O5 Bowl Games on Dec 16

 Myrtle Beach Bowl: Georgia Southern(SBC) vs. Ohio(MAC)

I'm going roll with the Bobcats. GS hasn't won since October. Ohio 20 GS 17

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Jacksonville State(CUSA) vs. ULL(SBC)

Malik Jackson will rush for 100 yards for Jax in a 27-23 win.

Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl Miami (Ohio) vs. Appalachian State

MAC vs SBC. Aguilar returns to form and tosses two TD passes for Appy in a 24 16 win.

Isleta New Mexico Bowl

New Mexico State(CUSA) vs. Fresno State(MWC)

Pavia will return to for NMST in a 30-27 win.

LA Bowl

UCLA(Pac12) vs. Boise State(MWC)

Boise is on a nice high, but UCLA will have enough pride to avoid the upset and stop Jeanty who has rushed for 1263 yards this season. Bruins 24  Broncos 20

Dec 17, 2023

Sole incorrect pick yesterday was NMSU. 

Ohio came out and stayed in control. Rickey Hunt RB - OHIO 17CAR 115YDS 4TD. Plus a receiving TD. Bobcats didn't appear to miss all those portal departures.

R. Wiggins RB - JVST 27CAR 126YDS 1TD in a 34-31 OT win over ULL. ULL D scored 3TDs in the loss.

R. Amos RB - M-OH 33CAR 180YDS 1TD and his team lost to Appy 13-9

Keene threw 3 TD passes for Fresno in a blowout of NMSU.

G. Holani RB - BOISE 17CAR 138YDS 2TD in a loss to UCLA

Dec 17 evening: Going with SBC tomorrow afternoon. ODU 24 Wku 17 is my hunch.

Dec 18 evening: Turn on the TV after work and ODU is up 28-14, then its 35-14. I turn off TV. WKU wins 38-35. There goes my hot streak.

Week 8 in the O5

  I can't resist a military matchup. AFA (MWC) will remain undefeated when they visit a slowly improving Navy(AAC) this Saturday. E Michel will rush for 100 for AFA. AFA 27 Navy 19

MWC: Rebels stay hot at home. Maiava has a solid game at QB. UNLV 30 CSU 20

MAC: Two teams that are 3-0 in MAC play. I'll roll with Gabbert slightly over Finn in an aerial show. Miami O  24 Toledo 21.

Sunbelt- Plenty of tough matchups this weekend. GA St looks hot.  Marcus Carroll will rush for nearly 100 yards.  GA St 23 ULL 20

Oct 22, 2023

E. Michel 22 ATTs, 69 YDs didn't reach 100 yards, but AFA handled Navy 17-6.

UNLV needed 6 FGs to outlast CSU 25-23

Gabbert was injured during the game. Toledo 21- MO 17. My only incorrect pick.

Carroll rushed for 110 yards. GA ST 20 ULL 17. 

Other results: Tulane got a big AAC win at home over NTX. Pratt tossed 3TD passes. San Diego St lost to Nevada 6-0. in MWC action.

Oct 24, 2023

It's Tuesday in the CUSA, and I'll go with "Do it all" Pavia leading New Mex St to a close win at Ruston, LA. NM ST 23 La Tech 21. Coach Kill has the Aggies in gear.

Well Pavia was so-so, but his team won NM st 27- LA Tech 24. Bachmier, who leftt Boise, was the Bulldogs QB.

In other CUSA action, Liberty(8-0) beat WKU 42-29.

Week 2 O5 matchups along the Atlantic.

 Miami (Ohio) visits Amherst, MA and wins a close one over UMass 20-19. Rough game for the Redhawks' Gabbert last week, but he'll return to form this week. I hope UMass returns to the MAC soon.

I've enjoyed this Marshall(SunBelt)/ECU(AAC) matchup over the years. Ali has a big game for the Herd and Garcia is not Ahlers yet for ECU. MU 27 ECU 19

FAU(AAC) hosts Ohio(MAC). Larry McCammon has a big game rushing for the Owls in a 24-20 win.

In a SunBelt matchup, ULL visits ODU in Norfolk, VA. Both are coming off tough matchups which they lost. ODU lost to VTech and ULL lost to Houston. Home cooking in a low scoring game. ODU 17 ULL14

Sept 10, 2023

G. Larvadain WR - M-OH 8REC 273YDS 3TD in a 41-28 win over UMass

The Herd took their time getting into gear and scored 21 points in the 4Q for 31-13 win over ECU.

FAU fell 17-10 to visiting OHIO. My only incorrect pick.

K. Wicks carried the ball 17 times for 103 yards for ODU in a 38-31 win over ULL.

Toss up on biggest upset yesterday. Rice (AAC) beat Houston (Big12) or James Madison(SunBelt) roaring back to beat Virginia(ACC).

Sept 12, 2023

App St (Sunbelt) took UNC to OT before falling. No games scheduled in the future for this intrastate match. UNC is up 3-1 in the series. Appy won in 2019.

Wyoming (MWC) plays TX this week. Got me thinking that's where Fred Akers was HC before he took the TX HC job. He was also Purdue HC after he left TX.

Early Non-power conference tourneys March 2023

I'm not seeing a lot of hope for these regular season conference champs to make the Dance if they lose in their conference tourneys. 

SunBelt:  USM deserves to be Dancing regardless of how it does in its tourney, but the Lunardi's don't  have them on their radar. Marshall and ULL had great seasons, and South Bama has been hot and tips off against Appy at 12:30PM.

WCC- Santa Clara may need to win the tourney to Dance. Zags and St Marys are in. I can't get over Gonzaga playing Chicago St last night when the WCCT tips off today.

Horizon: Youngstown St, the regular season champ, has tough matchup today facing Detroit Mercy led by Antoine Davis, who is trying to break Pete Maravich's scoring record.

MVC: Bradley (16-4) and Drake(15-5) had decent seasons, but only the MVCT winner is going to the Dance.

March 3, 2023

 SunBelt:South Bama, Troy, Georgia Southern, and Tx St won yesterday. TX65 ODU 36 is a crazy score.

 Horizon: Davis missed a hurried pull-up 3-pointer in the final seconds of Detroit-Mercy's 71-66 season-ending loss to Youngstown State, leaving him three points shy of tying Pete Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record.

March 4, 2023

WCC: BYU beat Portland to move to rd2 against LMU and needs to build something as the Big 12 move nears. San Fran beat Pacific and faces Santa Clara.

