10 Reasons South Alabama Will Shake Up the Sun Belt Conference in 2012

South Alabama officially opens its dress rehearsal for next year's debut into Sun Belt Conference football Thursday night when it hosts West Alabama in Mobile to open the 2011 season.

And it's a pretty good bet that the Jags are staring down the barrel of at least two losses on this year's schedule...which will be the first setbacks in the school's brief history...which has been beefed up with stronger Division I competition.

But next year is really what the Jags have on their radar screen when they start laying the hammer down on SBC competition.

How will they do?

Will reality set in about what D-I competition is all about?

Will they be a flop?

Not hardly.

Here are 10 reasons why South Alabama will throw a huge monkey wrench into the the SBC next season:

10. They're already better than half the teams in the conference

Florida International and Troy, predicted to battle it out for the conference title this year, are, without question, in the upper echelon of the SBC. Louisiana Monroe, Florida Atlantic and the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee are easily the best of the rest. Which brings us to the bottom part of the league: North Texas, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette. USA would have a 4-0 record against them right now.

9. The Gulf of Mexico

Hell of a recruiting tool, huh? Take a kid down to Dauphin Island or Gulf Shores on his recruiting visit and the guy will be tweeting half his high school team to come on down.

8. Facilities

When USA Athletic Director Emeritus Joe Gottfried went to ex-USA President Fred Whiddon about bringing football to the school, he insisted that the football facilities be second to none.
They are. Recruits know it and love it! 

7. Dr. Joel Erdman, Ph.D

The third-year athletic director is no joke. He smiles and glad hands a lot, but he's a quiet assassin whose looking to make his mark among big time ADs nationwide. He is also committed to carrying out Gottfried's vision of a big-time college program very soon. 

6. Defensive Coordinator Bill Clark

If you ever invite him over to dinner, be prepared to talk about blitzes, tackles dropping into pass coverage and everybody on defense meeting at the quarterback. His players love him. He turns them loose to be vicious attack dogs. 

5. Ms. Gwen, Media Relations Secretary

Hey! If you don't know her, don't laugh! She epitomizes the attitude of the entire football team's philosophy: "make my day!" To be such a sweet woman, she is truly scary, especially on game day. Try to get by her without a legit credential if you want to.

4. Dr. Gordon Moulton

He's completely bought into the idea that football drives so many other school's sports entities. 

3. The players

They want to be known for themselves. They're good and they want you to know it! 

2. Head Coach Joey Jones

It's kind of easy, yet hard at the same time, to figure out Jones' mentality and approach to where he wants to take the Jags. When he speaks, he says all the right things. Still, when you look in his eyes, you see that he wants to kick somebody's ass...for real!

1. It's Alabama

Don't look now, but the big-time athletes that don't go to 'Bama, Auburn or completely out of state, will soon see each other in either a Troy State uniform or South Alabama gear.

Let the rivalry begin!