With early previews starting to come out, who do you think will take this year's Sun Belt Conference title? I posted this same question on the FIUAthletics.com website and so far Troy is winning. And despite your strong showing the last two years, your team is not very popular due to the loss of most of your skilled position players. I don't think FAU is being slighted, but just a general consensus due to this natural turnover cycle.
I, for one, DO NOT think it will be North Texas despite their long reign and their awesome backfield tandem. I say this because the odds are not in their favor of winning a conference title for such a long period of time, especially with the most recent changes of new and stronger teams. What do you guys think?

Troy's D-line was their strength last year and with their losses to the NFL (Cowboys in the 1st round, etc) I think N. Texas can hang on for one more year until we become the second ever team to win the Sun Belt next year. ;) 8-)
I think we surprise some people and come close tot the title though, ..depends on how mentally tough these new kids are…with all the big-time opponents.

It's almost to early for predictions like these, but I think that this will be a very interesting race for the SBC title this year.

Troy will make a strong case for itself, the key question will be, will they be able to repeat the strong preformance on defense this year - if special teams continue to make plays and give them good field position then it will make them hard to beat, offensively they will be average, but that could be just good enough if special team help them with the field position.

North Texas, till somebody knocks them off the top position then they have to be the favorite, Troy and MTSU should give them a heck of a battle and run for their money this year, this could be the year that we have a new SBC champions however. I don't look for them to roll over easy thought.

MTSU could make a case for themselve if they get out of their own way and start to play up to ther potentials.
If they can put together a full season of play then they will contend - mentally can they stay focus for the entire season?

FAU - a lot of questions remains to be answered and fall practice will help define what I think our realistic chances will be. We have the talent to make some noise and to take people by surpprise. Time will tell.

One of these years Troy will stumble on an offense! It may be this one. NT have been winning this thing long enough and now with FAU in the mix It's hard to even guess. We do have some questions which must be answered about our team.

Regardless, the SBC is changing and UNT will start feeling more pressure then they ever had and this inturn will help make the SBC more respectable in the next few years as the teams start to improve to compete for the SBC & a bowl game.

Troy's coaches really like the defense for this coming year and say it might be as good or better than the Demarkus Ware-led group.

Several key defensemen return and some young guys really stepped up in the spring. Troy has always had a good D.

On offense, Troy has two good (if not excellent) QBs. Much attention is being placed on the receiver corps. There are a couple of young but good RBs returning.

If Troy can improve the offense (which has to happen eventually), watch out. With an offense last year, South Carolina and LSU would have gone down (the games were very close anyway) and the team might have gone unbeaten.

I'm not worried.

I'm looking forward to seeing FAU step up as well.

HERE ARE MY TOP THREE:

I think Troy is an up and coming team that has all of the pieces in place to bring the title home. Last year they started to get some national recognition. This year they will feed off of that and prove that they do belong as a legit title contender.

North Texas returns one heck of a backfield. However, if they are going to bring home another championship they need to find some balance.

FAU probably has as much physical talent as any team in the league. However, the lack of experience will put this team behind the eight ball early all. If the young team can stay healthy through the early season guantlet and maybe pick up an upset, they will go into the conference schedule in a good position. However, I think that they need one more year before Boca becomes the home of the SBC football champs. GO OWLS!!!

Arod, did you vote for FIU to win the conference? 'Cause someone did.
C'mon, bet with your head, not your heart!
There can be an argument that North Texas is due to fall, but with those two stallions in the backfield it's hard say they won't do it again. I hate the Mean Green but they get my vote.

Arod, did you vote for FIU to win the conference? 'Cause someone did.
C'mon, bet with your head, not your heart!

Actually, Team Beer I voted for Troy. When creating these types of polls, I try and stay as neutral as possible. And even though I am an outright FIU fan, I can be real and say that we are still a couple of years away. We need to have a winning season first. We have to crawl before we can walk and walk before we can run! I always vote with my head and not my heart. ;)

BTW, looks like as of 5/23/05, the N. Texas Mean Green is winning in the poll.

I was just joshin ya! Someone's got to liven things up a bit around here!! ;D No hard feelings.