MVC: Bradley got a scare from UNI led by Bowen Born's 34 points but hung on for a 72-66 and faces Indiana St today. Drake gets SIU.

Sunbelt gets back into action today: USM/USA. Marshall TX/ST. Troy/JMU. ULL/Georgia Southern

March 5, 2023

Sunbelt : USM and Marshall fall.  Big game for O. White, guard for South Bama 23PTS 6REB.  South Bama/JMU . TXST/ULL in Pensacola today.

MVC: Top teams, Bradley and Drake are in the MVCT final today.

WCC: Santa Clara's Dance chances look bleak after they lost to San Fran who faces Gonzaga next. R. Williams scored 23 PTS for BYU to defeat  LMU and  move on to face St Mary's.

Horizon: Monday slate: N.Kentucky/Youngstown St.  Milwaukee/Clev St

ASUN Championship - Final: Liberty(26-7 15-3)/Kennesaw State(25-8 15-3). Keep your eyes on D. McGhee for LU.

March 6, 2023

SunBelt: South Bama continues its march from the middle of the pack with a 77-66 win over JMU. They'll face ULL, a winner over TX St. , in the title game.

MVC:  Two-seed Drake blew out top seed Bradley 77-51 for the automatic Dance ticket.

ASUN: Kennesaw St edged Liberty 67-66 to punch its Dance ticket. You can't get any closer than the two teams who tied for the ASUN regular season title being separated by a point. I doubt if the Liberty gets an at large. LU goes to the CUSA next season.

March 7, 2023

I was switching back and forth between the SunBelt and the Horizon games. ULL was the better team last night. Jags were too dependent on Moore to create a shot.

 In the HorizonT N.Kentucky knocked off top seed Youngstown St and Clev St beat Milwaukee. 

In the WCCT St Mary's beat BYU and the Zags beat San Fran. which likely means they'll be the only two WCC teams getting Dance tickets.

March 8, 2023

NKY edged Clev St. Vinson is a sharp kid on the floor. Norse HC Darrin Horn has revived his career. He left WKU for S.Carolina and had a bumpy ride. 

Zags pummeled St Marys.

Quick look at the WAC: Cal Baptist beat Abilene Christian, and Tarleton, coached by Billy Gillepsie, beat UTRGV.

Shout out to Oral Roberts(30-4 18-0 Summit) who beat N Dak St to go dancing.

March 9, 2023

Colgate (Patriot) and Montana state (Big Sky) capped off decent seasons and punched their Dance tickets.

CUSA, MWC, AAC, A10 and MAC are in tourney mode.

AAC: Houston and Memphis are in, but Tulane needs a great AACT run to get an at-large invite.

MWC: San Diego St is in. Boise St and Utah St are on the bubble.

CUSA- FAU should be in regardless of the CUSAT results. Same goes for VCU in the A10.

MAC and WAC- Only one dance ticket reserved for each!

March 10, 2023

Quick takes due to so much action.

MAC: I'm not surprised that Toledo, Kent St, and Akron advanced, but I didn't think Ohio would beat Ball St by 20 points.

MWC:  I checked in and saw San Jose St hang on against Nevada despite the refs taking forever to  keep the game moving in the final minute. I think Nevada is NIT bound despite what Coach Steve Alford thinks.

CUSA: FAU, NTX, UAB advance. MTSU got a trey from Camryn Weston with 19 seconds remaining to nip Charlotte 66-65.

March 11, 2023

AAC: K. Cross(24PTS 13REB) led Tulane to win over Wichita St, and they'll face Memphis who beat UCF. Cincy, a winner over Temple, faces Houston who beat ECU, and the Bearcats have to keep winning to Dance.

CUSA: UAB needed that 22-2 first half start to beat NTX 76-69 and will face FAU in the title game.

MWC: Utah St 's win over Boise St should be enough to get them dance shoes, and they face SDST in the title game today.

MAC: KentSt /Toledo is the final and it's a damn shame one of these teams won't make the dance.

March 12, 2023

 Lopsided games could hurt some teams' Dance chances.

AAC Memphis beat Tulane 96-57 and will face Houston, who beat Cincy 69-48, today.

CUSA: FAU made sure they got a ticket by beating UAB 78-56.

MAC: M. Jacobs (18PTS 13REB 6AST) led Kent St to a 93-78 win over Toledo.

MWC: SDST 62 Utah St 57. Ags will be nervous during selection time tonight.

A10: VCU faces Dayton is the final today and should be Dancing regardless. Dayton, too but Fordham and St Louis are on the bubble

MAAC- Iona -Pittino Sr., Big West- UCSB , WAC : Grand Canyon punched tickets.

March 14, 2023

MWC got four tickets. Just remember Ryan Odom, the Utah St HC, was the UMBC HC in 2018 that knocked off # 1 UVA at the Dance. I'm amazed Nevada got in.

Also, surprised A10 only got one ticket, and AAC only got two tickets.

March 17, 2023

ULL gave Tenn a scare but lost. NKY hung around Houston but lost.

Tough day for MWC- Utah St lost to Missouri, Boise lost to NW, and the Aztecs needed clutch free -throw shooting to survive against Charleston.

(14) Kennesaw State 43 (3) Xavier 36 at the half

March 18, 2023

Xavier roared back to beat Kennesaw 72-67.  Tough loss, good job of representing the ASUN.

FAU upset Memphis 66-65: Rosado FAU 15 PTS , 3 REB , 1 AST

Fairleigh Dickinson upsets Purdue 63-58. Moore FDU (19 PTS , 5 REB). Northeast Conference is definitely one of the weaker conferences.  Big 10 gets too much respect annually.

March 20, 2023

 FAU has allowed Dusty May to build a decent program since 2018. Can they keep him or does a power conference team swoop in? FAU beat FDU to make the Sweet 16.

Ok, I've been remiss in talking about the two best O5 squads. Houston (AAC) faces a MIami (AAC) team that knows how to make deep runs at the Dance. Coach Larranaga has been doing it for a long time and took George Mason , a small school in Fairfax ,VA, to the the F4 in 1999.

Coach Dutcher, who came over from Michigan with will Steve Fisher in 1999 , will have San Diego St(MWC) ready for Bama(SEC). Let's see if a Bama /Houston final occurs or if more brackets get busted.

March 21, 2023

Iona(MAAC) hired Tobin Anderson from FDU to replace Pitino. TA left St. Thomas Aquinas, a Division II school, last offseason for FDU, and in one season he took FDU to the Dance, despite losing to Merrimack by one-point in the Northeast conference championship game. Merrimack was ineligible to compete in the postseason as a transitioning school from Division II. 

