In the movie Hot Tub Time Machine, the chief protagonist spends his adult life pining for the fleeting romance he allowed to slip away – which he dubs his “white buffalo.” In the Sun Belt, wins over “power” opponents are the white buffalos that escape our grasps, taunting us from the distant horizon line of the Great Pains. In Week 3, poachable BIG12 trophies like TCU, Baylor and UCF evaded our snares and pranced away victorious.
The universe has seen it fit to provide one last chance to bag our white buffalos, with Kentucky, Houston and North Carolina State in our battered crosshairs. Because the Sun Belt budget does not allow for a time machine, one have but one shot at this.
Thursday, September 24
Liberty Flames (2-1) @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1-2), 6:30 PM, ESPN, -2.5 Flames
The Sun Belt returns to Thursday evening action when former Chanticleers head coach Jamey Chadwell returns to Conway with his new Flames. ESPN is, of course, missing the opportunity to market this game as another Lane Kiffen-level homecoming, but that doesn’t mean we have to make the same mistake. Chants fans have adopted a dim view of their former coach, which should spice an atmosphere temporarily dulled by a disappointing loss to Delaware. Meanwhile, the Flames have already received one Sun Belt dousing courtesy of the JMU Dukes. But that humiliation appears to have only ignited Liberty – quarterback Deshawn Purdie fired three touchdown passes in Liberty’s 51-15 demolition of Ball State on Saturday.
OUTCOME: Hard to pick Coastal after laying that boiled egg against the Hens
Saturday, September 26
South Alabama Jaguars (2-1) @ Kentucky Wildcats (2-1), 11:45 AM, SEC Network, -20.5 Cats
We’re all supposed to be agog because Kentucky defeated Texas A&M, but honestly, we should be more impressed with the start coach Major Applewhite has orchestrated in Mobile this season, despite losing starting QB Bishop Davenport after a nail-biting loss to Tulane. On Saturday, backup Jared Hollins started against Ohio and led South Alabama to the 41-36 victory. The Jags can score! The challenge is preventing scoring – South Bama is currently allowing 26 points per contest. Applewhite will need to cobble up some stiffer defense to kick a dent into an SEC opponent.
OUTCOME: Kentucky beat Texas A&M, sooo….
Northern Illinois Huskies (0-3) @ Georgia State Panthers (2-1), 1:00 PM, ESPN+, -10 PANTHERS
Northern Illinois joined the Mountain West and has paid the terrible price – NOBODY BETRAYS THE MAC. The Huskies lost to an FCS foe between crushings dished out by Arizona and Iowa, and now they get to travel all the way to Atlanta to take on a Georgia State team who has been pointsmaxxing to the tune of 40 per contest. Who are these Panthers? Who woke up head coach Dell McGee? Senior running back Lanear McCrary Jr. has been especially effective to the tune of 6 yards per carry. We’ve been waiting for this magic Panthers running game to materialize for several seasons now. It might be here at last.
OUTCOME: Too much train whistle.
Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (1-3) @ Marshall Thundering Herd (2-1), 2:30 PM, ESPN+, ODDS TBD
With all our bitching about the Herd offense, you’d think that Marshall would be 0-3. However, Tony Gibson and his Thunder Kids have quietly dispatched MTSU and Missouri State without expending too much energy or providing much entertainment. Gardner-Webb looks to be another boring W for Marshall, but nobody measures success by its energy, right?
OUTCOME: Suddenly, Marshall enters conference play 3-1
#25 Houston Cougars (2-1) @ Georgia Southern Eagles (2-1), 3:00 PM, ESPNU, -18.5 Cougars
Houston has uninteresting wins over Oregon State and Southern in addition to a two-point loss to Texas Tech. However, the Cougars also have the 11th most prolific rush attack on this young college football season thanks to a one-two punch from Makhi Hughes and Re’Shaun Sanford II. That’s something Clay Helton and his birds will have to stop, provided that they can overcome a controversial loss to Jacksonville State. Was it a fair catch? Was it not? You gotta get over it, Eagles. You’re hosting a Top 25 team in Statesboro, yo!
OUTCOME: The white buffalo hears the eagle’s cry
James Madison Dukes (3-0) @ Old Dominion Monarchs (1-2), 5:00 PM, ESPN+, -6 DUKES
Finally, some Belt-on-Belt violence! Earlier this season, some bozo (me) predicted that the Monarchs would win the entire Sun Belt, but thus far, coach Ricky Rahne and his would-be kings have looked fairly miserable in losses to Virginia Tech and East Carolina, the latter of whom shut out the ODU offense three out of four quarters. Meanwhile, JMU head coach Billy Napier seems to be enjoying his return to the Sun Belt, cruising through a made-for-victory schedule while benefiting from a defense that allows less than 10 points per game. Listen, it’s not to late for the Monarchs to get it together. But it seems like maybe the Dukes already have it together.
