Category: Sun Belt Heat

Sun Belt Heat: The College Football Playoff Is A Lie

The College Football Playoff Committee screwed the conferences that risked life and limb to save the season Contact @astatefanrules It was as anticlimactic as it was profoundly unjust. The College Football Playoff committee delivered their annual …

The College Football Playoff Committee screwed the conferences that risked life and limb to save the season

Contact @astatefanrules

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It was as anticlimactic as it was profoundly unjust. The College Football Playoff committee delivered their annual bounty to the game’s wealthy elite – the same committee who had once upon a time said that “if you take care of business, win your conference, and go undefeated, the Playoff will take care of itself.

This was a lie.

Even during an unprecedented season that turned the entire college football world upside down, the Committee did what they do best: maintain the status quo. Consider, not a single team selected for the Playoff is new to the format. Even worse, not a single team truly deserves to be there.

Alabama didn’t play a single opponent outside of the SEC.

Ohio State played six games. They shouldn’t even qualify.

Clemson and Notre Dame have already played twice, and canceled each other out.

Meanwhile, two programs – Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati – did everything the Committee told them to do, which is to beat Top 25 teams, win its conference, and (as if it’s not hard enough) go undefeated. The Committee’s response was to rank Florida, Oklahoma and Texas A&M ahead of the Bearcats, and rank the Chanticleers completely out of NY6 consideration.

It. Was. A. Lie.

I’m not the only one bitching. While the Committee patted itself on the back for rewarding the same wealthy programs year in and year out, a handful of pundits raised a voice to grouse:

The Playoff is just one insult. The Bowl lineup is a completely separate line-item of Power Privilege. Look at this ghastly menu of sub .500 SEC teams who are awarded a plum Bowl game in 2020:

2-8 South Carolina – Gasparilla Bowl
4-6 Kentucky – Gator Bowl
3-7 Arkansas – Texas Bowl
3-6 Tennessee – Liberty Bowl
2-7 MissState – Armed Forces Bowl

Combined, they have exactly two more wins than Coastal Carolina, And yes, 2-7 Mississippi State is going to the Armed Forces Bowl while 9-2 Army get the shaft. This system is complete crap. It rewards teams not for their merit, but for their privilege.

It was all a lie. The College Football Playoff was supposed to bring balance to college football. We were told we’d have a place at the table so long as we pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps and proved our mettle to out just and benevolent overlords. In this dumb season of COVID, you’d have thought that playing more than 10 games would count for something, or that playing only within your conference would count against you. Nope. Not a bit. It’s they eye test that counts.

Why do we even play?

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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The Sun Belt Is On ESPN College GameDay And It’s A Big Deal

After years of the Sun Belt not being any time to shine, ESPN College GameDay is making its first ever pilgrimage to a Sun Belt campus.

After years of the Sun Belt not being any time to shine, ESPN College GameDay is making its first ever pilgrimage to a Sun Belt campus.

Contact @astatefanrules

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It only took an NCAA baseball champion to get ESPN College GameDay to visit a Sun Belt campus.

This Saturday, the universally loved and over-produced college football carnival sets up tents at Coastal Carolina, where the undefeated Chanticleers take on Lib…uh, the BYU Cougars, who are also undefeated and monolithed* into the schedule thanks to COVID-19. As one columnist observed, this is the ULTIMATE 2020 college football game.

Perhaps to the chagrin of Troy, Appalachian State and Louisiana – all recent AP Top 25 Sun Belt Programs – #16 Coastal Carolina receives the blessing of the world’s leading sports network, bringing its upstart brand of suddenly very good football to a global audience. While that may make many in the Sun Belt orbit burn with teeth-gritting envy, the value Coastal is bringing to the conference is pure bitcoin.

The Sun Belt needs this juice, and the timing couldn’t be better. After all, once the mighty College Football Playoff Committee weighs in, anybody not in the Top 6 may as well spend their time polishing their Tinder profiles. On Saturday, College GameDay won’t be in Tuscaloosa or Clemson or Columbus – it’sConway, baby. You want an in-depth analysis of Ohio State’s scheduling situation? TOO BAD, YOU GOT COASTAL. Looking for a status report on Nick Saban’s health? PROGNOSIS UNKNOWN, SUCKER, YOU GOT COASTAL. How about a look at whatever Oregon is wearing? EAT IT! YOU GOT COASTAL!

