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

The semester is coming to an end, and it’s clear that the Sun Belt desperately needs the crunch time before finals. Nothing is settled. It’s pure entropy in the Sun Belt. Not even the Sun Belt West, once a sure bet for Louisiana, is settled business. Do we really believe Marshall will be the last man standing in the SBC East? And who the hell does Troy think it is now? Nobody is prepared to pass the test, and we all share a portion of blame.

Luckily, we’re here for the violence. Who wants settled business before Thanksgiving? As it stands, five Sun Belt programs still have designs for a bowl game designation. Five teams still have a shot at winning the Sun Belt West. In theory, any one of four teams could win the East. Troy could still finish next to next to last in the division, and the Mountaineers could even finish the year with winning record. Magic is real, America. But only in the Sun Belt.

SUN BELT ON BYE: NONE

Saturday, November 23

James Madison Dukes (8-2) @ Appalachian State Mountaineers (4-5), 1:30 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -7 Dukes

Gosh, you’d think an 8-2 record would be signal to the uninitiated that the Dukes were leading the Sun Belt. Nope! Surprise, muthafucka! JMU sits behind Georgia Southern and Marshall, waiting for mistakes to be made. Meanwhile, the program that was supposed to win the SBC East has no chance to do so, but could make a final push for post season play. The Mountaineers have to find a way to stop running back George Pettaway and the surging Dukes offense. Perhaps a bit of Boone magic will guide Joey Aguilar to a dominating performance over the Sun Belt’s stingiest defense. Apart from that stumble against South Alabama, the Mountaineers have been good at home.

THE PICK: I just have a good feeling about the Mountaineers

BOWL ELIGIBILITY ALERT ULM Warhawks (5-5) @ Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-4), 2:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -3 Wolves

Has the Sun Belt – and the Universe – figured out Coach Bryant Vincent and the Warhawks? Since starting the season a terrifying 5-1, ULM has lost four straight, most in convincingly miserable fashion. Meanwhile, Arkansas State is plugging along, defeating the lower tier of college football while enduring punishing humiliations to top tier opponents. The thing to know here is that the Warhawks have lost 14 straight contests to Arkansas State. A fifteenth straight defeat earns the Warhawks a free bag of chips with sandwich purchase at Munchies.

THE PICK: Nobody beats the Warhawks 15 straight times except Arkansas State

BOWL ELIGIBILITY ALERT South Alabama Jaguars (5-5) @ Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-9), 2:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -22.5 Jags

Nothing like defeating the SBC West leading Louisiana only to receive a pillow-match to the Sun Belt’s worst team! South Alabama has treated this season like it treats every season – grossly underperforming. But Appalachian State never recovered from its loss to Coach Major Applewhite, and the Cajuns may be questioning the existence of atoms at this very moment. Only Joey Aguilar is averaging more passing yards in the SBC that the Jag’s Gio Lopez, and only a handful of Sun Belt teams defend the pass worse than the Golden Eagles.

THE PICK: If anybody can screw this up, it’s the Jaguars. They won’t tho.

BOWL ELIGIBILITY ALERT Georgia Southern Eagles (6-4) @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (5-5), 2:30 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -2 Chants

That awful teal field is good for 2-points, according to Vegas insiders, and who are we to argue? Coastal started the year a SBC East contender, but since opening the year 3-0, the Chanticleers have lost five of seven games. Coming off a loss to Marshall, is Coastal really a threat to the Eagles? Absolutely. Clay Helton’s inconsistent squad followed a big win over James Madison with a loss to Old Dominion. Then followed that up with a win over South Alabama and a loss to Troy. No wonder 2-points was all Vegas could afford. Just enjoy the battle between JC French and Ethan Vasko, two of the Sun Belt’s more underrated signal callers.

THE PICK: There’s not a single data point that signals a victory for either team. Flip a coin.

Troy Trojans (3-7) @ Louisiana Ragin Cajuns (8-2), 4:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -11 Cajuns

Not only did the Cajuns fall to South Alabama last week, failing to seal the SBC West, but the team also lost hyper-reliable quarterback Ben Wooldridge for the remainder of the season, leaving a the door cracked for divisional foes. The Trojans aren’t among those foes thanks to a struggle-bus year under new head coach Gerad Parker. However, there might not be a hotter team in the Sun Belt at this moment than Troy, who nearly upended Arkansas State in Jonesboro before putting surprise thumps on Coastal and Georgia Southern. In those two wins, Troy junior QB Mathew Caldwell has totaled seven touchdowns.

THE PICK: The Trojans are the ones gifting the horse.

Georgia State Panthers (2-8) @ Texas State Bobcats (6-4), 6:00 PM CST, ESPN Plus, -20 Bobs

This was supposed to be a College Football Playoffs Year of the Bobcats. Instead, Texas State fans are getting an SBC affiliate bowl and liking it. What happened? We’re guessing an old fashioned sophomore slump for head coach GJ Kinne. Slump or not, the Texas State should have many troubles dispatching Georgia State in San Marcos. First year head coach Dell McGee has kept the Panthers competitive all season; he simply hasn’t enough tools to close out games. McGee, even with the dynamic Ted Hurst catching passes, won’t have enough firepower to outgun Jordan McCloud and the Bobcats either.

THE PICK: Relax. It’s gonna be the Bobcats.

Marshall Thundering Herd (7-3) @ Old Dominion Monarchs (4-4), 6:30 PM CST, ESPNU, -2 Herd

The Monarchs were weird last year and they’re weird this year, starting the season losing a host of games by single digits only to switch to freshman quarterback Colton Joseph and find themselves briefly atop the SBC East standings. Those glory days are gone, but ODU still has a shot for bowl eligibility so long as they defeat SBC East leading Thundering Herd. That’s a tall order. The Herd have quietly won four straight and six of their last seven thanks to a dynamite run game and strange dual QB system involving Stone Earle and Braylon Braxton. Whatever. It works.

THE PICK: Herd overpowers the Monarchy

IMAGE: Sun Belt Media