OUTCOME: The Dukes put on the crown
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (2-1) @ Charlotte 49ers (0-3), 5:30 PM, ESPN+, -10 CAJUNS
After a season of fiascos, the Cajuns look completely ready to make a run at the Sun Belt West behind quarterback Lunch Winfield and hard-hitting linebacker Conor McPherson. A visit to Charlotte would seem like a good way for the Cajuns to start 3-1, but the 49ers didn’t go down quietly to Appalachian State last week
OUTCOME: Charlotte puts up a fight
Southern Miss Golden Eagles (1-2) @ Tulane Green Wave (1-2), 6:00 PM, ESPN+, -18.5 Wave
The Golden Eagles check in on their former head coach Will Hall in what would be a far zestier matchup were it held in Hattiesburg. Still, we get a Southern Miss team understandably rebuilding under its third coach in three seasons going against a team that, just a season ago, was competing in the College Football Playoffs but is now dealing with a Jon Sumrall to Will Hall downgrade. The Green Wave’s line victory on the season came at South Alabama’s expense, so Hall already has a taste for Belt Blood.
OUTCOME: The Golden Eagles haven’t the feathers to beat back the wave
Kennesaw State Owls (1-2) @ Arkansas State Red Wolves (1-2), 6:00 PM, ESPN+, -6 RED WOLVES
Last year at Kennesaw, the Owls slapped 21 points on the Red Wolves in the game’s first quarter and Butch Jones’ dogs never overcame the head start. This season, Arkansas State and Kennesaw State share a defeated FCS foe in West Georgia are both are coming off Powerish 4 losses (Red Wolves to TCU and Owls to Tennessee). Both teams will want to enter conference play on a winning note, but the Red Wolves have an added incentive: REVENGE. Punishing the Owls before a howling home crowd would bring balance to Jonesboro.
OUTCOME: The Owls gots to pay for what they did
Troy Trojans (2-1) @ Utah State Aggies (0-3), 6:30 PM, CBS Sports Network, -3 Aggies
It’s weird to see “0-3” next to Utah State, but the Aggies have had a rough go in the newly made Pretend 12, first falling to FCS Idaho State then losing a heartbreaking to Washington followed by a drumming from Utah. Still, the Vegas minds give the home field -3 to Utah State, which probably irks head coach Gerad Parker and his capable QB Goose Crowder. The Trojans finally put up a Sun Belt West Champion effort in a bruising loss to Missouri on Saturday, giving the ranked SEC foe military-grade indigestion. The Trojan defense has been its strength, with twin tackle machines Justin Powe and Keno Jones providing all the stops.
OUTCOME: Weird to see “0-4” next to Utah State
Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-0) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack (1-2), 6:30 PM, ESPNU, -14 Wolfpack
If you managed to catch the end of the Wolfpack vs Vanderbilt game on Saturday, you’re probably wondering if somebody dosed your mint julep. Sure, NC State will probably just shake off the humiliation of losing by end-zone fumble to a school of trust-fund nerds and muscle-up on a much improved and undefeated Mountaineers team by two touchdowns, right? Malachi Singleton and his favorite WR Jaquari Lewis should have their way with the Wolfpacks’ no great pass defense, but bear in mind NC State is an ACC team, and the A in ACC stands for Action.
OUTCOME: Calling upset here
Florida Atlantic Owls (2-1) @ ULM Warhawks (0-3), 7:00 PM, ESPN+, -13.5 Owls
Head coach Bryant Vincent spent the hours immediately following a loss to FCS Southeast Louisiana insisting that he was not worried about his job security. But oh-and-three is as ugly as it gets, especially when capped by a loss to the FCS. The good news for the Warhawks is that speedy QB Austin Carlisle tossed a pair of touchdown passes on Saturday, proving that he’s more than a nice set of gams. Meanwhile, Owls QB Caden Veltkamp is completing 70% of his passes while taking down Navy and hated in-state rival FIU. That shaky Warhawks defense is in for a night of bad business.
OUTCOME: I fear for ULM
TAKING THE WEEK OFF: Louisiana Tech
IMAGE: Sun Belt Media