Fortunately for America, Coastal Carolina plays an entertaining brand of football, well rounded on all facets of the game. By Sunday, freshman sensation quarterback Grayson McCall is going to be a household name. On the opposing sideline, BYU has already murdered Troy and Texas State, so the Chants have an obligation to avenge the Sun Belt. Chances of this game being a dud is small, giving Game Day incentive to visit the Sun Belt again.

Who’s going to win? Who knows? The Cougars are big and fast. But they haven’t played a team like Coastal Carolina, a school with a recent national championship and beach access. I give the edge to the Chants.

* To “monolith” is to appear suddenly and mysteriously

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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Appalachian State Battles Coastal Carolina In The Sun Belt Bowl

The Old School Marshall duels the Young Gun Chanticleers this Saturday when Coastal Carolina hosts Appalachian State

The Old School Marshall duels the Young Gun Chanticleers this Saturday when Coastal Carolina hosts Appalachian State

Contact @astatefanrules

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At the start of this stupid season, if you had told me that Coastal Carolina would be undefeated and ranked #15 in the nation after 12 weeks of football, I’d have probably said, “Yeah, okay” because Lord Entropy is the Sun Belt’s only master. If you told me Rip Torn would also lead in rushing, I’d have believed it, too.

Yet, the Sun Belt’s Sheriff’s badge still shines on the chest of the Mountaineers, its only blemish a loss to currently undefeated Marshall. Appalachian State may be a bit longer in the tooth than the Chants, but Zack Thomas is still a unit behind center, the defense is as stingy as ever, and the citizens of Boone are plenty surly that anyone would dare question their legitimacy.

Short story shorter, Appalachian State wasn’t letting anyone besmirch the supremacy of the Mountaineers. Respect and fist bumps, App fans.

However, to dismiss the Chanticleers is to make a very big mistake; they are legit good. The Chants shut-out a Georgia State offense that puts up 39 points per game. They’re a member of the Sun Belt’s 2020 Big XII Massacre Squad. They’ve defeated #21 Louisiana in Lafayette. Coastal’s freshman QB, Grayson McCall, has been added to the Maxwell Award watch list.

Coastal Carolina’s proficiency on both sides of the ball reminds me of…Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers are also legit good – and well-rounded. The offense and defense both rank second in the Sun Belt. QB Zac Thomas is having another elite season behind center. And they made Arkansas State look like a division two school in Jonesboro.

Yet, while the Mountaineers have been solid, they haven’t been dominating. Comparing apples, Appalachian State struggled in a 17-13 win at Boone over Georgia State – the same Georgia State that Coastal demolished 51-zero in Atlanta. Sometimes, the Mountaineers’ offense stalls. Coastal always seems to coast.

Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina enjoy an early tee-time in Boone this Saturday on ESPN 2. Whoever wins gets to pin the Sun Belt Sheriff Star on their chests, even if Lord Entropy remains the law of the conference.

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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Coastal Carolina Is The Sun Belt Sheriff Now

As Sun Belt normal powers struggle in 2020, the Chanticleers are expanding our universe.

As Sun Belt normal powers struggle in 2020, the Chanticleers are expanding our universe.

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Have you ever seen a promo for a television show and thought, “How is Blue Bloods still on?” Or, “Who the heck is watching Bull?” Somewhere out there lives a fan waiting patiently for the next episode of “Man With A Plan.”

See, there are infinite universes out there. And in one of those universes (which happens to be ours), Coastal Carolina is the AP #15 program in the land.

Don’t look at me. I haven’t a clue as to how it happened, except that the Chants have quietly improved their play each year since entering the Sun Belt in 2017, the autumn following Coastal’s magic national baseball championship. That should have been a big bucket of foreshadowing, of course. But we’re as clueless as the characters in Bob Hearts Abishola, am I right? (Honestly, I don’t know.)

