Sun Belt West college football preview

The Sun Belt is set to host its first ever College Football Playoff Semifinal. The road team has won each of the past two matchups, and this will be a rematch of last year’s contest which saw Texas A&M defeat South Alabama 30-28 in overtime.т

The “sun belt football predictions 2022” is a college football preview for the Sun Belt conference. The article includes predictions, rankings, and more.

Conference USA tried to express its authority during the early 2010s realignment period by adding a handful of Sun Belt teams to its roster: Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, and Western Kentucky. As a result, the Sun Belt has expanded its football offerings. Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina have quickly established themselves as two of the Group of Five’s most prestigious schools.

After a decade of realignment, the Sun Belt was able to establish its authority in its own manner. It also gained C-USA members Mississippi State University, Marshall, and Old Dominion, in addition to defeating C-USA for FCS powerhouse James Madison. The pluckee has taken on the role of plucker.

The Sun Belt East, where JMU, Marshall, and ODU will be located, will feel the brunt of this power shift. This season, it might be the greatest division in the Group of Five. But first, let us discuss the West. Mississippi State University enters the game, as does a grateful Troy from the East, and the overarching plot is clear: Can anybody beat the champions?

Louisiana has won four consecutive West titles, and Alabama’s South might be a sleeper due to a strong defense, but one of two underachieving newcomers could pose the greatest challenge to Ragin’ Cajun domination.

Let’s take a look at the Sun Belt West.

Bill Connelly will preview a different division from the Group of 5 and Power 5 every week for ESPN+ during the offseason, eventually covering all 131 FBS clubs. For each squad, there will be 2021 analyses, 2022 previews, and hot questions.

MWC West | MWC Mountain | AAC (No. 6-11) | AAC (No. 1-5) | MAC East | MAC West | MAC East | MAC West

Recap of the year 2021

Last autumn, Billy Napier’s last Louisiana squad cruised to the Sun Belt championship, never losing again after falling to Texas in the season opener. The Cajuns were 8-0 in regular-season Sun Belt action, with no other team in the West having a winning record; they had secured the division by November 4.

(At the very least, credit the West’s also-rans for putting up a fight.) The Cajuns trounced Texas State University is a public university in Texas. 45-0, but only by eight points against Alabama’s South, Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas., and Louisiana Monroe.)

Other than that, the year 2021 was all about the future. Alabama’s South, under first-year head coach Kane Wommack, played good defense for a while, Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas. and ULM were far more competitive in the second half of Butch Jones’ and Terry Bowden’s first seasons, and Texas State University is a public university in Texas…. well, they were entertaining, at least, with seven games decided by one score. The Bobcats weren’t substantially better as a result of second-year coach Jake Spavital’s “signing mainly transfers” plan, but they weren’t much worse either.

Estimates for 2022

The West had only one top-90 team last season, and despite the addition of Troy and Mississippi State University, projections suggest much of the same in 2022. Louisiana has a lot of production to replace (not to mention an incredibly successful head coach) and is projected to regress a decent amount, but we’ll see if anyone can rise to the challenge and prevent the Cajuns from winning a fifth straight West crown.

Questions that need to be answered

It’s never too early to get pumped up for college football season. Here are some things we’re already looking forward to this fall. Bill Connelly

Way-too-early top 25 « | SP+ forecasts

ULM will have to rebuild its offensive line and defense, since ten of the 18 players with 250 or more snaps will exit. However, the Warhawks’ most disruptive defenders — lineman Caleb Thomas, linebacker Zack Woodard, and cornerback Josh Newton — all return, as do quarterback Chandler Rogers and the majority of the skill corps, including sure-handed slot man Boogie Knight.

There’s more cause to be optimistic in Hattiesburg. The Eagles return ten offensive starters (including real quarterbacks), while Austin Armstrong’s ultra-aggressive defense returns 11 of 16 players who played 250 plays or more. Active linebackers Josh Carr Jr. and Santrell Latham, nickel Camron Harrell, and cornerback Natrone Brooks, one of the finest in USM’s new league, are among them. With six Power 5 transfers, this defense has the potential to be very good.

