Sun Belt 2022 thread

[BDKJMU]

Sun Belt Is The Cool Conference This Offseason: 22 Thoughts For 2022, No. 18
https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/04 ... 2022-no-18

[BDKJMU]

James Madison, Welcome To The Show: 22 Thoughts For 2022, No. 19

The Dukes are going from the Colonial Athletic Association into the FBS world as they rise up and join the Sun Belt this season.

No waiting period. No passing go. They’re in, they’re about to play an adult table schedule, and the fan base is eating up every step of the process.

This isn’t just some cute story. James Madison is coming off of three straight CAA championships and six of the last seven years. There’s no pressure in this first season at the adult table, but you’ll have to forgive the base if it doesn’t accept anything less than fun.

The pressure of winning a national title at the lower level is off, and no one’s expecting miracles this first year, but …

The schedule isn’t all that bad, but for now, JMU fans are enjoying the bigger spotlight and the higher status for a team whose time has come.

The program is going to be an extra jolt of energy.

It was a regular in the FCS playoffs, it’s got the talent to be competitive right away in its new league, and it’s about to add a whole lot of energy to the hottest conference in college football.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/04 ... 2022-no-19

[Ivytalk]

Sun Belt Is The Cool Conference This Offseason: 22 Thoughts For 2022, No. 18
https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/04 ... 2022-no-18

The Sun Belt is hot, hot, hot!

[BDKJMU]

Sun Belt Is The Cool Conference This Offseason: 22 Thoughts For 2022, No. 18
https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/04 ... 2022-no-18

The Sun Belt is hot, hot, hot!

If it hasn’t been said on here already, the SBC East could become the top G5 division..

[BDKJMU]

Pretty good piece from a couple weeks ago on JMU’s moveup to the SBC:
Inside James Madison football’s FBS move to Sun Belt: ‘The possibilities are endless’
https://theathletic.com/3351820/2022/06 ... -sun-belt/

[BDKJMU]

Welcome to the FBS, James Madison: How two-time national champions are gearing up for move to big time
Curt Cignetti leads a JMU program used to title contention into an unprecedented FBS transition year
https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... del-grows/

[Baldy]

Amid the college football chaos, Sun Belt Conference rivalries are a fun throwback

Every day, millions of people ask, "Who am I?" Countless books, penned by everyone from Marcus Aurelius to Oprah, try to help people find answers. As Deepak Chopra writes: "One must take it upon themselves to do the work of self-awareness discovery now."

Well, with all due respect to the father of quantum healing, there is one place that does not require any assistance when it comes to self-awareness, even though it lives life as the flag tied to the middle of the tug-of-war rope that is the world of collegiate athletics.

The folks down at Sun Belt Conference HQ in New Orleans? They're good to go. No self-help guides needed there. They know exactly who they are, where they are, what they want to be and where they want to go from here.

"In the end, what makes football great is when you look across that field and you see a team that you really, really want to beat, that your fans really, really want to beat, games that you get emotional about," explains Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark, a former two-time FCS All-American offensive lineman for the Mountaineers. "When I look at the conference schedule that the Sun Belt has put together for us, for an old-school guy who played here, I see those kinds of games all over the calendar."

The SBC is now a 14-team league, cleanly divided into two true regional divisions, east and west. When their football season kicks off Sept. 2, it will do so with four new members, three defectors from fellow Group of 5 league Conference USA -- Marshall, Southern Miss and Old Dominion -- and one promoted FCS superpower in James Madison. Those new schools, along with the departure of two far-flung non-football members, create a perfectly seamless corner of the American map. The new Sun Belt roster of schools starts in Virginia and sweeps down through every state of the Deep South until it reaches central Texas.

[AZGrizFan]

Amid the college football chaos, Sun Belt Conference rivalries are a fun throwback

Every day, millions of people ask, "Who am I?" Countless books, penned by everyone from Marcus Aurelius to Oprah, try to help people find answers. As Deepak Chopra writes: "One must take it upon themselves to do the work of self-awareness discovery now."

Well, with all due respect to the father of quantum healing, there is one place that does not require any assistance when it comes to self-awareness, even though it lives life as the flag tied to the middle of the tug-of-war rope that is the world of collegiate athletics.

The folks down at Sun Belt Conference HQ in New Orleans? They're good to go. No self-help guides needed there. They know exactly who they are, where they are, what they want to be and where they want to go from here.

"In the end, what makes football great is when you look across that field and you see a team that you really, really want to beat, that your fans really, really want to beat, games that you get emotional about," explains Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clark, a former two-time FCS All-American offensive lineman for the Mountaineers. "When I look at the conference schedule that the Sun Belt has put together for us, for an old-school guy who played here, I see those kinds of games all over the calendar."

The SBC is now a 14-team league, cleanly divided into two true regional divisions, east and west. When their football season kicks off Sept. 2, it will do so with four new members, three defectors from fellow Group of 5 league Conference USA -- Marshall, Southern Miss and Old Dominion -- and one promoted FCS superpower in James Madison. Those new schools, along with the departure of two far-flung non-football members, create a perfectly seamless corner of the American map. The new Sun Belt roster of schools starts in Virginia and sweeps down through every state of the Deep South until it reaches central Texas.

I’m jealous. That’s a very nice conference they’ve put together. Meanwhile, we’ll be hosting Little Sisters of the Poor and School for the Blind in our first two home games.

