ESPN College Football

Conference USA schools will pause from packing their bags long enough to watch one of the biggest football games in league history Thursday night when unbeaten Texas Christian, ranked eighth in the latest BCS standings, travels to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face a Southern Mississippi team that is unbeaten in C-USA play.

"This is what you play for," Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower said, but when asked how big the game is for C-USA as a league, he wasn't sure how to answer.

"I guess so. I hadn't even thought about that," he said. "I don't know if they are staying in the league. I don't keep up with it, but there is speculation that they may leave the league. These two teams playing for the championship is all that is on my mind. I don't pay much attention to conference affiliation and who's leaving and who's not. I just know we are playing a real good football team."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider