Match Ups, Game Times, Analysis, Broadcast and Vegas Odds for Every Game in the Sun Belt

You may have heard that the Sun Belt is the strongest G5 in football. What you’re not hearing nearly often enough are Sun Belt programs mentioned as Playoffs contenders. Fine. We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way – by knocking heads.

There’s also some put-up-or-shut-up on the Week One slate, with a number of borderline contenders given tests that they’ll need to pass to be taken seriously. As always, we post no Vegas odds on FCS vs Sun Belt games because THE SUN BELT DOES NOT LOSE TO THE FCS.

Thursday, August 29

Jackson State @ ULM, 6:00 PM CST, ESPN3, NO ODDS GIVEN

The very first Sun Belt game of the year raises the curtain on the General Booty era at Monroe. Booty, a transfer out of Oklahoma, earned the starting QB gig under Bryant Vincent’s new leadership, guaranteeing plenty of cheeky comments from the ESPN3 broadcast crew. As for the game, the Warhawks aren’t pick to win many, but to host the Gamecocks (picked to finished third in the SWAC East) may be the semi-challenging game to be the Vincent Era on the right note.

THE PICK: Warhawks, but sloppy

Coastal Carolina @ Jacksonville St., 7:00 PM CST, CBS Sports Network, -2.5 Gamecocks

About an hour after General Booty leads the Warhawks onto the gridiron, the Chanticleers visit Jacksonville State, a recent addition to the conference predicted to finish third behind Liberty and Western Kentucky. The Gamecocks have a fine defense led by linebacker Rock Swain and Laletia Hale, plus a nice run game behind Anwar Lewis, who is expected to bring some pain his senior year. Many from inside and outside the conference feel that Coastal has a legitimate shot at making dangers in the Sun Belt East. How Tim Beck’s men perform against Jacksonville State should shed some light on that assertion.

THE PICK: Coastal, because the CUSA sucks the rocks

Saturday, August 31

East Tennessee St. @ Appalachian State, 2:30 PM CST, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

The Buccaneers won three games last season and they aren’t projected to improve much this season by SoCon prognosticators. An astronomical amount of things will have to go wrong for the Mountaineers to lose this game, but should Appalachian State fall, the Sun Belt should require the university to reconstruct the track around the football field.

THE PICK: Mountaineers by many

O’DOUL’S “MAINTAIN YOUR EDGE” GAME OF THE WEEK: Boise State @ Georgia Southern, 3:00 PM CST, ESPNU, -13 Broncos

You know we haven’t played a college football game (beyond Week 0) because the only Group of Five program the national douce canoes can talk about is Boise State. Yes, the Broncos return the services of running back Ashton Jeanty, who carried the rocked a whopping 220 times last season for 1,347 yards and 19 total touchdowns. But one doesn’t walk into Statesboro and expect an easy win from the Eagles, who feature five all-conference players including dazzling running back Jalen White. It should be a fun battle between Jeanty and White. It’d be funner if the Eagles knock Boise State out of the conversation in Week 1.

THE PICK: Eagles with the upset

Old Dominion @ South Carolina, 3:15 PM CST, SEC Network, -21 Gamecocks

If your name is “the Gamecocks,” the Sun Belt is playing yo ass in Week 1. Listen, South Carolina isn’t projected to do well in the bigger SEC this season, but they do get a full season of Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, the Arkansas transfer who ran for nearly 1,500 yards in 2022. Meanwhile, the Monarchs are getting another year of tackle machine Jason Henderson to mitigate Sanders’ influence, and a wiser Grant Wilson at QB to lead ODU down the field. Nobody knows what to expect from Rickey Rahne. Something weird is bound to happen.

THE PICK: South Carolina, but consider the under

Stony Brook @ Marshall, 4:00 PM CST, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

The Seawolves didn’t win a damn game last year. That’s good news for the Herd, who may still be settling on a QB even when the game is over. Who’s it going to be? Braylon Braxton? Cole Pennington? The new guy, Stone Earle out of North Texas?

THE PICK: The Herd, but expect to see a ton of experimenting from Coach Charles Huff

North Texas @ South Alabama, 4:00 PM CST, ESPN+, -5 Jaguars

Speaking of North Texas, the Mean Green are expected to finish 9th out of 14 teams in the American this season, and they aren’t creating much buzz. Meanwhile, South Alabama has a familiar new head coach in Major Applewhite and a pro caliber defensive back Jaden Voisin. The big question will be under center, where Jaguars will hand the reigns to young Gio Lopez. His Week One performance should set the pace for South Alabama’s season. Bear in mind, the Jags aren’t great at home.

