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

The black socks and matching belt are coming out of the drawer. Neckties are being ironed. Brief cases are being filled with important papers. And Sun Belt football coaches are analyzing spreadsheets for victories. I’d have formatted this edition of Sun Belt Heat to PowerPoint, but time is money, people.

As of this typing, four Sun Belt teams sit on five wins with three games left to play. Overall, seven teams still have a shot at bowl play. Louisiana appears to have the SBC West to itself, barring catastrophe, but the SBC East is still in play, with the Dukes, Monarchs, Herd and Eagles all scratching for the division. Mountaineers excluded, it’s all hands on deck. So much business, and so little time.

SUN BELT ON BYE: Appalachian State

Saturday, November 16

ULM Warhawks (5-4) @ Auburn Tigers (3-6), 11:45 AM CST, SEC Network, -24 Tigers

Less than a month ago, the Sun Belt lived in absolute fear of the Warhawks, who opened conference play a frightening 3-0 dispatching the likes of Troy, James Madison and Southern Miss without fielding much offense. The lesson is, eventually you have to score points, because three SBC losses later, ULM is still stuck on five wins and are hoping a change-of-pace game with Auburn will shake them from their gloomy malaise. The Tigers, coached by Sun Belt alum Hugh Freeze, are coming off a loss to Vanderbilt, who both famously lost to Georgia State and defeated Alabama. Not sure why I mentioned that, except maybe there’s some red thread to tie everything together.

THE PICK: Warhawks have to at least beat that spread

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-4) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (6-3), 12:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -8.5 Herd

The Chants were a bit like the Warhawks of the Sun Belt East, impressing its brethren with early victories. However, a conference loss to James Madison seemed to sapped Tim Beck’s Bunch will to live, let alone score points. A home win over Appalachian State last week stopped a three game losing streak, but the momentum is in jeopardy of being thwarted in Huntington by the Thundering Herd. AJ Turner has just been gold at running back, and defensive end Mike Turner just appeared on the Bednarik Award short list. Marshall is the best team in the Sun Belt nobody is talking about.

THE PICK: Chants trampled by the Herd

Troy Trojans (2-7) @ Georgia Southern Eagles (6-3), 3:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -7.5 Eagles

The Trojans are back, baby! At least, Troy looks more like Troy in the last six quarters of football when they nearly upended Arkansas State and the closed escrow on Coastal. Running back Damien Taylor has revitalized Troy’s run game, giving Trojan fans hope that the Gerad Parker Era has legs. Meanwhile, the Eagles are quietly belting out a solid season, currently tied with Marshall for the SBC East lead and getting a magic year from quarterback JC French. The Eagles likely have too much French and too much Jalen White (8 rushing TDs) to allow Troy to win in Statesboro, but the Trojans don’t know that.

THE PICK: Eagles grind out the win

James Madison Dukes (7-2) @ Old Dominion Monarchs (4-5), 3:00 PM CST, ESPNU, -3 Dukes

After a brief burst on the top of the Sun Belt East standings, the Monarchs returned to their now trademarked single-digit loss, this time to Appalachian State. However, future SBC Freshman of the Year Colton Joseph has that ODU offense moving the chains, which is likely giving the Dukes some indigestion heading into Saturday. With seven wins on the year, the Dukes appear to be turning in a typical JMU season, but with a conference record of 3-2, Bob Chesney’s Boys are on even footing with the Monarchs, both needing help to get back into the SBC East race. The quarterback battle between the Dukes’ Alonza Bennett and the Monarchs’ Joseph will be reason enough to tune into ESPNU.

THE PICK: Monarchs weird one out

Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-4) @ Georgia State Panthers (2-7), 4:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -2.5 Panthers

Why is 2-win Georgia State a two-point favorite over Arkansas State? The Red Wolves are pretty bad on the road; 1-4 with blowout losses to Iowa State, Texas State and Louisiana. Also, if the Panthers choose to field a running back, the Red Wolves are in trouble, because A-State has been helpless against the run. While the Dell McGee Era has begun with just two wins, the team has played hard for the new head coach. Look for the offense to lean on a healthy dose of Freddie Brock while Arkansas State (itching for the bowl-eligible win) attempts to out-slug the Panthers and their 107th ranked defense.

THE PICK: Red Wolves make just enough stops

South Alabama Jaguars (4-5) @ Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (8-1), 6:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -7 Cajuns

It would appear that the Cajuns, controllers of the SBC West and still in the College Football Playoffs conversation, would be a bigger favorite at home against an inconsistent South Alabama squad. Louisiana just dusted Arkansas State and bears the best offensive/defensive balance in the conference. However, the Jags are always crafty on the road, and Gio Lopez is among the finer QBs in the SBC. Plus, you can, in theory, run on the Cajuns (the Red Wolves racked up 200+ yards), and Fluff Bothwell is a compelling weapon in Major Applewhite’s arsenal.

THE PICK: Who are we kidding? Cajuns by many points.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-8) @ Texas State Bobcats (5-4), 6:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -26.5 Cats

No team in the Sun Belt has failed to meet radioactively high expectations than Texas State, an immensely talented teams groaning from sophomore pains associated with sudden success. Still, GJ Kinne has plenty to play for, including securing a bowl bid while remaining mathematically relevant in the SBC West race. As for the Golden Eagles, the season can’t end fast enough.

THE PICK: 26.5 points is an awful lot of points, and yet, it doesn’t seem unreasonable