or Garrett Simpson) to keep offenses from stacking the box against the Miners. Defensively, there are playmakers, though the national media won't give them much buzz. DE Roy Robertson-Harris may be one of the most bruising players in Texas, while safety Devin Cockrell is poised for a breakout season. This could be a big year for the Miners if everything breaks right, especially if they continue to turn the Sun Bowl into one of the toughest places to play in Conference USA. Nobody is suggesting that Rice or UTEP are going to win the national championship or even get into the College Football Playoff. But if things go according to plan for the Owls or the Miners, the nation will soon take notice of what's happening in Houston and El Paso.