We’ve talked about star players and surprise teams already, so now it’s time to answer the question that all Sun Belt fans want answered: which team is going to win the conference championship? Our staff provides their respective picks below.
Question: Who will win the Sun Belt in 2016?
Joe Dexter
On Twitter @BuckeyeRadio
Any time you have the best quarterback in the conference, one of the top running backs, and don’t have to face the toughest competition — there’s a good chance of walking away with a bowl berth after winning the conference outright.
Appalachian State is the complete package offensively. They return four starters on an offensive line that helped the Mountaineers lead the conference in total offense a year ago. Quarterback Taylor Lamb is so dangerous as a red zone passer and has really helped flush out a pass offense to match a rushing attack that has three backs (Marcus Cox, Jalin Moore, and Terrence Upshaw) who could serve as starters at many different schools.
On defense, coordinator Nate Woody returns nine starters, including what many believe to be the best linebacking corps in the conference — led by top tackler Eric Boggs.
Replacing defensive end Ronald Blair’s ability to create pressure in the offensive backfield will be the ultimate key Appalachian State to turn the corner as a championship defense. The coaching staff plans to use a rush with numbers and depth type of attack to create pressure from the defensive line.
The only thing standing in the way is a non-conference schedule that includes trips to Tennessee and welcoming Miami to Boone. The Mountaineers have depth at nearly every position, but losing key players could lead to more than one loss in the conference.
A situation that would lead to their second straight season with an FBS bowl bid, without Sun Belt hardware.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
At the risk of sounding like a broken record – because it seems like I’ve picked them every year – I’ll choose the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
Make no mistake about it: ASU is the gold standard when it comes to Sun Belt football. The Red Wolves have won or shared four of the last of the last five conference titles, with the lone blemish coming in Anderson’s first season in Jonesboro. However, that was clearly an aberration, as Arkansas State went 8-0 in Sun Belt play in his second campaign, finishing second in the league in total offense and first in turnover margin.
Despite losing Fredi Knighten – who threw for 5,371 yards, rushed for 1,619 more, and accounted for 69 career touchdowns – I think the Red Wolves will do it again this year. Whether it’s Justice Hansen – who had a great spring – or Pittsburgh transfer Chad Voytik under center, the offense will thrive behind a veteran offensive line that includes 2015 All-Sun Belt performers Colton Jackson and Jamar Clark.
The Red Wolves are just as solid on the other side of the ball. As I mentioned in Wednesday’s “Players to Watch” piece, Arkansas State will have the best defensive line in the conference this year, which will produce a lot of negative plays, and force opponents to play from behind the sticks. Keep a close eye on Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, who led the league in both sacks and forced fumbles last year.
An explosive offense coupled with a big play defense will add up to a conference championship. Don’t be surprised to see the Red Wolves defeat Toledo – which has won the last two meetings convincingly – in the season opener. This year’s team looks like it’s that much better.
Kevin Causey
On Twitter @CFBZ
A coaching change is definitely a reason not to pick a team to win a conference. However, I just see too many good things when I look at Georgia Southern.
Both Kevin Ellison and Favian Upshawn return and they both bring a lot of positives to the Eagles offense. Couple that with the return of superstar running back Matt Breida and the Eagles should have one of the best offenses in not just the Sun Belt but in the Nation.
One of the big keys will be if Ellison and Upshaw can improve the Eagles passing game. If they can, then the skies are the limit for this team.
The defense brings back a ton of experience in the front seven, the secondary though must be almost completely replaced. The secondary could keep the Eagles from winning the conference but because of the strength they have on the offensive side of the football and the fact that they get App State at home, I’m going with Georgia Southern as Sun Belt Champs.
Bart Doan
On Twitter @TheCoachBart
The Sun Belt finds itself with basically three teams that are “projected” (read: people like us have to foolishly predict what will happen in December) to be vying for the top spot in the conference. Those teams are Appalachian State, Arkansas State, and Georgia Southern, in the order of last season’s finish.
These teams combined to be 19-5 in the conference last year. Because the schedule makers have some sort of magical astrology tool I think to get good teams to avoid one another seemingly on cue, as if to know five years ago the standings would look like this, Appalachian State and Arkansas State miss one another.
The Mountaineers roll on to Georgia Southern at their place, and Arkansas State then gets GSU at home in their own right. Now that we’ve got that sorted out, it looks like ASU-GSU might be the biggest game, because ASU is the team that figures to be favored (read: other people have to foolishly predict what will happen) in every game they play this year in the conference.
If they hold serve when they’re supposed to … and GSU figures to be their biggest test … they could nip ASU and run the table this season in the Sun Belt.
