College football is back and with it comes the return of Conference USA action. Two of the league's top returning programs face off Saturday in an intriguing Week 0 class between Western Kentucky and Sam Houston.

Western Kentucky is looking to make it back to the C-USA Championship Game for a second consecutive season after finishing the 2024 regular season with a 6-2 mark in league play. That record included a Week 8 win against Sam Houston.

The Bearkats, meanwhile, are looking to build off of a breakout 10-3 campaign. It was a complete 180-degree turn for Sam Houston, which went 3-9 in 2023. That's impressive progress for a program that is just three years removed from its transition from the FCS to the FBS level.

The Bearkats won nine games in the regular season -- more than West

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