2011 College Football Conference Previews- The Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is widely considered as one of the more competitive Mid-Major conferences in the nation and has grown in popularity over the years with both football fans and the betting public alike. The top programs in the Sun Belt continue to strengthen their non-conference schedules by taking on some of the top programs in the country from the majors and at times, giving them all or more than they can handle.
The following is a brief preview of each team in the Sun Belt along with their current odds to win the conference title this season as provided by BetUS.com.
Arkansas State +500
An in-house change at head coach moved former offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze to the top spot after a 4-8 campaign in 2010. He will inherit a team that returns seven starters on each side of the ball. The offense will be run by QB Ryan Aplin, who was a first-team All-Conference selection in 2009, but dropped off a bit last season. The Red Wolves will also need to do a better job on defense, after giving up an average of 30.8 points a game last year.
Florida Atlantic +1400
After two straight bowl wins in 2007 and 2008, the Owls fell under .500 for the second year in a row with a 4-8 record in 2010. They return 14 starters from last season including RB Alfred Morris, who was just 72 yards shy of a second straight 1000-yard season. The fact that the entire offensive line is also back should ensure that Morris puts up some big numbers this year as well. Florida Atlantic will shift to a 3-4 scheme on defense to try and improve upon the 29.3 points a game it allowed in 2010.
Florida International +225
The Golden Panthers 6-6 record last season was good enough to land them in the Little Caesars Bowl, where they beat Toledo 34-32. They will return 16 starters from that squad giving them an excellent chance to have, at the very least, the same level of success this year. It also helps that one of those 16 players is last season’s Sun Belt Player of the Year WR T.Y. Hilton. He is already the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards and will once again be a huge part of FIU’s offensive attack in 2011.
Louisiana-Lafayette +1200
The Rajin’ Cajuns are another team in the conference with a new coach at the helm. Mark Hudspeth takes over for Rickey Bustle after a disappointing 3-9 record in 2010. He will have a good chunk of the starting defense back, but just five starters back on offense. This could actually be a good thing, given the fact that last year’s unit was ranked 92nd in the nation in scoring.
Louisiana-Monroe +500
The Warhawks have not had a winning season since 1993 and are coming off a 5-7 campaign in 2010. Todd Berry enters his second year as head coach and is optimistic that with all 11 starters returning on offense and eight starters back on defense, that 2011 is the year this program finally gets back to its winning ways. A big part of making this dream a reality will fall on the shoulders of sophomore QB Kolton Browning, who threw for 2,552 yards and 18 TD’s last year.
Middle Tennessee +600
The Blue Raiders won enough games last season to earn a trip the Go Daddy Bowl, but have the expectations for this season set much higher than a 6-7 record after winning 10 games in 2009. They return seven starters on offense, but lost a couple of key skill players from a unit that averaged close to 27 points a game. Just three starters return form a defense that was ranked 68th in the country in points allowed.
North Texas +900
The Mean Green’s win column in 2010 was a little too lean (3-9) so Dan McCarney, who has over 30 years of coaching experience, is the team’s new head coach for 2011. The offense returns seven starters including RB Lance Dunbar, who led the team in rushing with 1,553 yards on 274 carries last season. If North Texas is going to have any chance to turn things around, it will have to improve a defense that gave up an average of 29.7 points a game in 2010.
Troy +225
The Trojans went 6-2 in the conference last season, but lost the Sun Belt title to FIU after losing to the Golden Panthers 52-35 in the regular season. They should be right in the thick of things once again this season behind sophomore QB Corey Robinson, who threw for 3,339 yards and 24 TD’s in his first season as a starter. They return eight starters on defense led by All-Conference defensive lineman Jonathan Massaquoi and linebacker Xavier Lamb.
Western Kentucky +1200
The Hilltoppers have nowhere to go but up after going 2-10 overall last season and 2-6 in conference play. The season was actually considered a success on some levels after snapping a 26-game losing streak and watching RB Bobby Rainey earn Sun Belt ‘Offensive Player of the Year’ after rushing for 1,649 yards on an incredible 340 carries. He also led the team in scoring with 15 TD’s. Along with QB Kawaun Jakes, who threw for 1,680 yards, the challenge will be to convert this production to touchdowns after averaging just 22.8 points a game last year.
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