Nine weeks into the average college football season, most conferences already have a clear-cut winner.
Not so in 2007.
Just ask the Buffalo Bulls, who are leading the MAC-East. Better yet, ask the UConn Huskies, who lead the Big East.
(If you saw either one of those coming, please email me. I have two tickets to Las Vegas, and I'll buy you lunch on the way.)
The story in the Sun Belt is no different. Here we are in Week Nine, waiting for the December 1st matchup between Troy and Florida Atlantic...and Louisiana-Monroe crashes the party.
In very classy fashion, I might add.
The Troy Trojans come into the week with a slim edge on their challengers , leading by only one game in the standings with at least two conference games remaining for each team.
Last week, Florida Atlantic fell into a tie with Middle Tennessee State, who inexplicably won by 20 despite being outgained in total yardage.
It was yet another loopy week, in other words, and that makes for another shakeup in the power rankings....
1. Troy Trojans (6-2)
Last Week: Won at Arkansas State, 27-0
Troy went into Arkansas State having lost their last three games with the Indians—and emerged as the undisputed leader of the conference.
In a game which featured two very good offenses, Troy's defense was at the forefront. That's very good news for the Trojans.
The game was quite a statement for this team, and should make for an interesting push into this week's contest.
This week: at Georgia
2. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (4-5)
Last Week: Won vs. North Texas, 48-28
MTSU came out of last week's game with a three-game winning streak and high spirits.
The Blue Raiders somehow managed to score 48 points—including two safeties—while gaining only 338 yards, and having 86 of those taken away on penalties.
Worth noting, however, is the fact that they held the ball for 14:00 longer than North Texas. That will win a lot of games.
This week: at Louisiana-Monroe
3. Florida Atlantic Owls (4-4)
Last Week: Lost (in 3OT) vs. Louisiana-Monroe 33-30
The Owls were hosting a 2-5 Warhawk team that had lost to North Texas two weeks prior.
They were ready to go 4-0 in the conference, with games against ASU and FIU left before the showdown in Troy.
Then they gave up a 31-yard run to Calvin Dawson on 2nd-and-16 in the third overtime, after holding him to only 83 yards through four quarters and two OTs.
Think the Owls will regret that later?
This week: BYE
4. Louisiana-Monroe Warharks (3-5)
Last Week: Won (3OT) vs. Florida Atlantic 33-30
Louisiana-Monroe needed a spark. They got one in the end zone that houses the FAU student section.
The trip to Boca Raton looked grim for the Warhawks. A loss to the Sun Belt co-leaders would have put them at 2-6 with only four games remaining, including a visit to Alabama.
However, with their win Saturday night, Monroe's bid to become bowl eligible is still (barely) alive.
Calvin Dawson showed up at the right time, but if this team wants six wins, he'll have to start from the first snap, not the third OT.
This Week: vs. MTSU
5. Arkansas State Indians (3-5)
Last Week: Lost vs. Troy 27-0
Arkansas State slips beneath Louisiana-Monroe for one main reason: Their season has been falling apart week-by-week.
After an impressive showing against Texas in the season opener left the entire conference wide-eyed, the Indians have declined as a team—and now are desperate for answers. ASU hadn't been shut out at home since 1992 until their beating at the hands of Troy on Saturday.
The Indians have to get back on track quickly, or else the season is only going to get worse.
This Week: vs. Florida International
6. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (1-6)
Last Week: BYE
Why does Lafayette get the nod over North Texas? Head-to-head, for starters.
(Head-to-head means something in deciding placement in the Sun Belt?! Yes, folks, it does here.)
Second, the Cajuns played a good Florida Atlantic team into OT—a growing trend in the state of Louisiana. Finally, they possess an odd creature they call a "quarterback" in Michael Desormeaux.
Aside from Temple QB Walter Washington, Desormeaux is the only other quarterback in the NCAA to run AND pass for 150 yards in a single game.
This week: at Tennessee
7. North Texas Mean Green (1-7)
Last Week: Lost at MTSU 48-28
North Texas has four things going for them right now.
First, they're not FIU.
Second, they have a fantastic future in quarterback Giovanni Vizza. With some work on accuracy, this kid could start for three years. That's stability this program needs.
Third, they haven't lost to a I-AA team this year *cough* MTSU and La-La *cough*.
Finally, they won't lose this week.
This Week: BYE
8. Florida International Golden Panthers (0-8)
Last Week: Lost at Arkansas, 58-10
If a program ever needed a victory more than FIU right now, it wasn't during my lifetime.
The Panthers come away from Arkansas having scored 10 legitimate points in the first half, which could be a turning point for the team. After scoring 28 points in their first five games, they've come up with 40 in the last three.
This week they face a down-and-out ASU team in Jonesboro—and could make a statement. Even if they don't win, points on the board could be a springboard for the following two weeks at home.
