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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

I think the SBC is wide open. If FAU gets out of the gate fast (meaning a win against MTSU to open the season) anything is possible. I like MTSU as well as Troy and Arkansas State. In my opinion those teams will be competing with FAU for the title. The winner of MTSU-FAU in week one will have the upper hand going into the remainder of conference play.

It is always scary to open with a conference between you never know what to expect and a loss can be a real detriment.

As for Minnesota, I think that they are underrated. The running game alone will give FAU fits unless they can scheme them well. NDSU has one thing FAU doesn't…size on the DL to match up with the Minnesota OL. Also, that game was later in the season and it was sandwiched between games against Wisconsin and Ohio State. I think Minnesota just overlooked NDSU. That will not be the case for FAU. I think FAU's best chances come against Oklahoma State and USF. I had thought Kentucky, but they have a far more talented squad than Oklahoma State.

GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

Well … Troy's QB passed 393 times for 2,401 yards. Not good enough for you?

I believe the 'Belt changed the bowl rules after NT went bowling with the 5-7 record.
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

If you use "passing yards" for individuals and not teams then Troy comes in at 45. Even if you use passing yards for the team, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Texas A and M, Georgia, Maryland and a host of others (including about 3/4ths of the MAC) do just as poorly. Any person that has really followed this conference knows that there is no way that we have a team with a losing record go to a bowl game. That hasn't happened since the first year and the conference regulations stipulate that it won't happen again. This is just more egomaniacal chest thumping from a person that obviously knows nothing about the conference. Give me a break! We haven't had less than two teams with a winning record since the first year the conference was started for 1A ball!
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...


eric said

Well, it is unlikely. I actually think that Arkansas State is the best team from the Sun Belt. I just see FAU beating Arkansas State and losing to UL Lafayette and somebody else (the conference is WIDE open). I actually think they can compete with Minnesota. North Dakota State missed a FG at the end of regulation and lost 10-9, even though NDSU is a pretty good 1-AA team, I'm thinking that the Owls can do something similar. I think Minnesota is going to be pretty down.

As for USF, Kentucky, and Oklahoma State, I think they'll beat FAU. But who's to say that they can't compete?

Well, we'll just have to see how it turns out, I guess. I think Arkansas State will go 6-6 and the same with UL Lafayette. FAU though wins the Sun Belt going 5-2 in conference play. That's how I see it shaking down. They ended last year very well and I think they can carry the momentum.

What about you guys though? Got any "inside information" on the Sun Belt? Who are you picking? Do you like FAU as well?

Probably the most knowledgeable SBC fan resides at the site below and uses the handle 'arkstfan'. He posts on many college football boards and his input is generally respected and sought out:

http://www.tribalgrounds.com/board/

Freedom is not Free!
Home of the Free because of the Brave.
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...


Well … Troy's QB passed 393 times for 2,401 yards. Not good enough for you?

Omar Haugabook? He's pretty good, but that didn't stop Troy's passing attack from ranking 71st in the nation. Total offense though, he does rank up there because he can make some plays with his legs.

Thanks for informing me, I didn't know they changed the rules! I thought the Sun Belt champ got an automatic bid no matter their record, but I guess not.

So, using my scenario, would that mean that even though FAU owns the tiebreak against Arkansas State, they don't go bowling while Arkansas State does?
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...


BlueRaiderFn said

If you use "passing yards" for individuals and not teams then Troy comes in at 45. Even if you use passing yards for the team, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Texas A and M, Georgia, Maryland and a host of others (including about 3/4ths of the MAC) do just as poorly. Any person that has really followed this conference knows that there is no way that we have a team with a losing record go to a bowl game. That hasn't happened since the first year and the conference regulations stipulate that it won't happen again. This is just more egomaniacal chest thumping from a person that obviously knows nothing about the conference. Give me a break! We haven't had less than two teams with a winning record since the first year the conference was started for 1A ball!

Okay, the thing you don't take into account is the level of competition. You equate Oklahoma's, Texas A&M's, Georgia's, and Maryland's passing attacks to those of Sun Belt teams? I know what happened between FIU and Maryland last year, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

I'm not going to look up the rest of the conference, but as far as Middle Tennessee is concerned, we played: Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Louisville and CMU out of conference. I would say that is a decent schedule. I would bet that there are Conf USA, WAC, MAC and MWC teams that are ranked ahead of Sunbelt teams that don't have a schedule like that. Since you threw out non-qualified stats, that's what I did. It's o.k. for you to, but not me? Doesn't make sense. According to the NCAA website, MT had the 57th toughest schedule last year. Maryland was 38th. Oklahoma was 44th. Texas A & M was 46th. Wow, big difference (please note sarcasm). I believe ALL of the MAC and most of the WAC were ranked as weaker schedules than MT and had comparable schedules to the Sunbelt, so at best the MAC and WAC were on level playing fields and as I pointed out, the MAC didn't do much better than the Sunbelt. If you don't want to admit your being biased, that's fine. you may not even be aware of your own bias, I don't know, but to say that the Sunbelt is going to have a 5-7 team go to the New Orleans Bowl is asinine. If that were the case, with the exception of CMU, I could make the same argument for the MAC. Similar schedules (although weaker than MT's) and similar stats.
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

Also, Maryland and FIU was nothing. Look at the great games Troy played. Look at the fact that we went 4-3 against Conf USA with UL beating the Conf USA champs. Don't try and tell me that were will be sending a 5-7 team to the New ORleans Bowl. That's a ridiculous statement and unfounded. We will have two teams at 7-5 and one or two teams at 6-6. You just aren't being reasonable. I think any person looking at the OOC wins last year and the level of play that much of this conference has shown on the field, they would conclude that with the schedules they face in conference and out in 2007, that we will have a few teams over .500.
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...

Ask Rice fans if Troy will be below 5-7 this year. What was that score? 45-14? I believe the line before the game was Rice by 7, which just proves there is rampant ignorance of the current level of talent in the Sunbelt. If Vegas can't get it right, why should some blogger on the internet?
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Football blog from a guy in Michigan...


eric said

Well … Troy's QB passed 393 times for 2,401 yards. Not good enough for you?

Omar Haugabook? He's pretty good, but that didn't stop Troy's passing attack from ranking 71st in the nation. Total offense though, he does rank up there because he can make some plays with his legs.

overrated…lets see it this year…
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