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

New O5 head football coaches and an AD in 2021

 The path to head coaching job often includes working for the big boys. Charles Huff was the running backs coach at Bama  before taking  the Marshall job, and Butch Jones built his resume back up as analyst  for Saban before taking the Arkansas St Job.

Then  Terry Bowden who's been in an out of football took a grad assistant gig at Clemson and was hired at ULM.. He brought three Clemson staffers with him.

Will Hall, the former OC at Tulane , is the new Southern Miss HC

Tennessee raided  the O5 and hired UCF athletic director Danny White to be its new AD.

Jan 26, 2021

Terry Bowden hired Rich Rodriguez to be the ULM  OC. He was an OC under Terry's brother, Tommy Bowden, when Tommy was the coach at Tulane and Clemson. Rhett Rodriguez, Rich's son, joins as a quarterback QB grad transfer from Zona.

Jan 27, 2021

AAC loses a good one Heupel leaves UCF for the Vols.

Jan 31, 2021

I missed this one in early December. South Alabama(Sunbelt) hired Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Womack. He was South Alabama's DC  from 2016-17.

Feb 3, 2021

I wonder what's going on at WKU (CUSA) who tops UTenn , 21-19 in the number of players in the transfer portal, Hilltoppers coach Tyson Helton is 14-11 in two seasons.

Feb 9, 2021

O5 raids itself.: Arkansas State (Sunbelt) AD Terry Mohajir agreed to take the athletic director's job at UCF(AAC). Hey, but I doubt if he's bringing Butch Jones who he hired last month to be the Ark ST HC.

feb 15, 2021

UCF focusing on Gus Malzahn. Aside from how this affects his buyout from AU, there's the 2018 UCF bowl win over AU and Gus that led to undefeated UCF claiming they were # 1

March 9 2021

Will Kansas(B12) raid the AAC after firing Les Miles? Willie Fritz, the Tulane HC, has roots in the region and his Tulane tenure includes three straight bowl games.

April 21, 2021

Harsin, the former Boise HC, has a tough schedule in his first season at Auburn which includes an OOC game at Penn St. Also, they'll face O5 teams Georgia St and Akron.

April 22, 2021

#hinesWard , who spent the last two years as an offensive assistant on Adam Gase’s staff with the Jets, agreed to take a job on FAU(CUSA) head coach Willie Taggart’s staff and will work with wide receivers coach Joey Thomas.

Nov 4, 2021

Looking back at the off-season O5 coaching moves. #herd are pleased with HC Huff ,and Taggart's addition of Hines Ward as FAU receivers coach is paying dividends . LaJohntay Wester FAU WR stat improvements.

O5 we got Thursday football Dec 10

 FAU was held to three points by Georgia Southern last week and will likely get enough O back against USM in Hattiesburg, MS for a 13-10 CUSA win tonight.

Will Houston have lift off after a four -week "break"? They'll shake off the rust for 24-23 AAC win over a Memphis team with suspect D. 

I'll take Ball State in a 27-25 win  over WMU in a battle  two 4-1 teams in MAC play. Plitt outguns Eleby.

Fresno St  lost to San Jose St last week and New Mexico upset Wyoming. Haener will throw two TD passes  to lead  Fresno to a 23-16 MWC win over UNM.

Troy hosts the undefeated Chanticleers and will be gunning for the upset but McCall and crew will get the job done. CCU 27 Troy 19 in Sunbelt action.

Dec 11

Off to another rough week of picks. USM 45 FAU 31 USM QB Trey Lowe threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and  his teammate Camron Harrell returned a kickoff 100 yards for a TD. Also Gore Jr rushed for 111 yards and a TD. Golden Eagles fans have to be wondering where has this been all season?

dec 13

Two more incorrect picks , Houston, and Fresno St, before I get tot the correct ones, Ball St and CCU.

Tune, the Houston QB, and White , the Memphis QB , were about even in stats so it came down to a FG from Riley Patterson as time ran out to give Memphis a 30-27 win.

The Lobos ground attack, powered by  Bobby Cole who ran for 138 yards and three of the team's six rushing TD, rolled over the Bulldogs. New Mexico 49 Fresno St 39

A crazy final minute of play ended with Ball St winning 30-27 over WMU and earning a right to play Buffalo in the MAC title game. Plitt and Eleby  were about even in the QB stats.

Jaivon Heiligh caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from McCall with 45 seconds left to keep Coastal Carolina undefeated. CCU 42 Troy 38

dec 13  more news

Arkansas St  hired Butch Jones as its next football coach to replace former HC Blake Anderson who stepped down to take the vacant Utah State job.

jan 5, 2021 news

 It happened.  Doc Holliday 's contract was not extended at Marshall. His record there is  85-54 (55-30 in league play) with a CUSA title in 2014 and three division championships. 

 

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