The Sun Belt is not that deep right now. The conference lost one of its better teams when Middle Tennessee State University departed for Conference USA. Florida International and Florida Atlantic also have transitioned out of the league. In their place, the Sun Belt has added Georgia State and Texas State-San Marcos for this season. There is more realignment coming in 2014.
But the focus right now is on 2013. In a league that is battling it out with the MAC and Conference-USA for being the weakest non-AQ conference, what do the schedules look like for these eight teams? Because there are only eight teams in the league, it is a true round robin schedule. Additionally, with only seven conference games this season, Sun Belt schools will play up to five non-conference games.
Last year, the Sun Belt place four teams in bowl games. Who has a chance to make the postseason this year?
1) Troy – Troy was quite dominant on its move up from the FCS to the FBS, winning several conference titles, but the program has backslid a bit the last couple of seasons. This schedule doesn’t necessarily offer them a path to winning the Sun Belt again, but it might give the Trojans a chance to see where they stand moving forward. It’s quite challenging in conference, since Troy has to travel to Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette and to Western Kentucky. Non-conference road games at Mississippi State, Ole Miss and at Duke are difficult test as well.
2) Louisiana-Lafayette – The Ragin’ Cajuns finished in a three way tie for second place last season behind now rising junior quarterback Terrance Broadway. The Cajuns have a chance to make some more noise this season, but they start off with trips to Arkansas, who has a new head coach and philosophy, and Kansas State, who is trying to replace a second team All-American and the 2012 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Louisiana also has a road trip to Akron to go with games against New Mexico State and Nicholls State at home. The Cajuns will have to travel to Arkansas State, but get Louisiana-Monroe at home in the next to last game of the season. They will play only five home games out of twelve on their schedule.
3) Georgia State – The Panthers are in their first season of FBS play. Due to NCAA transitional rules, the Panthers are ineligible for postseason play or a bowl game. They are actually playing two FCS opponents this season in Chattanooga and Jacksonville State, but they also will face Alabama in Tuscaloosa and West Virginia in Morgantown. Georgia State is only playing an 11 game schedule this season, but that will include a full conference slate.
4) South Alabama – The Jaguars are in their second year as an FBS program. Last season, they managed to notch a win over FAU in double overtime and a win over FCS program Nicholls State. This year, South Alabama opens with FCS Southern Utah at home and then hit the road to face Tulane. They also host Kent State and travel to Tennessee and Navy to finish their non-conference schedule. The Jaguars host all four of the possible front runners for the conference title (Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe). That is a tall order for a young program.
5) Louisiana-Monroe – The Warhawks start the year off at Oklahoma, where the Sooners are known for non-conference dominance of late. They also travel to Wake Forest and Baylor. Home non-conference games against Tulane and FCS Grambling State give some balance to the tough road tests (aka guarantee games). If Louisiana-Monroe is going to be a contender in the Sun Belt again, two of their last three games could be critical, as they host Arkansas State on November 9 and finish the season at Louisiana-Lafayette on November 30.
6) Western Kentucky – Bobby Petrino’s road to redemption takes him to Bowling Green, Kentucky. The schedule, however, does not offer much quarter for him in his first season with the program. The Hilltoppers actually play in the state of Tennessee for two consecutive weeks. They open the season with a neutral site game against Kentucky in Nashville, and then they head to Knoxville to face the Volunteers. A game with FCS Morgan State and games at Army and against Navy round out the non-conference schedule. In conference, Western Kentucky travels to Louisiana-Monroe but hosts Louisiana-Lafayette and finishes the season hosting Arkansas State on November 30—which has a chance of deciding the conference title. It’s a slim chance, but a chance.
7) Arkansas State – The Red Wolves are the defending league champions, although they did lose their head coach, Gus Malzahn, to the Auburn job. The Wolves will get to face their old head coach in the second game of the year on The Plains. Arkansas State will also continue their tour of "Tiger" teams by traveling to Memphis and Missouri the final two weeks of September. They also host Idaho in a non-conference game (Idaho joins the Sun Belt in 2014 and FCS opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff). The Wolves will get a chance at avenge their only conference loss from last season (against Western Kentucky) on November 30.
8) Texas State – Dennis Franchione’s second tour of duty at Texas State seems to have gotten off to a good start, even if the Bobcats didn’t have a winning record in 2012. 2013 offers Texas State an opportunity to compete for a bowl game, with winnable non-conference games against Prairie View A&M (an FCS opponent), Southern Mississippi, Idaho (even in Moscow, ID) and Wyoming (in San Marcos). If they win those four games and beat Georgia State and South Alabama, it will be a very nice year for the Bobcats. It is within reach.
