Lane Kiffin knew very little about Conference USA before he became Florida Atlantic's head coach. Same for Butch Davis at Florida International.
The high-profile coaches made immediate impacts in their new league, and at their new schools not all that far apart.
FAU is the preseason favorite to repeat as league champs after a school-record 11 wins and its first C-USA title. The Owls, coming off three consecutive 3-9 seasons, overcame a 1-3 start last season and now and carry a 10-game winning streak into their 2018 opener at Oklahoma.
FIU went 8-5, doubling its win total from the previous season for the team's first winning record since joining the conference in 2013.