Last week, the Mountain West delivered a blow from the Sword of Entropy by flat-out rejecting the American’s attempt to poach its prime cuts. “We good,” said Colorado State and Air Force, prompting AAC commissioner Mike Aresco to issue a statement essentially saying, “We didn’t want your nerds anyway.”

In spurning the American, the Mountain West disrupted what was to be a fairly orderly realignment process. Presumably, Aresco will now look to the denizens of CUSA and the Sun Belt to replace Houston, Cincinnati and UCF (and Connecticut, too, while they’re at the store). The Sun Belt should greet overtures from the AAC with the same contempt as did the Mountain West – after all, the SBC is as stable a conference as one can find. Still, you have to believe SBC commissioner Keith Gill is juggling all the chainsaws to keep his programs content. We shall see.

Coastal Will Have To Be Brutally Ruthless All Season Long

The Chanticleers demolished the surprising Warhawks 59-6 on the grotesque teal field of Conway this Saturday, securing a #15 AP ranking. The combo of Grayson McCall to Isaiah Likely has become the conference’s most unstoppable weapon, and it will need to be launched again and again without mercy in the weeks ahead. Coastal Carolina has played a comically soft schedule, with four of five games played in Conway against some of the most inept programs in FBS football. Every victory must be 50-point poundings, or watch Coastal slowly drop in the polls.

Welcome Back to Earth, Panthers

After popping Charlotte and getting robbed at Auburn, Georgia State was likely feeling pretty confident in its cherry place in the Sun Belt universe. For one half of football, the Panthers looked solid enough against the Mountaineers, who I believe is the best team in the Sun Belt. But Appalachian State made the adjustment in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 31-10 and reminding us all that while Georgia State is promising, they still have some work to do to become Sun Belt Elite.

Yeah, But Maybe South Alabama Is Almost Elite?

The Cajuns haven’t exactly made their victories look easy, having barely escaped Georgia Southern and now South Alabama. The Jags had their chances, shutting out the Cajuns in the second half and finally working their way to a game-winning field goal on the 19 yard line only do see kicker  Diego Guajardo miss wide right. Listen, elite programs nail field goals. But you have to be impressed with the Jaguars through Week 5, who are as defensively stout as anyone in the conference.

Georgia Southern Reminded Us That They Can Still Run the Damn Ball

Against the hapless Red Wolves defense, Eagles running back Logan Wright piled up 206 yards on just ten carries, overshadowing Jalen White’s majestic 157 yard, 2 TD performance. Overall, Georgia Southern put up 503 yards of ground game on Arkansas State for a 59-33 victory to start the Kevin Whitley Era. Does this mean the Eagles are back, baby? Slow the roll. Red Wolves defense is cartoonishly poor this season. Facing Troy this week should provide more of a challenge. However, 500 yards of rushing is damn impressive.