When Coastal Carolina entered the league, they were coached by some kind of venture capitalist named Joe Moglia, better known for being the CEO of Ameritrade than his X’s and O’s. But Moglia’s Chants paid dividends, and when he sold to Jamey Chadwell, the stock got even stronger.

We should have seen it coming. Coastal won only five games last year, but only lost to the Arkansas State Red Wolves by a point. This year, Chadwell’s cocks pounded A-State 52-23. To show they meant business, Coastal obliterated an improved Georgia State squad fifty-one TO ZERO! Coastal Carolina, we beg for the mercy you will not give!

Coastal Carolina is a perfect 6-0, which includes a pimp-slapping of Kansas. They’re led by a freshman QB, Grayson McCall, whose skills are legit and will haunt the Sun Belt for years. The only serious threats to a perfect season are a game with Appalachian State and a season closer with #25 Liberty. How is this happening? Why is this happening? What is happening?

As the Panthers’ can attest, it’s not just McCall and RB C.J. Marable crushing opponent’s spirits. The front four lead the #14 ranked defense with 20 sacks. C.J. Brewer is unstoppable and should be secured in a steel vault between games. The Chants are so well-rounded, the math department is using the team to calibrate their instruments to pi.

As a Sun Belt original gangster, I view the Chanticleer’s success with gritted teeth. A team so recently removed from FCS should have to pay their dues with winless seasons and years of chagrin. We did! But here we are, eyes blazing from taking in that ridiculous teal field, watching what was once a guaranteed body bag delivering death punch after death punch to cringing opponents. It’s not fair!

But they’re a whole lot more fun to watch than a season of Young Sheldon. 

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space.  

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Sun Belt Blesses ESPN With More (Potentially) Great Mid-Week Football Content

The Appalachian State Mountaineers take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Thursday night, as if we deserve it. Contact @astatefanrules This paragraph was going to be a charmingly clever introduction to the meaty football feast that is the …

The Appalachian State Mountaineers take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Thursday night, as if we deserve it. 

Contact @astatefanrules

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This paragraph was going to be a charmingly clever introduction to the meaty football feast that is the Mountaineers versus the Red Wolves tonight on ESPN, but my colleague Rex Steele summed it up best:

Coming in Hot: The Red Wolves

Arkansas State is coming off two offensively volcanic wins, totaling 109 points and 1,124 total yards. The Red Wolves also implemented a bit of “momentum by subtraction” in firing defensive coordinator David Duggan, whose defense schemes were simply yielding too many points. Look for the defense to receive an adrenaline injection in support of interim DC Nick Paremski.

Coming in Chilly: The Mountaineers

Appalachian State hasn’t played a snap of competitive football since September 26, when they conducted some business against Campbell (52-21). The Mountaineers have a victory over Charlotte in addition to Campbell, but those programs are a combined 1-6. In a loss to Marshall, Appalachian State managed a mere seven points – albeit against a very tough Herd defense. It’s difficult to measure the Mountaineers under new head coach Shawn Clark. Thursday will reveal much.

Dumb Observation

This will be the third game for the Red Wolves facing a team that, at some point this season, boasted an AP Top 25 ranking – Kansas State, Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State.

Zack Thomas vs “Logan Hatcher”

Mountaineers QB Zack Thomas was named preseason Sun Belt Offensive POY after a massively huge 2019 campaign (2,700 yards, 28 TDs), but he has yet to fully unload in 2020. Over in Jonesboro, the law firm of Logan Bonner & Layne Hatcher is tearing apart opposing secondaries, combining for 1,834 yards and 21 TDs in just five games. NOTE: the Mountaineers’ defense is only allowing 167 yards per contest.

Crystal Balls

The Mountaineers make my crystal balls murky. They’re like a science experiment: what effect does a month of football inertia have on the human body? Appalachian State could bounce into Kidd Brewer will rested and fully prepared for sixty minutes of pigskin. But experience tells me they are more likely to struggle with atrophy early on. If the Red Wolves can strike early and often, look for an upset in Boone.