BTW, he's paid his dues as a D2 and D3 coach for over 20 years. Quite a story!

 Wichita State(AAC) plucked Paul Mills from Oral Roberts(Summit).

2003–2017 Baylor (assistant)

2017–2023 Oral Roberts

2023–? Wichita State

March 24, 2023

FAU watchout, the Big boys are coming for your head coach Dusty May. FAU 62 Tenn 55. He!! of a post season for the CUSA. 

 Zags pull out a huge win over UCLA. Timme 36 points, 13 rebounds for the victors.

March 25, 2023

In a very physical game, the Aztecs beat Bama(SEC).

 Houston lost to Miami(ACC). You could sense Houston was in trouble early when the Canes rebounders were tossing football passes to their guards for easy layups.

March 26, 2023

Zags got spanked hard in the second half of an 82-54 loss to UConn. 

Hope Dusty May likes Boca Raton or else someone is going to get him with big $$$. V. Goldin(14PTS 13REB) for FAU in a 79-76 win over KST.

March 27, 2023

 So 1 of the 2 non power schools will be in the final with SDST facing FAU on Saturday. Pac12 may need SDST to get through these TV talks.

Miami faces UConn. MWC/CUSA , Big East/ ACC. I'm kind of laughing now at all the Pundits.

March 29, 2023

Amir Abdur-Rahim leaves  Kennesaw St St(ASUN), after getting them to the Dance, for the Head Coaching Position at South Florida(AAC). That's a brutal gig.

April 2, 2023

Aztecs win at the buzzer 72-71 over FAU and faces UConn on Monday night. Tip my hat to FAU for a hell of a season.

A. Martin- FAU 26PTS 7REB

M. Bradley SDSU 21PTS 6REB

April 4, 2023

UConn 76 SDST 59.  Tough to lose but a great season for the Aztecs. Maybe they're headed for the Pac 12, but California may need to fix it's travel issue. Its prohibition which forces sports teams at public colleges and universities to find other ways to pay for road games to states with what California labels anti-LGBTQ legislation.

June 18, 2023

San Diego State is talking exit from the MWC. Main reason:  It needs to give a year of notice to withdraw next June. If it waits past June 30, the exit fee it would owe jumps from nearly $16.5 million to nearly $34 million.

June 24, 2023

 Non power conference draft picks: AAC and WCC each had three kids drafted.

AAC: Houston U: Jarace Walker (No. 8 to Pacers) Marcus Sasser (No. 25 to Pistons)

Central Florida: Taylor Hendricks (No. 9 to Jazz)

WCC: Santa Clara: Brandin Podziemski (No. 19 to Warriors)

Pepperdine: Maxwell Lewis (No. 40 to Lakers)

Gonzaga: Julian Strawther (No. 29 to Nuggets)

MVC: Belmont: Ben Sheppard (No. 26 to Pacers)

A10: Dayton: Toumani Camara (No. 52 to Suns)

MAC: Eastern Michigan: Emoni Bates (No. 49 to Cavaliers) Ann Arbor kid who went to MemphisU than EMU.

Southern: Furman: Jalen Slawson (No. 54 to Kings)

Dec 20-24 O5 bowl games

 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Eastern Michigan Eagles(8-4) vs San José State Spartans(7-4). MWC is on a nice bowl roll so I'll go with SJST to win 31 to 27.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers(8-5) vs South Alabama Jaguars(10-2) Jags lost to UCLA by 1 and Troy by 4 while WKU has a solid aerial attack.  USA 24 WKU 23

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Baylor Bears(6-6) vs Air Force Falcons(9-3)

Air Force doesn't have enough firepower to get by the Bears and the MWC roll ends. BAY 34 AFA 23

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns(6-6) vs Houston Cougars(7-5)

Cougars finish their AAC career with a narrow win over ULL of the Sunbelt. HOU 34 ULL 27

EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders(7-5) vs San Diego State Aztecs(7-5)

Two up and down teams all season. Aztecs D gets the MWC back on the winning track.

SDSU 20 MTSU 17

I didn't forget two MAC teams,Toledo/Liberty  and  Bowling Green/ NewMexico St. Hunches are here https://busterother5.blogspot.com/2022/11/countdown-to-less-independents-nearly.html

Dec 21, 2022

Off to a bad start! SJST was up 13-9 after 1Q, got blanked in the second quarter 21-0 and never recovered. EMU 41 SJST 27. Nice game for I. Hamilton WR - SJSU 5REC,137YDS,1TD

Dec 22 , 2022

If you're betting against my picks, you're doing fine. WKU was hot early and rolled South Bama. Reed threw for 497 yards and two TD passes for the Hilltoppers in a 44-23 victory.

Dec 23, 2022

Wrong again, Air Force had plenty of firepower in a 30-15 win over Baylor.

Dec 23, 2022

Little less scoring than I guessed, but the Cougars pulled out a win thanks to its QB Tune and its D shutting out the Cajuns in the second half. HOU 23 ULL 16

Dec 25, 2022

My lack of faith in the CUSA burns me again. MTSU hits a FG with two minutes to go and hangs on to beat the Aztecs 25-23. Mayden , the SDST QB, tossed three interceptions.

Top dogs in the 05 -week 10

 Ok, I covered the MAC so now I'll focus on conference leaders in the other four conferences.

AAC: Tulane may get a battle at Tulsa for a while, but Spears will rush for over 100 yards and keep the Green Wave undefeated in conference play. Tulane 34 Tulsa 24

CUSA: No team has slowed down UTSA(4-0 in CUSA) QB Frank Harris for long. UTSA 30 UAB 27

MWC:  Boise St  (5-0-MWC) plays an OOC game against BYU, who is desperate to beat someone. Taylon Green has been solid since becoming the starting QB. and I'd love to call this one a tie if they were still allowed.  BYU 26 Boise St 24 at the buzzer.

SunBelt: Coastal Carolina and Troy are each 4-1 and lead their respective divisions. Troy Trojans will march into ULL and come out with a 17-14 win with the help of a pick6.

CCU hosts App St and survives a scare 24-21. McCall looks solid again for the Chanticleers.

Nov 4, 2022

 Lot more points scored than I guessed in last night's CCU  35-28 win over Appy. McCall threw 2 TD passes and no picks.

Nov 5, 2022

5-0 for the weekend

Spears was a beast again for Tulane in a 27-13 win over Tulsa.