THE PICK: Jaguars, but don’t expect them to beat the spread

Central Arkansas @ Arkansas State, 6:00 PM CST, ESPN +, NO ODDS GIVEN

Appalachian State and Marshall are playing easy FCS tune-ups, but Arkansas State has opted to go against an in-state foe that 1) is ranked 13th in the preseason FCS poll, and 2) has a winning record against the Red Wolves. That said, UCA has one win over Arkansas State since 1947 – a 28-23 stunner in 2015. A-State can even the all-time record between the two programs on Saturday, but it will be anything but easy. Picked to win the United Athletic, UCA boasts five all-conference players and want nothing more than to stick it in the eye of Arkansas State.

THE PICK: This will be a good year for Arkansas State, and it won’t start with a loss

Nevada @ Troy, 6:00 PM CST, ESPN+, -9.5 Troy

Nevada made some Week Zero news by giving SMU a scare. Does that make the Wolfpack better than expected? That’s difficult to say. What can be said is that more than one college football prognosticator has identified Troy as players in the Sun Belt West this year – despite losing their lead running back (Kimani Vidal), head coach (Jon Sumrall), quarterback (Gunnar Watson), wide receiver (Jabre Barber), lead sacker (Javon Solomon) and lead tackler (Jayden McDonald). Other than that, Troy’s good.

THE PICK: Upset in Troy; at the very least, take Nevada and the points

Southern Miss @ Kentucky, 6:45 SEC Network, -28 Wildcats

Man, Coach Will Hall and Southern Miss was a mess last season, but they were a mess with pluck that at least had a deadly weapon in Frank Gore Jr. Gore is no longer is Hattiesburg, and the Golden Eagles bring zero all-conference selections to Lexington, where the Wildcats await. Kentucky isn’t expected to make much noise in the SEC this season, but they have enough talent on defense to give new Golden Eagles quarterback Tate Rodemaker plenty to think about. Still, that’s a pretty big line, if you ask me.

THE PICK: Wildcats win, but maybe consider taking them points.

Georgia State @ Georgia Tech, 7:00 PM CST, ACC Network, -21.5 Yellowjackets

The Yellowjackets dusted the #10 team in the land in Week Zero, making a big pile of Florida State fans furious while adding a layer of intrigue to this intercity matchup. Winner takes Atlanta! Working against the Panthers is that new head coach Dell McGee is putting nearly a brand new team on the fields without big play guys like Darren Grainger, Marcus Carrol, Robert Lewis or Jontrey Hunter. Odds are slim that McGee has the horses to win this, but there might be enough disdain among the Panthers to make a game of it, perhaps.

THE PICK: Panthers receive the unceremonious pouncing

Grambling @ Louisiana, 7:00 PM CST, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

Grambling isn’t a bad SWAC team, but it isn’t a great SWAC team either, which should give the Cajuns plenty of breathing room to work out the kinks – or at least work out the QB situation, which no longer involves Zeon Chriss but does include veteran hands Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields.

THE PICK: Cajuns, but not in spectacular fashion

James Madison @ Charlotte, 7:00 PM CST, ESPNU, -7 Dukes

If you’re going to open the season with a new head coach and a team decimated by the old head coach, you may as well open with the team projected to finish next to last in the American – the 49ers. Charlotte doesn’t have a whole lot going for it, except they do have a pretty good defensive lineman named Stone Handy. Still, it’s not easy getting a win on the road, and we’ll see just what kind of tricks new head coach Bob Chesney has in his head coach bag.

THE PICK: JMU, and we learn stuff

Lamar @ Texas State, 7:00 PM CST, ESPN+, NO ODDS GIVEN

The Cardinals might be a pretty good team in the Southland this year with a solid offensive line and some weapons on offense. They might be good enough to sneak up on an overconfident Bobcats team looking ahead to next week when they take on their bitter in-state rival UTSA. But probably not! Look for new Bobcats QB Jordan McCloud to take this time to gain some game time experience with his new toys.

THE PICK: Bobcats breathe easy

GRAPHIC: with help from Sun Belt Media