 

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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The Sun Belt is Winning the ESPN Football Game

The Sun Belt is Winning the ESPN Football Game Contact @astatefanrules When presented with a national TV opportunity, as the Sun Belt has this year with an abundance of slots on ESPN, the pressure to entertain is a very real thing. After all, …

The Sun Belt is Winning the ESPN Football Game

Contact @astatefanrules

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When presented with a national TV opportunity, as the Sun Belt has this year with an abundance of slots on ESPN, the pressure to entertain is a very real thing. After all, college programs are also television programs. Bad ratings will get you canceled quicker than the last season of ALF. Your choices are 1) amuse the masses, or 2) stagger through the Phantom Zone of ESPN Plus.

This stupid COVID season, the Sun Belt has delivered the goods, starting will national televised gridiron dramas against Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State, and continuing with this week’s mid-season offering of in-conference donnybrooks.

Wednesday’s battle on ESPN2 between undefeated Coastal Carolina and #21 Louisiana lived up to its billing – two top tier Sun Belt teams throwing hands! The result? An excellent, well-played 30-27 football game won on a last-second field goal from the conference’s exciting up-and-comer, Chanticleers.

The next night, ESPN aired Arkansas State vs. Georgia State, a pair of programs that piles on points. Again, ESPN audiences were treated to a spectacle – a hootenanny of offense that pushed ESPN into the realm of delivering fake news.

Though not even the final score – 59-52 – was a Sun Belt record for highest scoring game, it was still some damn fine TV, culminating in a classic Blake Anderson trick play to seal the winning score for Arkansas State.

The point is, Sun Belt football is a brand whose stock is rising. While COVID-19 has disrupted our lives – with shockingly deadly consequences – the Sun Belt has made the most of an awful situation by providing quality content for a nation starving for quality content.

Except for ULM, that is. What the hell, Warhawks?

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space.

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Arkansas State Out-Slugs Georgia State 59-52

Defense wasn’t even optional on Thursday night in the Arkansas State win over Georgia State.

Defense wasn’t even optional on Thursday night.

Contact @astatefanrules

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In a game that was mostly without defensive stops, the Red Wolves only needed one. Georgia State, who needed five yards on fourth down, opted for a deep pass only to be thwarted by Samy Johnson at the goal line.

Turnover on downs, and Arkansas State emerged victory in a game that saw 13 total touchdowns

The Panthers, without RB Destin Coates RB and WR Cornelius McCoy, still had plenty of firepower, totaling 583 yards and 52 points. It was not enough. Layne Hatcher, Logan Bonner and special guest star Rashauud Paul passed for 551 yards and 8 TDs and the Red Wolves won 59-52.

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Sun Belt Plays Three Surprisingly Important Games This Weekend

The Sun Belt slate looks light, but the ramifications are very heavy.

The Sun Belt slate looks light, but the ramifications are very heavy.

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The Silly Season of COVID-19 has not only made everything stupid, but has also made every game vitally important. Who knows when you’ll play again? Or if? The forecast is murky with a 100% chance of something’s gonna screw everything up. And it doesn’t even have to be a pandemic.

For example, Hurricane Delta has postponed the conference’s marquee match-up between Louisiana and Coastal Carolina, two 3-0 teams that, quite frankly, are fun to watch. That leaves us three games for Saturday. On the surface, none look especially appetizing.

Luckily, Sun Belt Heat digs deep beneath the surface! As it turns out, every Sun Belt team playing on Saturday is in a must win situation. That alone is reason enough to shovel a load of coal into your ESPN3 machine.

ULM @ Liberty, 11:00 AM on ESPN2

I guess we have Hugh Freeze to thank for this national TV placement, because not even the most coked-out media buyer would spend a cent on the Warhawks this season. Matt Viator’s team is winless and punchless, averaging a measly 15 points per contest.

WHY THE GAME IS ESSENTIAL: Viator (and maybe everybody in Monroe) is coaching for his job right now, and the Warhawks are among the few SBC programs without a solid OOC showing. A win over Liberty isn’t exactly a win over LSU, but ULM is desperate for something to go right this season.

