ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
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Wise Owl
Member since 2006
ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Sun Belt wrap-up: What we learned
May 11, 2009 11:25 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
1. Troy is the favorite: After losing just one game in Sun Belt play last season and returning almost all of the weapons from a year ago, Troy is the hands-down favorite to repeat and take the only guaranteed bowl berth available to the Sun Belt. But it won't be easy. There are several teams in the Sun Belt that are loaded with talent this year.
2. Conference looks stronger: Seven of the league's nine teams have the personnel to compete for the league title. The Sun Belt is always a hotly contested conference, but this might be one of the few years where several teams – Troy, Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, FIU and Louisiana-Lafayette – are stacked with high level talent. That makes this season one of the most anticipated in a long time.
3. Strong senior quarterbacking: The Sun Belt has some good quarterbacks, but the crop of senior returning quarterbacks is especially strong this season. Troy's Levi Brown, Florida Atlantic's Rusty Smith, and Arkansas State's Corey Leonard have the potential and the personnel to put up as good of statistics as any quarterback in the country.
4. Lots of new offenses: There's going to be an increase in scoring in the Sun Belt this season with a couple new offenses taking shape at Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are trying out Tony Franklin's spread offense that's been successful at Troy, and the Warhawks are going to run the hurry-up offense. The Warhawks also have switched to a 3-3-5 defense, which mean it will be hurry-up on both sides of the ball.
5. Great offseason hires: The Sun Belt went out and made some of the more impressive assistant coaching hires in the country. Middle Tennessee brought in Franklin, who was fired from Auburn, as its offensive coordinator. Florida Atlantic hired Jeff Brohm to coach quarterbacks after sending a couple to the NFL from Louisville. And Louisiana-Monroe hired Troy Reffet to teach the 3-3-5 scheme, which will be unique in the Sun Belt.
My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2007
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
This could be a breakout year for the Belt.
Most of the teams have some winable OOC games. We all bitch about how little respect we get as a confrence but untill recently havent put our money where our mouth is (other then FAU in the bowls and Troy in Conrence and OOC)
I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick @$$ and I'm out of bubble gum.
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2005
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Posted
Administrator
Member since 2006
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Is that her predicted order of finish as well??
Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2006
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Florida_Owl said
Not sure i agree with MTSU or ASU "stacked with talent"?? Lol…
Is that her predicted order of finsihs as well??
She didn't give a prediction but from reading her previous blogs she's been drinking the FIU Kool-Aid for a while now so it wouldn't shock me if she picked FIU to win conference
My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
Posted
VIP DONOR
Member since 2007
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Jab979 said
She didn't give a prediction but from reading her previous blogs she's been drinking the FIU Kool-Aid for a while now so it wouldn't shock me if she picked FIU to win conference
It wouldn't shock me if FIU gave everyone a run for their money this year.
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Posted
Wise Owl
Member since 2006
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
smittysahoot said
Jab979 said
She didn't give a prediction but from reading her previous blogs she's been drinking the FIU Kool-Aid for a while now so it wouldn't shock me if she picked FIU to win conference
It wouldn't shock me if FIU gave everyone a run for their money this year.
You heard it here first. FIU will win 5 games again next season
My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
Posted
Bytor
Member since 2004
Re: ESPN.com Sun Belt Wrap up
Their defense has been solid and have kept them in many games, so anything is possible - created some turnovers to make some game interesting.
The Red Wolves (got it right, after calling them The Indians during this weekends baseball series :-[)
to me was a surprise defensively, now with more maturity could make them a dangerous team.
FIU, have improved greatly, found some success, can they build on it? Sometimes it's hard to turn the corner too early to tell.
Troy should be the favorites going into the season opener.
Having talent is one thing, can teams be consistent during the course of a season, which is something that have plagued most SB teams.
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