UTSA needed double OT to defeat UAB 44-38. Harris had another great game for the victors.

Hall to Nicau connection saved the day for BYU in a 35-28 win over Boise ST. 

Troy outscored ULL 16-0 in the 4Q for a 23-17 win.

Week 9 O5 conference play

 AAC: Cincy @ UCF  Two teams that  are Big 12- bound face off this week . I thought Gus had UCF in gear until  an erratic ECU squad handled them easily last week. Cincy 's run game has carried them to some close wins.  Home team barely. UCF 24 Cincy 23

CUSA: Charlotte @ Rice   AAC probably thought Charlotte was the better choice at the time.  Rice 's leading receiver is CMC younger brother L. McCaffrey (43 REC, 555 YDS, 5 TD). Rice 27 Charlotte 21

MAC: Only two games  on its schedule. I'll take the home team in the Toledo @ EMU matchup in a battle with a lot of FGs.  E.Mich 15 Toledo 12

MWC:  I'll go with the Cowboys in Hawaii. Look for another big rushing game from Titus Swen.  Wyoming 28 Hawaii 16

SunBelt: USM hosts ULL in a battle of two teams playing well lately.  Perhaps Southern Miss QB Wilcke tosses another final minute TD this week.  USM 23 ULL 20

oct 28, 2022

USM got pick6 on D, and TD passed tossed by RB, Frak Gore Jr, in a 39-24 win over ULL. 1-0 so far on my picks.

Oct 30, 2022

Two for four yesterday and 3-2 for the weekend. I laid an egg with Rice who fell to Charlotte 56-23. Reynolds tossed 5 Td passes for the 9ers. EMU led Toledo until the fourth quarter and lost 27-24.

UCF jumped out to a 10-0 led but then Cincy woke up in the second quarter, but UCF hung on for a 25-21 win. DQ James rushed for 174 for Wyoming in a 27-20 win.

It's getting crowded at the top of the AAC.

Rising SunBelt 2022 football hunches

 Time to see what a wild off-season looks like on the field

In the West, ULL is a favorite with many but replacing QB Levi Lewis may not be as easy the Cajuns hope. Perhaps they take a nap w/o Napier? Troy has the talent towin the West

I'm keep my eyes on Butch Jones who recruited well for Ark St, and Terry Bowden should get more out of ULM this season.

It's difficult to not pick App St, but a healthy McCall will keep CCU in the East race all season. #herd could do some stomping if they get the QB situation resolved.

Earlier off-season blog https://busterother5.blogspot.com/2022/01/sunbelt-2023-or-2022-expansion.html

August 17, 2022

 I forgot about this: Texas St HC Spavital made headlines in 2021 when he went with an all-transfer portal approach in recruiting. Bobcats went from two to four wins and haven't had a winning season since 2014.

Aug 23, 2022

Two MAC/Sun Belt Conference games will be televised by the NFL Network in 2022.

Eastern Michigan Eagles of the MAC will travel to take on the ULL Ragin’ Cajuns of the Sun Belt on Saturday, Sept. 10. Series history is 1-1.

Sept. 17, the Bowling Green Falcons of the MAC will host the Marshall Thundering Herd of the Sun Belt. BG has won 21 of 29 games again the #herd

O5 Bowl games Dec 18, 2021

 A long day of games that starts at 11AM EST. My predictions cores

RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl 

Western Kentucky(CUSA) 34 vs. Appalachian State(Sunbelt) 24.

I don't foresee Appy scoring enough to keep up with Zappe, the WKU QB who's tossed 56 TD passes this season.

PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl 

Fresno State(MWC) 27 vs. UTEP(CUSA) 17

Haener will toss two TD passes against the Miners who lost four of their last five regular season games

Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl 

BYU 31 vs. UAB(CUSA) 28

These are the two players to watch: UAB: D. McBride(176 CAR, 1188 YDS, 12 TD)

BYU: T. Allgeier (249 CAR, 1414 YDS, 20 TD)

LendingTree Bowl 

Liberty 30 vs. Eastern Michigan(MAC) 20

Has Coach Freeze found some way to ease the pressure on  Liberty's QB Willis? Yep, enough to beat the Eagles.

Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl pres. by Stifel 

Oregon State(PAC12) 27 vs. Utah State(MWC) 24

This is a tough one. Ags with QB Bonner are hot, but the Beavers have an explosive RB in BJ Baylor (1259 yards and 13 TDS)

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

ULL(SunBelt) 26 vs. Marshall(CUSA) 24

This is basically a home game for the Cajuns. Nip and tuck all the way with Lewis, the ULL QB, finding a way to get them the win

Dec 19, 2021

App got Zapped big time, and WKU cruised in the second half to an easy win

I got the score (31-28) right, but the winner wrong in the UAB win over BYU. Also, both starting RB nearly reached 200 yards each rushing. BTW, UAB has come a long way from almost losing football to  moving to the AAC.

UTEP started off strong but Fresno re-grouped and hung on.

EMU was out of it midway through the second quarter. Willis had another strong game for Liberty but I'm still not sold on him as a QB on Sundays.

Utah St RB, Calvin Tyler Jr, got some revenge on his former team, the Beavers.

Solid day for Lewis in the Cajuns win, and it appears only Ali (160 yards, 3TDs)  showed up for the  Herd.

4-2 for the day. I was wrong on BYU and Oregon St.

Western Kentucky 59, App State 38

Fresno State 31, UTEP 24

UAB 31, BYU 28

Liberty 56, Eastern Michigan 20

Utah State 24, Oregon State 13

Louisiana 36, Marshall 21

O5 Title games 2021

CUSA: I'm taking the hot team WKU led by Zappe who has tossed 52 TD passes. WKU 37 UTSA 31

MAC:  Kent St has a stellar rushing attack led by Marquez Cooper.  Kent St 26 NIU 19

MWC: Tough one to call, but I'll go with Bonner tossing a few TD passes against a solid Aztecs D for the win. Utah St 27 SDST 22

SunBelt: App St has climbed out of a rough September and finished nicely. ULL lost Coach Napier to FLA. App 23 ULL 22

AAC: Cincy keeps the heat on the CFP voters and squeaks by a solid Houston team. 26-24. Bearcats rushing attack led by Ford will carry the day.

Dec 3, 2021

Wrong on pick 1. UTSA couldn't slow down Zappe who threw for 577 yards and 4 tds, so they outscored WKU 49-41 with a big day from SINCERE MCCORMICK (36 carries for 204 yards and 3 TDs).