Texas State @ Troy, 2:30 on ESPN3

What to make of either of these teams? The last we saw the Bobcats, they had Boston College on the ropes, only to see their two-touchdown lead disappear late in the game. Last we checked in on Troy, they were being obliterated by BYU. Both might be better than their records, but I don’t really know.

WHY THE GAME IS ESSENTIAL: The Trojans felt pretty good about themselves after smashing Middle Tennessee. Now they probably question the very nature of their existence. Same can be said for the Bobcats, who are much improved and yet still losing games. Whoever wins gets a jolt of self-worth.

Central Arkansas @ Arkansas State, 3:30 on ESPN3

Between a long COVID-19 layoff, the Red Wolves went from Wildcat killer to chicken feed thanks to a shellacking from Coastal Carolina. Now they host UCA, ranked 11th in the FCS and the author of Arkansas State’s ultimate misery – a 28-23 loss in 2016 that haunts the Red Wolves every waking, sleeping, and drunken moment.

WHY THE GAME IS ESSENTIAL: Everybody likes an in-state donnybrook, and the Red Wolves have a big fat purple bear to get off their backs. A second loss to UCA would be viewed quite dimly in Jonesboro. Quite. Dimly.

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space.

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That Was Quick: Cajuns Dissed By Polls

Once again, the AP Top 25 proved that its name and not deeds that determine who receives the spoils in college football. Contact @astatefanrules It was as predictable as a Jean Claude Van Damme movie. The moment the Big Ten and SEC entered the fray, …

Once again, the AP Top 25 proved that its name and not deeds that determine who receives the spoils in college football.

Contact @astatefanrules

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It was as predictable as a Jean Claude Van Damme movie. The moment the Big Ten and SEC entered the fray, the programs that have actual games on their resumes were punted to the sideline. Among them, a 3-0 Cajuns team that had two conference wins and had vanquished ballyhooed Iowa State in Ames. That meant zilch to the AP Top 25.

This week, there are more winless teams (5) on the poll than 3-0 teams (congrats, Miami). Experience means nothing. The “eye-test” is rigged. Justice is a theoretical construct. Reality is a matter of who controls the perspective.

Struggles with Georgia State and Georgia Southern didn’t help the Cajuns cause, even though both of those teams are better than projected. But the AP and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll are exposed as brand toadies interested only in propping the usual blue-bloods of the college football elite.

COVID Continues to Punch All The Nuts

The Sun Belt features a fragile handful of rivalry games, and COVID-19 doesn’t care. Troy vs. South Bama, the legendary Battle of The Belt, has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.

Troy and South Alabama are both coming off brutal, humiliating, emasculating blowout losses, so maybe we were spared some bad football. Meanwhile, Week 5 has four Sun Belt teams left standing, with Arkansas State and Georgia State both coming off Covid cancelations. Cross your fingers, Belters.

Is Matt Viator Losing It At Monroe?

Darth Viator is 19-32 as head coach for the Warhawks and hasn’t had much luck since going 6-6 in 2017. Glory isn’t something one seeks at ULM, but surely the athletic department brass was expecting some of Viator’s success at McNeese to follow him to Monroe. Viator, whose Warhawks enter the season 0-3 while scoring a pitiful 10 points per contest, signed a 2-year extension in June with a very modest $175,000 buyout.

Viator’s seat is getting hot.

Damn You, Texas State

The Bobcats had a sweet 21-7 third quarter lead over Boston College last weekend, prompting me to make an insane bargain:

Texas State preferred to remain boobs, allowing Boston College to win the game on a last second field goal. All three of the Boobcats’ losses have been 7 points or fewer.

What Do We Make of Troy?

Both of Troy’s games have been blowouts, with the Trojans having experienced both ends. Middle Tennessee isn’t very good, and BYU is very good. But it was hard to overlook how miserable the Troy defense performed against the Cougar’s pass attack, or how ineffectual QB Gunner Watson seemed behind center. Is Troy really set to challenge Appalachian State?

