SUN BELT CONFERENCE
Talk about a conference in flux, gone are FIU, FAU, Middle
Tennessee and North Texas to Conference USA.
Welcome Georgia State and Texas State to the SBC however the conference
remains in transition.
Western Kentucky is playing its final season in the Sun Belt
and headed to C-USA. Appalachian State,
Georgia Southern, New Mexico State and Idaho join in 2014.
Recently the Sun Belt Conference has earned a reputation of
scaring the bejesus out of SEC teams, sometimes succeeding. Do you think BCS schools Oklahoma, Wake
Forest and Baylor are a bit uneasy with Louisiana-Monroe on the schedule this
year?
GEORGIA STATE
PANTHERS 2012 Record: 1-10, 1-7 in
CAA
Georgia State ended their Football Championship Subdivision era
bottoming out at 1-10 and getting pounded in the Colonial Athletic Association
with one win in conference. That was a
41-7 win over Rhode Island. Not the
ending former GSU head coach Bill Curry wanted to end his career with.
Georgia State begins a new era in 2013. The Panthers have moved up to the FBS level
and a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
There is also a new head coach in Trent Miles who has worked
one miracle.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT
GEORGIA STATE:
TRENT MILES: If
ever there was a coach who could resurrect a flat lined football program it’s
Miles. He took over a near dead Indiana
State program that had won one game in three years. After winning just one game in his first two
seasons as the head coach of the Sycamores Miles turned the program around with
three consecutive winning seasons.
The track record is there so there is reason for optimism
for Panther fans.
WHAT GEORGIA STATE
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
OFFENSE: The
Panther offense was awful last season.
Georgia State averaged only 17.4 points per game in their final season
in FCS. Former Boston College head coach
Jeff Jagodzinski runs the GSU offense now as the new offensive
coordinator. You can bet Jagodzinski will
be drawing up plays to get the ball in the hands of senior wide receiver Albert
Wilson, the best playmaker on the team.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
At least the program can pay the bills after trips to West
Virginia (Sept. 14th) and at Alabama (Oct. 5th). Chattanooga (Sept. 7th) and South
Alabama (Nov. 30th) appear to be the most winnable games on the
docket.
OSG’s TAKE:
Wilkie: I love the hiring of Trent Miles but his first year
at GSU might be an oh – for.
Phil: Good coaching staff, profitable schedule, not near
enough athletes. May eventually be competitive, but not this yr.
Jon: I think the Miles era will be another painful one in
the Georgia Dome
SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS 2012
Record: 2-11
The transitional period is over for the Jaguars, they can
compete for the Sun Belt Championship. That
won’t happen this year.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT
SOUTH ALABAMA:
JUCO TRANFERS:
Head coach Joey Jones is going the junior college route to find some size for
his defense which wasn’t bad last year, just small. Nine JUCO transfers are expected to either
start or contribute significantly.
THEY HAVE A
QUARTERBACK: His name is Ross Metheny and Joey Jones has put his trust in
Metheny that he can provide the explosive plays (30 to 40 yard plays) that was
lacking last season.
WHAT SOUTH ALABAMA
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
JUST NOT THERE YET:
It’s up to the JUCO transfers as how much South Alabama improves from their 2-9
record last season.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
South Alabama has some of the Sun Belt big boys Arkansas State, Louisiana-
Lafayette and Western Kentucky at home.
Going 2 of 3 against those teams and that might mean challenging for an
upper division finish.
OSG’S TAKE:
Wilkie: South Alabama is on the right track. They will be better than last year but I’m
afraid the final won-loss record might not reflect it.
Phil: Again, growing pains abound. They are on the right
path, but it’s a bigger jump from small to large than most think. It will
eventually come, but not this year. 4 wins or more will be huge achievement.
Jon: Agree. Joey Jones has been there since the beginning
and I have the feeling he’ll be there for the long-term. The administration has
put a lot of trust in him. And they’ll need a lot more…
TEXAS STATE BOBCATS 2012 Record: 4-8
Welcome to the Sun Belt Texas State. The highlight of the 2012 season was
upsetting Houston 30-13 in week one but couldn’t back that up the rest of the
year.
WHAT TEXAS STATE
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
DEFENSE: Michael
Orakpo (Brother of NFL star Brian Orakpo) joins the Bobcats after transferring
from Colorado State and should make an impact on a defense that had a tough
time against the run last season. Part
of the reason was David Mayo missed the last five games of the season with a
knee injury. This unit should be much
better.
WHAT TEXAS STATE
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
OFFENSIVE LINE: The O-Line gave up 28 sacks last season. That has to change for Texas State’s offense
to be successful.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
Of the Sun Belt big boys only Western Kentucky comes to San Marcos. Wyoming pays a visit to the Texas plains so
that might be a winnable game that might raise an eye brow or two.