This Week: at Arkansas State
comments (5) write a comment »
write a new comment
11 months ago
What impact do you think Western Kentucky will have on the SBC when they join the conference in football, as they already do in other sports, in 2009? Also, there are some very solid indications that the University of South Alabama will finally get football sometime soon. As reported in the Press-Register (Mobile, AL), a petition is currently going around to see if the student body would accept an increase of $100 to $150 in their fees, which would still leave those fees below the national average. The measure will very likely pass with 2,000 signatures out of a 14k student body, and as of this past weekend, at least 1,500 of those signatures have been collected. The petition drive began on October 19, and the deadline is November 10, 2007. Also, the alumni have a much stronger voice than they once had. Having watched South make strides towards football in the past, this is the most credible attempt they've made. The last time they attempted to do so was 7 years ago, and frankly, that attempt was an abortion. I must admit that I'm very excited. There's quite a bit of football talent locally, and unlike UAB, the nearest D-I FBS (I hate that term. Why not call it D-IA like they used to?) is several hours in any direction. There's LSU to the 3 hours to the west, Auburn and Troy about 4-5 hours to the northeast, and the Tide and UAB 6 hours roughly due north. Sure, we have minor league baseball here, but what really drives us nuts down here and all across Alabama is football. If they build it, we will come.
from 11 months ago
Fred
First off, I think Western Kentucky will do well in 1-A (I refuse to call it FBS for the sake of sanity) and I look forward to them joining the SBC officially in 2009. The administration is behind the move entirely, building a fine new addition to the stadium that will make Bowling Green, KY a great place to visit. If they can channel into their football stadium the energy that their basketball fans have, they could be a formidable home-field foe. They also fill a small recruiting hole (north Tennessee and west Kentucky) that will produce some respectable talent for the school.
Secondly, South Alabama is an interesting monster. I think the university would support it fully and the fans would come out in greater numbers than most people would anticipate, however the prospects of another lowly PRIVATE university in the 1-A rankings is unappealing. Only a handfull of private universities have had significant success (USC, Notre Dame), and only a few more have had their days, only to see them pass into mediocrity as of late (Baylor, Stanford).
Their recruiting base would be great, but they'd always see those bigger names go to the same place they always do: Alabama (why is Mobile predominantly Alabama alumni? Weird...), Florida State (Tallahassee is only 3 hours away), and every SEC/ACC school. Even the smaller recruits that flow into the SBC would shy away, I think. And if they didn't, it would only be a hinderance for the SBC as a whole. Southern Alabama, the panhandle, and lower Mississippi sends a massive crop of recruits who weren't recruited by the big schools into the SBC. With yet another school to raid that group of kids, the SBC will only see a decline in the talent spread throughout the conference.
Yes, if they build it you will come... but i the university prepared to potentially become another FIU? And if so, will the fans stick around for the 5-10 years it'll take to climb out of that hole?
I don't think so.
11 months ago
First, USA is a public university, not private. For another, I think at least some of the mid-level talent would be willing to stay closer to home so they could be near family. For those interested in the sciences, South is great, especially for medicine and nursing. I do see a bit of a gap in the recruiting pool. All else fails, just send some talent scouts to Texas; they have more great high school football players than there are spots on I-A rosters. Granted, this would be better filled at the D-II level, for the moment at any rate, but a huge fan base is already built in. The local high school games are typically very well-attended, and I see this as possibly being as big a boon to the university at large as Troy's football team has been for them. Who knew they even existed 10-15 years ago? Along with the athletes, they've brought a larger student body, which has allowed for the expansion of the programs they're able to offer, which, in turn... a classic feedback loop. More teams means more competition, and in the long run, that can only be good for the Sun Belt Conference. As for I-A at large, parity is almost already here.
11 months ago
My bad about the private thing, you're right. I had the University of Mobile in my head
The biggest problem here is that you can't compare Troy moving to D1 with USA going D1. Troy has played football, at some level, since 1909. They've accumulated three national championships at two different levels, produced a coach in Chan Gailey, got a pair of 1-AA playoff runs... and THEN they moved to D1.
If USA starts in D-II and competes for a few years (you might have a rival already in North Alabama) then steps up to 1-AA and makes a name for itslef, THEN they should go D1. I'd say that needs to be 5 years down the road at least and no more than 15. I'm not saying you shouldn't have a program. I'm all about it and I'd sign the petition if I could. I'm just saying the program should play a 5-10 years in the lower divisions so it will be BETTER when it joins up with D1 and won't be an FIU. Instead it can be an FAU or Troy: competitive.
I honestly wish USA the best of luck in getting a program together and regardless of where they start, I'll probably watch a game or two.
11 months ago
Yeah, I agree, and I think UNA would be a natural early rival, and the Texas recruiting idea will always be on the table. We're so hungry down here to see college ball that, frankly, D-II (hell, even D-III) would be better than nothing. If I'm concerned about the long-term viability of any school's program, I have to go with UAB. They're just too close to Tuscaloosa to gain much traction. Even Troy is farther from Auburn than UAB is from 'Bama. And, of course, FIU for the reasons you mentioned, and I don't want to see that happen.
write a new comment