Dec 4, 2021

I split on yesterday's games. Correct on Cincy and Utah St. and wrong on App St and Kent St.

Utah St and Bonner pierced the Aztecs D in a 46-13 blowout win.

 Cincy rode the Ford(18 carries, 187 yds, 2 TDs) to a 35-20 victory.

Appy couldn't stop Lewis in the first half and never got its own O into gear. ULL 24 App 16. BTW, Napier coached for ULL yesterday.

NIU blanked Kent St in the first half and won 41-23.

BTW, remember Joe Moorhead who Miss St fired as its HC in 2019 and Oregon made its OC in 2020? He's the new HC at Akron.

Rest of O5 play in Week 11

 AAC: In a  matchup  of two erratic squads ECU Pirates led by Ahlers will steal one on the road at Memphis by a score of 34-33.  H. Ahlers (181-298, 2180 YDS, 14 TD, 7 INT)  . Henigan (172-280, 2545 YDS, 18 TD, 5 INT).

CUSA:  WKU has been hot  and home-team Rice will hold them in check for awhile but fall 30-19. Check out these stats for the WKU QB B. Zappe (308-441, 3688 YDS, 37 TD, 6 INT)

MWC: Can San Diego St slow down Nevada QB Carson Strong (289-410, 3197 YDS, 25 TD)? Aztecs will do just enough in a 24-23 win

SunBelt: ULL is 6-0 in conference play, but Troy usually give them a hard time. Cajuns  strong rushing attack including its QB Lewis will wear down the Trojans and win 22 -20

So that ECU,WKU, SDST, and ULL this week.

Nov 14, 2021

4-4 for this weekend. Man, I got really close on SDST 24 Nevada 21 score/ prediction, and the fact the Aztecs survived Carson Strong NEV (34-48, 350 YDS, 3 TD).

ECU broke up a conversion pass in OT for a 30-29 win.

ULL outscored  Troy 21-8 in the second half  after tough 14-13 first half.

Bailey Zappe (34-42, 482 YDS, 5 TD)kept up his production for WKU in a 42-21 win over Rice, which game them a one game lead over Marshall in the CUSA East. Marshall came out flat and fell to UAB, who remained 1GB of undefeated UTSA in the CUSAW.

O5 Conference play in week 8

 A late start this week spared me from picking Coastal Carolina, who was upset 30-27 in SunBelt play   last night by App St.. Appy made some corrections after being crushed by ULL last week.

Sunbelt: So, I'll roll with ULL  to remain undefeated in conference play with a 34 -20 win over Ark St.

MAC:  Jay Ducker won't repeat  go for 210 yards like he did last week for NIU but he'll get over a 100 to keep NIU undefeated in MAC play. NIU 26 CMU 23

MWC: The undefeated SDST Aztecs are coming off a shaky win over SJST and should slow down Air Force RB Brad Roberts enough for a 20-16 win.

CUSA: C. Reynolds,  who has passed for 1314 YDS and 15 TD, will lead Charlotte a 34 29 win over FAU.

AAC: The "Tuned" up Cougars will handle the  Pirates this week.  HOU 37 ECU 31 Clayton Tune will toss a few TD passes for Houston.

Oct 22, 2021

Off to a rocky start 1-1. Charlotte was outplayed by FAU who was too fast for them everywhere  in a 38-9 win. I was right on ULL but it took a he!! of a rushing performance from these two Cajuns: C. Smith 24 carries 238yards 2 TDs . M. Johnson 17 carries 150 yards 2 TDs. ULL 28 Ark St 27

Oct 24, 2021

I finished 4-1. NIU get a last minute FG to get by CMU  39-38. Houston need a defensive TO to survive ECU 31-24 in OT. SDST held off AFA 20-14.

O5 championship week ending Dec 19

 AAC: Cincy(8-0, 6-0 AAC) hosts Tulsa(6-1, 6-0 AAC) and will need to shake off some rust from the month layoff to slow down Zach Smith's passing . I suspect the Bearcats will rely on a solid rushing attack more than Ridder's arm for a 23-21 victory.

CUSA: Marshall(7-1, 4-1 CUSA) hosts UAB(5-3, 3-1 CUSA). Rice  blanked  the #herd two weeks ago and the lost to UAB. Johnston, the UAB QB,  will toss two TD passes, in a 20-15 win . 

MAC:  Buffalo (5-0) led by Jared Patterson's 1625 rushing yards and 18 TDs faces Ball St  led by Plitt's 1674 passing YDS and  13 TDs at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. Last team with the ball wins. Buff 37 Ball St 36.

MWC: Boise St(5-1, 5-0 MWC) faces San Jose St (6-0) in Vegas. Most folks expect a Bachmeier/Starkel shootout but I'll go with  a huge rush game from Tyler Nevens giving SJST a 24 -20 victory of Boise St

SunBelt: The QBs, McCall of CCU(11-0, 8-0 SUN) and Lewis of ULL(9-1, 7-1 SUN), will  entertain us, but McCall will toss late TDs to keep his guys undefeated . CCU 31 ULL 27

dec 19

Sunbelt game was cancelled, and AAC and MWC games are today. I split on the other two. Wells, the #herd QB, matched Johnston's 2 TD passes for UAB with 2 TD passes, but Marshall's D couldn't stop Spencer Brown who rushed for 149 yards. UAB 22 Marshall 13

I didn't foresee Ball St knocking off Buffalo  38-28 and holding Patterson to 47 yards rushing. Blitt tossed three TD in for the Cards victory.

dec 20

Correct on both games yesterday: Cincy eked out a 27-24 win over Tulsa. SJST used some rugged D, and an aerial attack led by Starkel to defeat Boise St 34-20 for the MWC crown.

Slim conference options in the O5 Dec 4-5

 All the schedule shuffles makes it difficult to find games that matter inside conferences but here I go.

Tulsa(5-0 AAC) trails Cincy, who they faces next week,  by a half a game in the AAC . They may have to rely on back QB Brin Collins to eke out a win at  Navy team and remain undefeated. Tulsa 25 Navy 22

Marshall(7-0, 4-0 CUSA)  the so-so Rice Owls and should take care business with Knox rushing for over 100 yards. #herd 30 Rice 17

Western Michigan (4-0 MAC) should handle EMU and keep pace with Buffalo(5-0 MAC) . The E & E , Eleby and Eskridge, show will lead the way to 29 -22 WMU win.