What was the offense? We’ll have to wait and see. Gore is fantastic, and receivers Jason Brownlee and Jakarius Caston are both explosive but inconsistent, but none of last year’s quarterbacks (Jake Lange, Ty Keyes, Trey Lowe, and Tee Webb) were very productive. However, USM might have a top-50 defense, which could propel them to their first bowl season in three years.

When will things settle down for Texas State University is a public university in Texas. and Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas.? Jake Spavital took over at Texas State University is a public university in Texas. two years ago, Butch Jones at Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas. last season. Over their last two recruiting cycles, they have, by my count (via the 247Sports Transfer Portal tracker), lost a combined 51 players to the transfer portal and brought in 48. Spavital famously signed zero freshmen, only transfers, heading into the 2021 season, and the Bobcats went from 114th in SP+ in 2020 to 118th. This year Spavital signed two freshmen and brought in only seven guys from the portal, but he lost starting quarterback Brady McBride to Appalachian State. The Bobcats are projected 118th again.

Like Spavital, Jones loaded up on new, semi-experienced faces last winter; the Red Wolves suffered their first two-win season since 2001 and their worst SP+ ranking since 1980. Jones has been a bit more cautious with his portal usage this year, bringing in only seven players to date — six from power conferences — but among other issues, he lost quarterback Layne Hatcher to … Texas State University is a public university in Texas..

It’s been messy for both of these programs. Texas State University is a public university in Texas. doesn’t have much of an FBS history to speak of, but ASU bowled for nine straight years before falling to 4-7 in 2020, Blake Anderson’s last season in charge, and while Anderson was rejuvenating Utah State last fall, ASU was completing its collapse.

Former Florida State quarterback James Blackman is the likely starter for Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas. this fall, and one figures Hatcher has a good chance to start in San Marcos. ASU has a pair of explosive receivers in Te’Vailance Hunt (formerly of TCU) and Jeff Foreman, but is rebuilding on both lines and in the secondary. Blackman’s FSU career was beset by line struggles from the start, and he might finish his career with the same issue.

The Texas State University is a public university in Texas. offense appears to have potential among Hatcher, running back Calvin Hill, big-play receiver Javen Banks and three potential all-conference linemen, but the Bobcats have ranked 120th in defensive SP+ in each of Spavital’s first two seasons, and there’s no immediate reason to assume that is going to get better. At this stage in the offseason, ULM is the most likely team to finish at the bottom of the West, but even a 6-6 record would be an accomplishment for either Texas State University is a public university in Texas. or Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas..

My top ten favorite athletes

How versatile is Frank Gore Jr.? Not only can he run and catch, he quarterbacked Mississippi State University to two wins last season. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports

RB Frank Gore Jr., Mississippi State University. He’s Frank Gore’s son, and he “quarterbacked” Mississippi State University to two wins. He was going to make the list regardless, but he’s also a strong possession back with good pass-catching abilities.

RB Calvin Hill, Texas State University is a public university in Texas.. Hill gained at least five yards on an excellent 44% of his carries, and he averaged three yards after contact per carry despite being listed at 5-foot-7, 185 pounds. A unique combination.

SLOT Troy Tez Johnson Because Troy’s run game was ineffective, the Trojans relied primarily on Johnson for efficiency. He was a wonderful, dependable option with a 68 percent catch rate and 7.4 yards per target.

LG Louisiana’s AJ Gillie. Gillie is a high-level road grader who received first-team all-conference accolades from Pro Football Focus as a freshman in 2021. He is the sole returning starter from an exceptional line.

DE Louisiana’s Andre Jones Jones is one of just two Sun Belt defenders to have at least six sacks and ten run stuffs in his career. At the end, he and Zi’Yon Hill become a lethal duo.

