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?

Shaky four picks week in O5 games

 Tulane (2-1) visits Houston(0-0) tonight in an AAC matchup. Tulane bench their starting QB Howard for Pratt in a win against S.Miss. I'm guessing the home team wins a game filled with field goals. HOU 19 TUL 12

Herd's run game will prevail in a 24-16 CUSA win over WKU , whose QB Pigrome is far from accurate.

In the Sunbelt, I'm going with the high powered TX St Bobcats to roll over Troy 38-22. Bobcats hung tough with SMU and  BC in OOC play this season.

I'll circle back to the CUSA and say Taggart's FAU bunch wins again. This week they'll find a way to slow down the USM  offense and prevail 22-20

Oct 9

Houston pick was correct, but I was way off on the score. Houston 49 Tulane 31. Green Wave D scored two TDs and Houston returned kickoff for a TD.

Oct 11

FAU game was canceled, and I split on the other two picks. Knox 15 CAR, 107 YDS, 3 TD led a solid Marshall U rushing attack in a 38-14 win over WKU. . I'm not sure if Troy finally woke up,but TX St has suddenly fallen asleep.

Gunnar Watson  ( 33-46, 338 YDS, 4 TD) found Kaylon Geiger  ( 7 REC, 121 YDS, 1 TD) , and Kimani Vidal  12 CAR, 106 YDS  led the Troy rushing attack in a 37-17 victory TX ST.

Force four O5 picks for Oct 3

 I'm unsure as to how Air Force gets to start it's season against Navy(AAC) when it's conference, the MWC, doesn't start  play until Oct 24 and hasn't produced a schedule. Navy should win by 10 against the rusty Falcons.

 Arkansas St  lost to Memphis and beat Iowa St(Big12) while CCU beat Kansas(Big12) this season. Jamal Jones will rush for a 100 + in a 24 19 Ark St win over CCU in Sunbelt action.

Can any team slow down UAB RB Spencer Brown? I don;'t think UTSA will this week in a CUSA matchup. UAB 34 UTSA 22

App St gave Charlotte a reality check two weeks ago and will rely on Chris Reynolds, their QB, to shift into high gear against Taggart's crew at FAU in a CUSA matchup. This will be the Owls first game this season. CHAR 24 FAU 16

Oct 4

UAB win over UTSA was my sole correct pick.  Navy was the rusty military crew and were held to under a 100 yards rushing by Air Force. McCall(20/29 for 322 yards and 4 TDs) had a great game at QB for CCU in a 52-23 win over Ark St. Nick Tronti rushed for a TD and tossed two TD passes in third quarter for FAU in a 21 -17 win over Charlotte.

I didn't pick the game or see it coming but props to Tulsa for a huge AAC victory over UCF.

O5 clashes with the Independents on Sept 26, then TXST game

 Army brings a strong a rushing attack to Cincy(AAC), but the Bearcats have a decent rushing attack led by by Gerrid Doaks and will pull out a 26-25 squeaker.

Troy carries the Sunbelt flag to Provo to face BYU in what looks like a battle of two solid QB .Gunnar Watson may tosses more  passes than Zach Wilson in this matchup, but the BYU rushing game will push Wilson and the BYU squad to a 30-27 win.

Liberty's D looked shaky in the second half in its win last week over WKY , and FIU (CUSA) hasn't played a game. Willis , the ex-Auburn QB, will do just enough to get Liberty a home W. LIB 30 FIU 19.

Then there's a matchup you'd never consider . TX St(Sunbelt)  visits BC(ACC) in Chestnut Hill, MA. The Vitt to Haydel connection will give BC he!!, but the home teams pulls it out in the end. BC 34 TXSt 29

Sept 27

I was 4-0 but I thought Troy would have given BYU a tougher game. Wilson threw for 392 yards and 2 TDs, and was more of the gunner than Gunnar Watson who threw for 162 yards for Troy. FIU ran the opening kickoff back for  TD and Norton rushed for 148 yards and two TD for FIU, but their D couldn't stop Willis, Mack, and Stubbs who led Liberty to the win.Army/Cincy was a defensive game until late in the 2nd quarter when Ridder got Cincy in gear and led them to a 24-10 win.