Nevada suffered its first MAC loss to Hawaii last week while Fresno St has been on a roll. Jalen Cropper is a hot receiver for Fresno so I'll gamble he gets two TDs in a win Fresno St 36 Nevada 33

The national media is high on ULL, but I suspect App St isn't too happy after a tough loss  to CCU. Zac Thomas roars back and throws two TD passes for APPY in a 31-30 win over ULL in Sunbelt action.

Dec 5

ULL 's snapper  tried to give Appy the game, but the Cajuns hung for a 24-21 win and gave me  an incorrect pick.  Mountaineers' Chandler Staton missed a 30-yard FG with 2 seconds left that would've sent the game to OT.

Dec 6

 I was certainly wrong on Marshall who got blanked 20-0 by Rice yesterday. The Owls D was stellar with five INTs, one of which was a pick6.

And lets keep rolling on my poor day yesterday. Eleby threw 4 TD passes for WMU, but EMU got three TD passes from P. Hutchinson and  a great rushing performance from Daruis Boone (148 yards, 1TD) in a 53-43 win yesterday.

Carson Strong threw 5 TD passes for Nevada in a 37-26 over Fresno and its D kept.Jalen Cropper out of the end zone.

My sole correct pick was Tulsa who got a key 3rd quarter 66-yard touchdown pass from Zach Smith to Josh Johnson to earn a 19-6 victory.

dec 7 2020

An addendum due to a Sunday night CUSA game . #wku (5-6) has improved a great deal while Charlotte (2-4) has had a bouncy pandemic ride. Pagrome and Gaej Walker had solid games in the Hilltoppers' victory. wku 37 CHAR 19.

 Nice 20-3 win for G Southern over an FAU team that usually scores a lot of points.

aug 7 2024

RIP  Coach Kragthorpe(59) died from Parkinsons. He went to three bowl games in four years with Tulsa when they were in the CUSA

Ge also was the HC at Louisville and an assistant with the Buffalo Bills.

Sunbelt shines ,CUSA hopes: week ending October 17

 I missed that the CCU/ULL Sunbelt was last night  and it was quite a battle. McCall to Heligh connection was key  for Coastal Carolina(4-0, 2-0 Sun Belt) in a 30-27 win over ULL(3-1, 2-1 Sun Belt).

TxSt started out the season playing exciting , aggressive football, but they've faded quickly. It won't get much better in this week's visit to South Alabama .  J. Tolbert(15 REC, 327 YDS, 3 TD) will have a big game for  USA in a 30-20 home victory over TX St.

Georgia Southern found an opponent in UMass who reversed it's early decision to cancel  it's 2020 season and will now  be a fill-in for teams who need to fill  their schedules. Unless the Minutemen have another Andy Isabella, I don't think they'll do well  at Georgia Southern. GS 42 UMass 16.

Can Knox and the #herd survive the passing of La Tech QB, Luke Anthony who has tossed ten 10 passes this season. Home field may be just enough for La Tech to pull out a close 24 21 win over Marshall U. 

Oct 16

Tucker Gregg GAST ( 14 CAR, 142 YDS, 1 TD)- He!! of night in a 59-52 loss to Ark St.

Oct 18

3-0 for the weekend. TX St hung tough for most of the game but South Bama had enough in the tank for a 30-20 win, the score I predicted.. Kennedy III and Werts were far too much for Umass to handle. GA Southern 41 UMass 0.  When  the #herd D stopped La Tech at the goal line on the final play of the 2nd quarter to maintain a 14-3 lead,  I thought they'd win.  Wells and Knox had good games  for Marshall in a 35-17 win.

A shout out to undefeated Liberty for a 38-21 win over Syracuse of the ACC. Do you think Auburn misses Willis, the Liberty QB?

Will the Sunbelt shine against B12 on Sept 12? Or others?

Three Sunbelt team will get close but not get a cigar against the Big 12 on Saturday. Coastal Carolina upset Kansas last season but Les Miles won't let that occur again. Pooka Williams will rush for 150 plus  in a KU win. ULL will give Iowa St (Big 12) a difficult time and lose a close one. Purdy's arm will win the day for ISU. Arkansas St will have a tough time containing Skylar Thomphson of Kansas St .

However, the non B12 matchups will  result in some wins. App St hosts an improving Charlotte(CUSA) squad in a matchup that may cement a growing regional rivalry. App St won 56-41 last season, but this game will be lower scoring.  App St DBs will make some big plays in a 23-19 win. South Alabama will upset Tulane(AAC) behind the Trotter to Tolbert connection.

Texas St played ok in a loss to SMU last week but will fall to UTSA(CUSA) in a nailbiter .

ULM faces an Army squad that rolled MTSU 42-0 last week. Warhawks will score some points but  will not have enough D  to muster a victory.

sEPT 13, 2020

I'm here to eat crow. Those three Sunbelt teams, CCU, ULL, and Ark St  had a great games in knocking off Big 12 squads. South Bama crumbled in the final 20 minutes and lost to Tulane 27-24. T. Spears rushed for 105 yards on eleven carries for the Green Wave.

I was correct on App St, UTSA,  and Army, but TX St forced OT before losing, and I thought Coach Traylor of UTSA was going to blow a gasket on the sidelines. UTSA RB, Sincere McCormick, rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

Sept 14, 2020

 ULL Ragin' Cajuns in first college football rankings since 1943 They're ranked 19 in this week's AP Top 25.

What's left of O5 bowl games

SERVPRO FIRST RESPONDER BOWL:  WKU(CUSA) has a knack  for pulling games out thanks to a solid D. WMU (MAC) has plenty of O Jon Wassink WMU (222-371, 2904 YDS, 19 TD), LeVante Bellamy WMU (248 CAR, 1412 YDS, 23 TD) . I'll roll with the Hilltoppers D.
WKU 19 WMU 17
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL: #23 Navy(AAC) will get rushing TDs, but Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson will get in gear for a KSU 30-28 win
NOVA HOME LOANS ARIZONA BOWL: Wyoming(MWC) takes advantage Georgia State's (Sunbelt) weak D in a 26 -13 win . Valladay rushes for a 100+ for the Cowboys.
TICKETSMARTER BIRMINGHAM BOWL: Boston College vs #21 Cincinnati(AAC). I love Cincy in this onewith Michael Warren rushing for 125+ in  a 33-20 win.
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL: Ohio(MAC) Nevada(MWC) Rourke by ground and air leads the Bobcats to a 27-23 win.
LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL: Southern Mississippi(CUSA) Tulane(AAC)  He!! of a regional matchup being played in Fort Worth, TX. McMillan lifts the Green Wave to a 31 -29 win over USM
LENDINGTREE BOWL: ULL(Sunbelt) Miami (OH)(MAC) The Redhawks flying pattern is erratic so I'm banking on the the Cajuns QB, Levi Lewis to lead ULL to a 37 -20 win.
dec 30- Correct on WKU but just barely. The Hilltoppers  were given the final play after a five-yard defensive substitution penalty by WMU and made a FG with no time on the clock. Before that they made a FG with 1:36 on the clock. WKU 23 WMU 20
Jan 1- I was wrong on Navy who got a last second FG to beat KSt 20-17. Valladay did better than I guessed with 204 yards rushing and 2 TDS against GaSt. Freshman QB Levi Williams was a bit wild but was involved in four TDS. Props to Ellington , the Ga St QB, who accounted for 236 yards and two touchdowns despite playing with a torn right ACL. WYO 38 GA St 17

jan 3

I'm not sure why BC was there. Cincy dominated the entire game in a 38-6 win. 