[ASUG8]

Looking forward to UNC driving up to Boone tomorrow at noon for the back half of the home and home. Also just signed an agreement for a H+H with NC State. Miami, Wake, UNC, and NC State have either played or have committed to play in Boone. Expectations are for 40k in attendance, with App at -1.5. Should be a good one.

[BDKJMU]

I guess in NC its all offense, defense not necessary.

[BDKJMU]

JMU 14, MTSU 0, mid 2nd.

[BDKJMU]

JMU 35, MTSU 0, early 3rd.

MTSU was a C-USA bowl team last yr. JMU lost to transfer their AA WR (starting USC), AA LB (2 deep Texas), and starting corner (started for WVU last night), and JMU has zero FBS recruit classes. But this FBS thing isn’t that hard.

[Skjellyfetti]

C-USA sucks. Charlotte got whooped by 3 scores by W&M. Pump the brakes.

[AshevilleApp]

Great job by ODU!

[Baldy]

JMU 35, MTSU 0, early 3rd.

MTSU was a C-USA bowl team last yr. JMU lost to transfer their AA WR (starting USC), AA LB (2 deep Texas), and starting corner (started for WVU last night), and JMU has zero FBS recruit classes. But this FBS thing isn’t that hard.

Congrats, you beat one of the worst teams in the worst conference.

[BDKJMU]

JMU 35, MTSU 0, early 3rd.

MTSU was a C-USA bowl team last yr. JMU lost to transfer their AA WR (starting USC), AA LB (2 deep Texas), and starting corner (started for WVU last night), and JMU has zero FBS recruit classes. But this FBS thing isn’t that hard.

Congrats, you beat one of the worst teams in the worst conference.

Well they were a bowl team last yr (7-6) and C-USA hadn’t fallen apart yet last season, so don’t rain on our parade JMU was favored by only something like 6 1/2. Most predictions on the JMU board predicted a close game (I predicted JMU 21-20)

Outgained them 548-119. JMU transfer QB (Col St starter last yr) 21 of 33 for 287, 6 TDs/0 INT. He also rushed for 110.
https://www.espn.com/collegefootball/bo ... /401426538

I predicted 6-5/4-4 on the season, so will take them where we can get them.

[AshevilleApp]

App scores six touchdowns in the 4th quarter yesterday, and loses to the tarholes. Damn.

[Baldy]

Congrats, you beat one of the worst teams in the worst conference.

Well they were a bowl team last yr (7-6) and C-USA hadn’t fallen apart yet last season, so don’t rain on our parade JMU was favored by only something like 6 1/2. Most predictions on the JMU board predicted a close game (I predicted JMU 21-20)

Outgained them 548-119. JMU transfer QB (Col St starter last yr) 21 of 33 for 287, 6 TDs/0 INT. He also rushed for 110.
https://www.espn.com/collegefootball/bo ... /401426538

I predicted 6-5/4-4 on the season, so will take them where we can get them.

CUSA has been falling apart for a few years. The death knell happened after last season. I had JMU winning that game rather easily, just not as easily as they did. MTSU didn't really have a chance. JMU at home, first FBS game, sellout crowd, wanting to prove something, etc.
Congratulations.

[Pwns]

I think it's a really solid first game for JMU. But the Sun Belt East is going to be nuts.

[BDKJMU]

[GannonFan]

Great job by ODU!

ODU remains one of the toughest places to play. Not only did they give Va Tech everything they could handle on the field and even pulled out the win, but they also toyed with the elevators that caused the Va Tech coaching staff to be stuck on their way back to the booth for the second half. And while the game was being played, even managed to burglarize the Va Tech locker room. They make them tough down there in the Tidewater.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... d-dominion

[BDKJMU]

[BDKJMU]

Week 1 results
East
@ ODU 20, VT 17
@ JMU 44, MTSU 7
@ CCU 38, Army 28
@ Marshall 55, NSU 3
@ GSU 59, Morgan St 7
UNC 63, @ ASU. 61
@ USC 35, GST 14

West
@ S Miss 29, Liberty 7
@ Ark St 58, Grambling 3
@ USA 48, Nichols 7
@ ULL 24, SLU 7
@ #18 Texas 52, ULM 10
@ Ole Miss 28, Troy 10
@ Nevada 38, Texas State 14

Week 2
East
ASU @ #6 Texas A&M (-19)
Marshall @ #8/9 Notre Dame (-20.5)
GSU @ Nebraska (-23.5)
UNC (-7) @ GST
ODU @ ECU (-12.5)
NSU @ JMU (-36.5)
G Webb @ CCU (-33)

West
Arkansas St. @ #3 Ohio St (-44.5)
S Miss @ #15/16 Miami (-25.5)
USA @ UCM (-5)
Bama A&M @ Troy (-33)
EMU @ ULL (-11.5)
Nicholls @ ULM (-5)
FIU @ TX St (-13.5)

Chalk has SBC only going 6-8 this week.
https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/art ... ng-trends/

[BDKJMU]

East
ASU @ #6 Texas A&M (-19)
Marshall @ #8/9 Notre Dame (-20.5)

Marshall 26, Notre Dame 21!!
ASU 17, TX A&M 14!!!!

Congrats to both. Wow, the SBC East is brutal! Top G5 conference!!!

[BDKJMU]

Marshall beat NSU 55-3
JMU beat NSU 63-7 (55 min game, 10 min 4th because of rain and blowout)

JMU’s blowout win over MTSU looking better as MTSU beats Col St 34-19 after leading 27-0.

JMU’s HC coaches on the day his father, a Div II hall of fame HC, died.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb ... r-AA11H1cP