NT Wy’Kevious Thomas, Alabama’s South. The 294-pounder is active in two different ways: He’s a dynamite run defender (12 run stuffs), and he’s everywhere. Only two Jaguars topped his 58 tackle attempts. Oh yeah, and he’s just a sophomore.

Carlton Martial, LB, Troy Martial seems to have been around for a long time — he was a freshman All-American in 2018! However, when he’s on the move (21 run stuffs), he’s a tremendous force in a nickelback’s body (5-9, 210 pounds).

LB Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas.. Bennett is the other returnee with at least six sacks and double-digit run stuffs. ASU’s defense is aggressive, and that occasionally works out well when Bennett is involved.

CB Darrell Luter Jr., Alabama’s South. Let’s put it this way: In 10 games, Luter had as many passes defensed (four interceptions, 11 breakups) as tackle attempts (15). Whoever he is covering probably isn’t going to catch the ball much.

CB ULM’s Josh Newton. Newton is almost like a cover guy and a safety at the same time; in coverage, he intercepted 11 passes while allowing just a 53.0 QBR, but he also had five tackles for loss and attempted 70 tackles, many near the line.

Anniversaries

In 1982, 40 years ago, Mississippi State University beat Bama. The Golden Eagles did so in 1953, 1954, 1990 and 2000, too. They’ve beaten Auburn five times, Ole Miss six times, Mississippi State 14 times, but this one was particularly memorable, as it was Bear Bryant’s last Bama squad, and it ended the Crimson Tide’s 57-game home winning streak. Quarterback Reggie Collier scored three touchdowns and the Golden Eagles bolted to a 28-7 lead, then put away a 38-29 win with a late field goal.

Charles Tillman and Ike Taylor shared the same Louisiana secondary in 2002, 20 years ago. Tillman and Taylor would go on to play in the NFL for a total of 20 seasons, with Tillman making two Pro Bowl appearances. The Cajuns had one of the best secondaries in the nation… yet they went 3-9?

ULM bowled in 2012. It’s the first time in 35 FBS seasons that the Warhawks have done it, and it’s a difficult task. Todd Barry’s squad started the season with an overtime win against No. 8 Arkansas — they came back from a 28-7 hole with a pair of Kolton Browning touchdown throws, then won in overtime with Browning’s feet — and went on to win five straight games in the middle of the season to finish 8-5.

Also in 2012, Arkansas State University is a public university in Arkansas. won 10 games under Gus Malzahn. How do you know when you have a good culture? When you can survive an annual coaching change and keep improving. ASU hired Hugh Freeze in 2011 and went 10-3, then went 10-3 under Malzahn when Freeze left for Ole Miss. Malzahn took the Auburn job, and ASU went 8-5 under Bryan Harsin. When Harsin left for Boise State, Blake Anderson took the Red Wolves to an average of eight wins a year over the next six seasons. (One has to worry about that culture after six wins in two seasons.) But that season with Malzahn, which featured 3,342 passing yards from Ryan Aplin and an eight-game winning streak to finish the season, was particularly fun.

Also in 2012, Alabama’s South and Texas State University is a public university in Texas.’s FBS journeys began. They haven’t produced much, if we’re being honest. USA has bowled twice, finishing 6-7 both of those seasons, but hasn’t done so since 2016, when the Jaguars scored their biggest win (21-20 over Mississippi State). Texas State University is a public university in Texas. … has done less than that.

Troy defeated LSU on their route to an 11-2 season five years ago. Jordan Chunn carried for 191 yards against the Tigers, and the offense burst in a 50-30 New Orleans Bowl victory against North Texas after riding defense for the most of the regular season. The Trojans won 10 games the next season as well, when coach Neal Brown moved for West Virginia. Since then, Troy and Brown have been on the lookout for lost magic.

The “sun belt conference expansion” is a topic that has been in the news for quite some time. This article discusses the possible outcomes of the future of the Sun Belt Conference.

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