jan 4

 They dumped fries on Ohio Coach Solich after the Potato Bowl win over Nevada and he ate one. LOL

jan 4 afternoon

On a roll lately as the bowl season winds down. Green Wave started slow but crested by the 3rd quarter.  J. McMillan(13-18, 215 YDS, 3 TD)had a great game for Tulane in the 31-13 win over USM

Jan 7

I went 6-1 in this bunch of games . Levi Lewis, ULL QB, tossed for 246 yards and 2TDs in a 27-17 win over Miami O.
Final O5 conference bowl standings. AAC(4-3) cusa(3-5), mac(3-4) MWC(4-3) SUNBELT(3-2)

March 30

 Not much news but I saw this: Georgia State lands Noel Ruiz, a grad transfer and FCS All-American kicker from NC A&T .

May 29, 2020

   Wyoming (MWC) will square off Sept.  25, 2021, at UConn. And this came about because of the Georgia/Clemson game announced earlier this year.  While I try to figure out why, I noticed that UConn has scheduled some big $$ future games, UNC, Michigan, and Ohio St, in its Independent future.

June 20, 2020

For you southern boys: Duke’s Mayo replaces Belk as a Bowl sponsor of the annual game in Charlotte which features an ACC team versus a team from either the Big Ten or SEC. Kentucky(SEC) beat Virginia Tech(ACC) 37-30 in the Belk Bowl on 12/31/19.

July 6, 2020

Here's the final payout for the MWC schools allowing Clemson & UGA to play in the "Kickoff" game. Clemson will pay Wyoming $1.1 million, and Georgia will cut San Jose State a $1.8 million check

O5 Title games 2019

AAC: Rematch of last week's game won 34-24 by Memphis. Coach Fickel will focus  on special teams to prevent another  Claybrooks KO return for  Memphis, but Memphis will eke out a narrower win 17-16 over Cincy.
CUSA: UAB at FAU UAB has shifted into a higher gear lately, but FAU hasn't lost since the Marshall game on Oct 18. FAU QB Robison will throw 2 TD passes in a 34 -22 win
MAC: Mami (OH) vs Central Michigan: Red hawks were flat in a 41-27 loss to Ball St while  the Chippewas rolled Toledo  49-7 last week.  Kobe Lewis will rush for 100 plus yards  in 28-23 CMU win over Miami O.
MWC: Hawaii at Boise St - Hawaii has a big time passing attack but Boise St will match it and  and win  30-20. I expected Highgtower, a Boise St WR, to have a big game.
Sunbelt:ULL at App St: Both teams have solid passing and rushing attacks . App St gets a pick six and wins a close one AppSt 20 ULL 19
Dec 4: On a side note: Mike Bobo parts ways with Colorado St (MWC)
Dec 6-More MWC news:  Tedford to step down at Fresno St. He was 22-6 in his first two years with a No. 18 finish in the final AP poll in 2018. He was 4-8 this season.
Dec 7: Coaching rumors :Kiffin from FAU to OL Miss. Norville from Memphis to Florida St . I just don't see how Kiffin merits an SEC gig.

Dec 8

Antonio Gibson came up big for Memphis, particularly in the game winning drive. His stat line for the game  130 yards rushing  and 1TD and 32 yards receiving and one TD . MEM 29 Cincy 24
Robison tossed 4 TD passes in for FAU in a 49-7 romp over UAB. 
Boise St D held Hawaii to ten points and got two TD passes from Jaylon Henderson in a 31-10 win
App St jumped out a big halftime lead and then hung on at the end. Levi Lewis tossed four TD passes for ULL during the comeback effort. App 45 ULL 38.
My sole incorrect pick was CMU, who couldn't overcome a solid Miami Ohio D in a 26-21 loss.

Dec 9

South Florida hires Clemson OC Jeff Scott as new head coach. Bobo, ex Colorado St HC,  is the new OC at S.Car. I'm stunned the App St HC got the Missouri gig, that's a huge leap.

dec 12

Taggart, ex FSU Hc, takes the FAU job.  Addazio, ex BC HC, takes Colorado St job  

april 28, 2020

   Troy (Sunbelt) and UAB(CUSA) , two schools in Alabama  separated by less than 140 miles., will play a home and home series later this decade.

June 12, 2020

CMU  (MAC) announced future matchups with Michigan St (B10) and this caught my attention:
Sparty  own an 8-3 advantage over the Chippewas.  The three wins for the CMU Chips came in 1991, 1992 and 2009.

Week 14 O5 picks -divsions at stake

MAC: WMU and CMU are tied for first  at 5-2 in the MACW. Central Michigan barely survived Ball St last week while Toledo got crushed by Buffalo. Koback rushed for 99 yards and 1TD and looks to be getting back in gear and will lead Toledo to an upset of CMU 26 -22.
AAC: Navy is tied with Memphis in the West after upsetting  SMU last week and faces a Houston team that found some D   last week in a win over Tulsa and will  contain Malcom Perry, the Navy QB, enough to  win 20-19.
CUSA: Three way tie  in CUSAW with UAB, La Tech, and USM at 5-2. UAB D was strong in a big win over La Tech last week and will handle North Texas who fell to Rice last week.
MWC: Air Force(6-1) will get a narrow 27-26 win thanks to 2 TD passes from DJ Hammond at home over Wyoming ,but that won't be enough for them to catch  the MWC Mountail leader Boise St (7-0) who will beat Colorado St.
SunBelt: Layne Hatcher will have huge day in a 33 -19 Arkansas St (5-2) win over South Bama and hope for ULM to upset ULL (6-1) the  West leader.