OSG’S TAKE:
Wilkie: Head coach Dennis Franchione is optimistic this team
might have a breakout season. I’m not
sure I share that but they will be a pain in the backside in their first season
in the Sun Belt.
Phil: Better, but yet again, a long way to go....
Jon: Agree again… pain for everyone, but it won’t translate
into a lot of wins…
TROY TROJANS
2012
Record: 5-7
During Larry Blankney’s 22 seasons as head coach at Troy he
never experienced back to back losing seasons until now. In 2011 Troy was 3-9 and in 2012 the Trojans
finished 5-7. Troy will be trying to
avoid a third losing year in a row.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT
TROY:
COREY ROBINSON:
Robinson is a four year starter with an impressive body of work that includes
10,258 career passing yards, the nation’s active leader. Robinson had some injury issues last year so
he must stay healthy. Robinson has some
skill on the edges to throw to. Eric
Thomas is his favorite target and caught 55 passes last year.
WHAT TROY NEEDS TO
IMPROVE ON:
OFFENSIVE LINE:
Terrance Jones is the lone holdover from 2012 and he’s moving from right tackle
to left tackle to protect Robinson’s blind side. It will be a work in progress.
DEFENSE: The
Trojan defense finished dead last in the SBC last year so there’s nowhere to go
but up. Generating a decent pass rush
has been an issue.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
It doesn’t favor Troy. The Trojans road
games include SBC heavyweights Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and
Louisiana-Lafayette. Plus Troy travels twice
to Mississippi (vs. Mississippi State on Sept 21st and Ole Miss Nov.
16st.) and at Duke (Sept. 28th).
OSG’S TAKE:
Wilkie: Troy will avoid a third straight losing season for
Larry Blankney because Corey Robinson is that good but they will have to outscore
opponents.
Phil: No D= not enough wins. A .500 team if there ever was
one. Outscoring people only works in the Big 12 and Pac 12.
Jon: I see a lot of Nintendo scores for Blakeney and Troy
this year, and that may be the only reason they are over .500
ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES
2012 Record: 10-3, Sun Belt Conference Champions
2012 Record: 10-3, Sun Belt Conference Champions
The Bryan Harsin era has begun in Jonesboro, ASU’s third
head coach in 4 years. You can’t blame
Hugh Freeze or Gus Malzahn. They
parlayed their successful seasons at ASU into head coaching jobs in the
SEC. If this is a stepping stone job for
Harsin then he picked the right place and the cupboard isn’t bare at ASU.
THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT
ARKANSAS STATE:
PLEATHORA OF TALENT
OUT THERE: Arkansas State has some players. Tennessee transfer David Oku
gained 1,061 yards and 16 touchdowns last year and could top those numbers in
his senior season. The receiving corps
is solid led by 2012 SBC Freshman of the Year J.D. McKissic who had 1,022 yards
receiving yards. The Red Wolves also
return a solid defense that’s tough to score points on.
WHAT ARKANSAS STATE
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
WHO’S GOING TO PLAY
QUARTERBACK: Ryan Aplin won’t be walking through the door for ASU this
year. The battle is joined between
Phillip Butterfield and Fredi Knighten.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
ASU has ULM and Western Kentucky on the road.
Troy and Louisiana Lafayette travel to Jonesboro. ASU has two SEC schools on the schedule, at
Auburn Sept. 7th and at Missouri Sept. 28th, winnable SEC
road games.
OSG’S TAKE
Wilkie: Whoever wins the QB competition between Butterfield
or Knighten and there isn’t much of a drop off at that position then the Red
Wolves might repeat as SBC champions.
.
Phil: One of the leagues powers. If the system is indeed
staying the same, they’ll be a tough out for anybody. All they need is some
defense.
Jon: I think Ark State will be in the mix again this year
for the title… and they may scare someone along the way outside the SBC
LOUISIANA RAJIN’ CAJUNS 2012
Record: 9-4
Mark Hudspeth has revived this program. He’s 18-8 in his two
seasons as the head coach of the Rajin’ Cajuns.
Hudspeth might be the next SBC head coach that is hired by a BCS school
and a bit surprised it hasn’t happened yet.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT
LOUISIANA – LAFAYETTE:
ENJOY THE BROADWAY SHOW: Junior Terrence Broadway performed
to rave reviews in 2012 setting school records for total offense (3,616 yards)
and completion percentage (65.4). Junior
Alonzo Harris is the Cajuns’ best back gaining 881 yards last year. If Louisiana-Lafayette can find some go-to
receivers the Cajun offense would be loaded.
WHAT NOT TO LIKE
ABOUT LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE:
DEFENDING THE PASS:
ULL was dead last in the SBC last season against the pass and gave up way to
many big plays through the air. There
will be pressure on the Cajun defensive backs to cut down on allowing explosive
plays.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
The Cajuns open the season at Arkansas and at Kansas State
so a 0-2 start might be likely. After
that they must go to WKU and Arkansas State.