Arkansas State vs. Coastal Carolina Might Be A Good Game If It’s Actually Played

The Red Wolves experienced its second consecutive COVID cancelation last weekend, granting Coach Blake Anderson plenty of time to study Chanticleer film. What he likely saw was a team that can run you right off the gridiron. QB Grayson McCall tossed a trio of TDs against Kansas, giving Coastal another wrinkled for the Red Wolves defense to worry about. Look to see big numbers at Centennial Bank Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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How Did The Sun Belt Do It? What Have We Learned?

After three revealing weeks of being tested in the pigskin cauldron, what have we learned about the Sun Belt? Contact @astatefanrules When the Sun Belt announced that it would proceed with a full schedule, despite the looming threat of COVID-19, the …

After three revealing weeks of being tested in the pigskin cauldron, what have we learned about the Sun Belt?

Contact @astatefanrules

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When the Sun Belt announced that it would proceed with a full schedule, despite the looming threat of COVID-19, the conference had but one mandate: TO BRING THE HEAT. And guess what? We did.

The Sun Belt Established Its Bona Fides

Even in losses (if we throw ULM’s disaster against Army), the Sun Belt performed in entertaining fashion before national audiences. Sweeping the Big XII sweetened the pot, with Louisiana’s win over ranked Iowa State providing the bow and the cherry. As a result, we’ve seen two Sun Belt programs crack the AP Top 25, which is historical on a biblical scale.

The Basement Belt is Moving On Up

Remember when Coastal, South Bama, Georgia State and Texas State suuuuuucked? Of course you do. It was just last year, you goobers. The Basement of the Belt is rising thanks to hungry young coaches and the maturing of talent. Who among the four have the most potential to unseat a Sun Belt titan? Coastal has the wins, but the Panthers seem to have a lot of pieces in place to give Troy and Appalachian State problems. Meanwhile, the Bobcats and Jags still have issues, but they also have ability. There are no such things as an easy win in the Sun Belt.

Appalachian State is Sheriff (But for How Long?)

The Mountaineers opened the season in the AP Top 25 and responded by struggling at home versus Charlotte and then losing pitifully to Marshall. No longer ranked, Appalachian State appears to be missing punch on both sides of the ball, especially at the ground game. The Sun Belt East sees the Sheriff staggering early, and there’s a host of eager desperadoes looking to take the badge.

Cajuns are For Realz

Yes, Louisiana struggled against the Panthers in Atlanta. Was it a “comedowner” from beating #23 Iowa State? Perhaps. Is it that Georgia State is not without considerable skills? Indeed. Still, the Sun Belt’s lone ranked team looks tremendous despite losing key talent to the NFL last season. Sun Belt coaches, however, will be studying how that Panther’s defense held up so well against Levi Lewis and all of his many weapons.

Troy Beat Middle Tennessee

Nobody in the Sun Belt cares for Middle, so job well done, Trojans. MTSU is trending down these days, and the win was business for Troy. However, the 47-14 score is hard to dismiss. Is Gunner Watson a legit QB threat? Is the defense, coming off THREE PICKS, good enough to give the Mountaineers a run?

Arkansas State Might Be Back

Were the Red Wolves ever really gone? Argue among yourselves. What can’t be disputed is that Jay Adams is a legit stud at wide receiver and the QB combo of Layne Hatcher and Logan Bonner is a successful experiment. The defense remains an issue, especially with COVID-19 contact tracing decimating important positions, like linebacker. Still, the squad had its moments against Kansas State. But it’s this week’s game against an improved Tulsa team that will truly determine whether or not the Red Wolves are back in business.

COVID Continues to Suck

The coronavirus and its contact tracing measures canceled games for Georgia Southern and Arkansas State during the three week Golden Age of the Sun Belt. Still, the conference’s success coaxed the Big 10 (and soon, the Pac-12 and Mountain West) back on the field. Welcome to the party, pal. Expect cancelations to plague the rest of the season.

A former notary public, Jeremy Harper is a professional writer and Chief Instigator for Storm the Castle Creative. He spends much of his free time staring blankly into space. 

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