Nov 28

I'll stick with my Toledo pick despite  CMU's opportunity the West with a win since WMU lost to NIU in the fierce wind and  the rain on Tuesday night.

nov 30

Off to a rough (0-2) start with my picks. Koback scored the lone TD for Toledo and only rushed for 22 yards in a 49-7 loss to Central Michigan, the winner of the West who faces the East champ, Miami (Ohio), next week. Kobe Lewis rushed for 131 yards and 2 TDS for CMU.
In the SunBelt , Hatcher(23-38, 342 YDS, 2 TD )  had another big day  for Ark St, but it wasn't enough to prevent Desmond Trotter(20-31, 279 yards , 4TDs) and Jaguars of South Bama from getting  their first conference win this season. USA 34 Ark St 30

dec 1

I was wrong on Houston's D and ended up 2-3 this week. Navy 56 HOU 41 .

• Jamale Carothers NAVY 18 CAR, 188 YDS, 5 TD and Perry rushed for 144 yards and a TD

And here's my two correct picks: TD Marshall provided  a pick 6 and Spencer Brown carried the ball 19 times for 111 yards and a TD for UAB in a 26-21winover North texas
Donald Hammond scored both of AFA's TDs, on the ground, one by air, in 20-6 win over Wyoming.

Sunbelt Hoops hunches 2019/20

1) Georgia Southern Eagles: Can Trevior Lamar replace #TookieBrown ? Isaiah Crawley is a solid scorer and rebounder
2) South Alabama Josh Ajayi, who averaged 16.4 points per game last season, and fellow double-digit scorer Trhae Mitchell are key players, but look out for Andre Fox who scored 24 points  against Chattanooga last week.
3) Texas State Bobcats:  Nijai Pearson remains a player to watch player to watch for the Bobcats who finished secind in conference play last season.
4) Appalachian State Mountaineers- Justin Forrest returns  but they 'll miss Shabazz.
5) Georgia State Panthers: Coach Hunter runs Tulane now so it might be a year  of adjustment for Coach Lanier who will rely heavily on Kane Williams. Ga St gave Duke a tough game but lost 64-53 last week.
6) UT Arlington Mavericks- Davis and Narcis are solid forwards, but the Mavs will need more.
7) Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Frater and Jones  return.
8) Troy Trojans: KJ Simon scored a career-high 21 points in a narrow loss to UAB- they'll need more of that.
9) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns lost Jakeenan Grant (SBC DoY) and Stroman , the SBC assists leader
10) Arkansas State Red Wolves will rely on a few transfers to replace Ty Cockfield
11) UL Monroe Warhawks: Ertel and JD Williams return.
12) Little Rock Trojans- Good luck to Coach Darrell Walker in filling the void of Rayjon Tucker turning pro.

dec 24

I thought the Sunbelt Georgia schools were going to upset bigger conference teams but it didn't occur . I. Smith(25 PTS, 6 REB, 1assist) kept Ga Southern in the game, but Edwards (23 PTS, 3 REB, 4 assists) came through for the Dawgs . GA(SEC) 73 GAS 64.
Georgia St got a big night from K. Williams (22 PTS, 3 REB, 2 assists) but F. Hunt(18 PTS, 7 REB, 2 assists) and the Mustangs took control late. SMU(AAC) 85 GA St 76

jan 3,2020

Keeping a promise to a buddy and reporting good news for South Bama. Josh Ajayi ( SALA - F
13 PTS, 12 REB, 1 AST) in a 60-57 win over ULL.
The Georgia school each remained undefeated in Sunbelt play. Ga St beat App St, and GA Southern beat CCU.

jan 12

 South Bama D: USA 52 Ark LR 43. The second place Jags are one GB of the Georgia schools and ArkLR. #NijalPearson scored 22 points to power Texas State past App St 82-57. GA St beat ULM. CCU beat UTA. GA Southern beat ULL. Ark St beat Troy

Jan 18

Georgia schools and Ark LR sit atop the Sunbelt standings with 6-2 records.   Justin Roberts scored 20 points  in Georgia State's 72-63 victory over  South Bama, who faces Georgia Southern,  a winner over Troy, Thursday night. Ark LR beat CCU and faces App St today.

jan 25

South Bama Jags are 5-5 in SunBelt action. They beat GA Southern last saturday then lost to Ark St Thursday night. Josh Ajayi has solid stats 15.8 PPG 8.1 RBG. ARK LR (8-2) is in first in the SunBelt.

Feb 3

 Trhae Mitchell scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting for South Alabama(6-7) in a 79-69 win Georgia Southern(7-5) on Saturday. Ark LR (11-2) is in first place.

Feb 8

Sunbelt placed a Friday night game on the schedule and South Bama(7-7) moved to .500 in conference play with a 70-66 win over Troy(5-9).  Josh Ajayi scored 20 points the Jags.

feb 14

 Fox and Mitchell each scored 20 for  S Alabama(8-7) in its 78-75 win over UL-Lafayette 78-75. Jags are tied with App St, who lost to GaSt(10-5) and 4GB of Ark LR(12-3) who lost to TXST(9-6)

feb 21

 Josh Ajayi scored 19 points and South Alabama(10-7) shot 70% from the floor in a 78-70 win over AppSt. TXST(11-6) beat Georgia Southern(10-7). Ark LR(12-4) is in first place.

feb 29

Isaiah Crawley scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds for GA Southern(12-7) in a 79-70 win over GA St., but still trail TX St(13-6) a narrow winner over over UTA last night. TX St finishes the season against South Bama(11-7) on March 3. If ArkLR(14-4) wins today against ULL, they lock up first place.

March 4

How about South Bama(13-7)  beating TX St(13-7) to finish in a tie for second ,and Georgia St beating  first place ArkLR(15-5)..  ULL scored 69 points in a second half  comeback win over CCU.

March 31

Georgia Southern hires Brian Burg , former asst at Texas Tech

April 11

  Sunbelt Conference shifts 2021-25 men's and women's basketball championships from NOLA to Pensacola, Fla. It is the first time the conference will play the men’s championship in FLA . The women’s championship was held at the USF Dome in Tampa, Fla in 1988.

May 15

 It's official I can call the SunBelt, the SBC. They released a new logo today.

July 13, 2020

Ole Miss (SEC) and Georgia State (Sunbelt) announce a football/basketball weekend in Oxford, MS for 2026 season. Men's hoops on Nov 20, 2026 and pigskin on Nov 21.