OSG’s TAKE:
Wilkie: Louisiana-Lafayette may have to outscore opponents
to win and they are perfectly capable of doing that. The Cajuns will challenge for the SBC title
Phil: Have to be careful here (wife is alum). Hudspeth may
be best coach in league. He’s stabilized a very inconsistent team. Lots of
talent back and Mr. Broadway may be the leagues best. If D shows up, they play
for title. End of debate.
Jon: I think it’ll be Lafayette and Ark State again
challenging for the title. One goes to New Orleans, the other to Mobile…
WESTERN KENTUCKY
HILLTOPPERS
2012
Record: 7-6
Goodbye Willie Taggart, hello Bobby Petrino. There’s a lot of baggage their but Bowling
Green, KY might be the perfect place for Petrino to rehab his coaching
career. Petrino will have some decent
tools to work with.
THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT
WESTERN KENTUCKY:
BOBBY PETRINO: Love him or hate him Petrino can really coach
and he has some outstanding offensive players in place. Running back Antonio Andrews is a special
talent. Andrews gained 3,161 all-purpose
yards last season, only Barry Sanders had surpassed over 3,000 all-purpose
yards in a single season. Andrews damn
near had 2,000 yards rushing falling a few hundred yards short. Petrino loves to use tight ends in his
offense and WKY is well stocked there.
WHAT WESTERN KENTUCKY
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
FRONT FOUR: WKY defense must replace its entire front
four which was outstanding last season.
That’s going to put some pressure on All-SBC middle linebacker Andrew
Jackson to make plays.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
Western Kentucky opens with back to back game against SEC
schools. WKY opens the season in
Nashville against Kentucky, the Hilltoppers defeated the Wildcats in Lexington
last year and it’s a winnable game again.
Then it’s off to Knoxville to battle Tennessee, could be winnable. November might be the determining factor for
WKY in the Sun Belt title race with three road games in a row that month
against conference foes.
OSG’S TAKE:
Wilkie: I get the
feeling the Hilltoppers want to win now because Bobby Petrino won’t be there
long term is that happens. Even with all
his transgressions college football’s big boys will be willing to take a chance
on Petrino, he’s that good a coach. I
expect WKY will be challenging for the SBC championship and may just win it.
Phil: They will be better, and scary. The description fits a
Petrino team even if it’s not his players. Like most teams in Sun Belt, good
offense wins. Just needs D to show up and make an occasional stop. They’ll play
for title next yr.
Jon: I think it may take a season for Petrino to get his way
with his players (and not Taggart’s) in Bowling Green. They’ll finish third and
next season will be the one to pay attention to for a title- and a Petrino
exit.
LOUISIANA – MONROE
WARHAWKS
2012 Record: 8-5
After defeating Arkansas last year the Warhawks were mid-major
darlings. ULM looked like Sun Belt
Champions last year until injuries took their toll. With key elements returning ULM looks poised
to win the SBC.
WHAT TO LIKE ABOUT
LOUISIANA – MONROE:
KOLTON BROWNING: He’s back and he’s healthy. Browning was off to a special season until a
leg injury sidelined him and the Warhawks lost two important games against
Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State.
The last impression you have of Browning was his three interception performance
in a loss to Ohio in the Independence Bowl.
Browning is way too good for that and should have a SBC Player of the
Year time season.
WHAT LOUISIANA-MONROE
NEEDS TO IMPROVE ON:
DEFENDING THE PASS: ULM’s defensive backs have talent and can
stick a running back but gave up big plays from good passing offenses. It didn’t help either that the Warhawk pass
rush was not as consistent as it should be.
It’s very fixable because it’s a talented group.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN:
ULM opens at Oklahoma, they won’t win that one. Two weeks later the Warhawks head to
Winston-Salem, NC to face Wake Forest, which could be winnable. Then take on Baylor in Waco, TX, last year
ULM lost a wild one to Baylor 47-41 so put that in the winnable column. Western Kentucky and Arkansas State must come
to Monroe, a big plus. ULM closes on the
road against rival ULL.
OSG’s TAKE:
Wilkie: This is ULM’s
time, my favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference.
Phil: Could be an all-Louisiana title game. Solid squad that
would not have finished last in the SEC last season. They’ll scare everyone
they play. And they should. If they go 2-1 vs. Big Boys, they’ll be bowling...
Jon: Sorry, I take it back. Ark State, Lafayette, and Monroe
will be ahead of Western. Monroe could be bowl eligible by the end of it all
and could make it to Detroit or another far-flung place.
SBC Champions:
Wilkie: Louisana-Monroe – This is a deep and talented
football team. The Warhawks are built
for a special season.
Phil: Ragin-Cajuns. (I have to say this)
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