BC rallied  from 14-points down  to tame the Texas State Bearcats 24-21

 

 

O5 OOC tight ones for Sept 19

 GA Tech(ACC) D was impressive  against the Noles last week and should contain UCF(AAC) QB Dillon Gabriel. If GT finds a way to prevent kicks from being blocked, they 'll win a nailbiter 24-22.

Is there enough "Tiger" in the tank with ex -Auburn QB , Malik Willis  leading Liberty in a matchup against WKU(CUSA)? Ex Terp QB Pagrome struggled against Louisville last week. LU 20 WKU 17.

Will a defense show up in the SMU(AAC) /North Texas (CUSA) matchup. Buechele will lead SMU to a 38-35 win over Jason Bean and the not so Mean Green. Both QBs will toss at least three TD passes.

I couldn't ignore this matchup of former Southwest Conference rivals Baylor(Big12) and Houston(AAC)  meeting for the first time since 1995 . Plus, Aranda(Baylor) and Holgorsen(HU) were members of Mike Leach's staff at Texas Tech in 2000. Brewer will toss two TD passes for Bayor in in 21-16 win over the Cougars, who will need to develop a strong rushing attack.

Sept 20

BAY/HOU was canceled. I was wrong big time on UCF who obliterated the GT D 49-21. No D showed up  as the Mustangs ran wild across the not so Mean Green. SMU 65 -NT 35. I got the winner the 35 right.. Willis played a solid game at QB and  the Flames rushing attack was in gear in a 30-24 win over WKU. 2-1 for the weekend.

Special shout-out to the Marshall fans. Herd 17 Appy 7

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.

1a independents squeeze lime in the corona

 My blog from 2016 with information on Independents has grown long and unwieldy. https://busterother5.blogspot.com/2016/06/o5-geography-matters-martial-re-alignemt.html 

Army and BYU matchup for the first time on the football field on 9/19/20. Army has added a few Sunbelt matchups and also has a game with Tulane (AAC).  Liberty U has peppered it's schedule with ACC, CUSA, and Sunbelt opponents.

Notre Dame has joined the ACC for football for this season no matter how they parse the wording.

I can only wonder how  about future football re-alignment and how Independent treat the upcoming hoops season.

Aug 26

Tom Holmoe, the BYU AD who quickly adjusted the Cougars 2020 schedule, played DB for the 49ers in the 1980s, coached for Bill Walsh at Stanford, and later George Seifert for the 1994/95 SB champ Niners.

Sept 1

 Is ODU going to  leave 1a after canceling it's 2020 season while the rest of the CUSA plays. Is Liberty U a candidate to replace them in the CUSA?

Sept 6-Wow, Army demolished MTSU 42-0. They rushed for 340 yards with S.McCoy scoring three TDs.

Sept 13- Army handled ULM. Perhaps they're in the national title hunt ?

Sept 22-  Willis, a transfer from Auburn, played a solid game at QB, and  the Liberty Flames' rushing attack was in gear in a 30-24 win over WKU. FIU (CUSA) is next up for Liberty. Army has a tough one against Cincy (AAC), and BYU plays Troy of the sunbelt , which is an improving conference.

Oct 11: BYU and Liberty are undefeated. Cougars(4-0) beat UTSA , and the Flames(3-0) beat ULM 40-7.

Oct 20:  BYU(5-0) should handle TX St(Sunbelt) behind QB Zach Wilson and Liberty(5-0) will need a huge game from Willis and a lot of O to get by S.Miss(CUSA). Army (5-1) will handle Mercer(1-AA). Army's only loss was to a solid Cincy (AAC) team.

Oct 25. I sound like a broken record raving about  Willis, the transfer from Auburn, who rushed for 97 yards and 1 TD, and passed for 345 yards and 6 TDs in a 56-35 win over USM. Army and BYU won their games easily.