1. One Honest Thought On Each Sun Belt Team
Click on each team for the preview, 5 things to know
Sun Belt East
Appalachian State – Okay, Shawn Clark, keep it all going. There’s absolutely no excuse to not win a third straight Sun Belt title with this loaded team returning. The experience and talent are there to hang with just about anyone – it’s a shame ASU doesn’t get to play Wisconsin.
Coastal Carolina – The Chanticleers have a few stars to work around, but the depth isn’t quite there. RB CJ Marable and DE Tarron Jackson are special, but the defensive back seven is going be a constant issue.
Georgia Southern – The running game will once again take center stage, but the linebacking corps is the hidden gem – it might be the best in the Sun Belt. The pieces are there on both sides to win the Sun Belt.
Georgia State – There isn’t a glaring weak spot on the Panthers, but there’s certainly nothing special about this year’s group that should freak out the rest of the East. That passing game might be more interesting with a strong group of tight ends.
Troy – The 5-7 first season under head coach Chip Lindsay was a one-off. The Trojans are in a tough division with no sure-thing wins, but the passing game is going to be fantastic as long as a decent quarterback can step up and get the amazing receiving corps the ball.
[vertical-gallery id=516401]
Sun Belt West
Arkansas State – The offense might lose key parts to the receiving corps, but the offense will still be devastating thanks to the fantastic backfield. The defensive front has the potential to rise up and be strong, but all that matters is getting it done against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Louisiana – Enjoy head coach Billy Napier now, because he’s destined for a good Power Five gig very, very soon. The defense will be just good enough to hold serve for the unstoppable attack.
South Alabama – The parts aren’t there to make a huge push in the Sun Belt race, but for this year, just SCORE. Please. The inconsistent Jaguars struggled to get to 20 points way too often.
Texas State – The Bobcats might not be all that great, but they’re certainly going to be interesting. The offensive style will eventually work, and the points will come in bunches – at least that’s the hope.
ULM -The lines, the lines, the lines. Losing star QB Caleb Evans hurts, but the skill parts are okay and there’s some promise in the defensive backfield. The lines on both sides are way too questionable.
[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]