Troy Trojans Football

The series of unit rankings of the nine Sun Belt football teams continues today with a look at the league's receivers and tight ends.

For a league so associated with the spread offense, receivers did not crunch the kind of numbers one might have expected in 2009. Only two receivers averaged more than five receptions and two averaged 60-plus yards per game last season.

By point of comparison, the SEC had eight 60 yards-per-game players last season.

Even those numbers appear difficult to equal this season, with several teams experiencing questions at their quarterback positions and switching emphasis to the run game.

Here's a look at which teams are most likely to overcome those questions.

1. Troy

The Trojans feature arguably the most dangerous receiver in the conference. Jerrel Jernigan was one of only two receivers to break 60 receptions last year (he tied for first with 71) and was the only receiver to break 800 yards (finishing with 1,101).

Jernigan's all-purpose versatility could make him the most serious competition to Dwight Dasher for Sun Belt Player of the Year.

The transition from Levi Brown back to previous starting quarterback Jamie Hampton will be aided by a receiving group with plenty of experience, even outside the dazzling Jernigan.

Senior Tebiarus Gill actually led the team in touchdown catches, recording six to Jernigan's four. Gill's 47 receptions and 581 yards both ranked in the league's top 10.

Junior Chip Reeves and sophomore Josh Jarboe both recorded 60-yard receptions last season en route to matching 16.5 yard-per-catch averages.

Senior Jason Bruce caught 24 passes for over 300 yards, and 6'2" senior Austin Silvoy may be Hampton's biggest target.

2. North Texas

UNT finished second in the conference in pass completions last season, but was firmly middle of the pack in yards. Their dink-and-dunk style resulted in a team average of only 9.7 yards per catch, fourth-lowest in the nation.

The question this season revolves around who will get the ball to an experienced group that includes last season's QB, Riley Dodge.

Rising senior Jamaal Jackson tied Troy's Jernigan for the conference lead in receptions, but for 400 fewer yards.

This is not to say that Jackson lacks big-play ability, as two of his six scoring catches were longer than 30 yards. Jackson's athleticism is better reflected by his placing second in kick return average at over 27 yards per attempt.

Darius Carey was a large contributor as a freshman last season, tying for third in the league with 57 catches, totaling just over 500 yards.

Rising senior Michael Outlaw fell just short of the 500-yard plateau, missing the season finale against Arkansas State.

Outlaw's 41-catch, 473-yard season included UNT's only 100-yard receiving game. He accounted for 112 yards and a touchdown on seven grabs against Troy on October 24.

Junior B.J. Lewis, recovering from knee surgery that will cost him a couple of weeks of fall practice, may have to hold off Oklahoma transfer Tyler Stradford for the fourth starting spot. Lewis's 12.6 yards-per-catch average led the team.

3. Florida International

If Jerrel Jernigan isn't the Sun Belt's most dangerous wideout, then FIU's T.Y. Hilton almost certainly is. After being named a Freshman All-American in 2008, Hilton followed up with a 57-632-5 line last season.

In addition, Hilton led the SBC with a 28.8-yard average on kickoff returns and scored one of the Belt's two kickoff return touchdowns, against Alabama, no less.

The remarkable aspect was that, by several accounts, he was bothered by nagging injuries most of the season. A healthy Hilton could easily live up to his preseason All-Sun Belt billing.

Greg Ellingson actually recorded FIU's best single-game performance last season, with a 132-yard game against Western Kentucky.

The 6'4" senior has produced consistent numbers over the past two seasons, including last season's team-high 15.5 yards per catch, and possesses the ability to punish secondaries who shade too far toward Hilton.

Senior Jason Frierson was another 30-catch man last season, but he may face stiff competition from redshirt sophomore Junior Mertile and ESPNU 150 recruit Willis Wright for the third starting position.

Wright had a memorably tearful press conference where he chose FIU over West Virginia and Nebraska, and Golden Panther fans are anxious to see passes headed toward the 6'1", 200-pound newcomer.

Tight end Jonathan Faucher returns for his junior season, as does his backup Dudley LaPorte. Faucher caught 11 passes for 96 yards last season, but may be more valuable in helping FIU's shaky offensive line.

4. Middle Tennessee State

The Blue Raiders definitely spread the ball around in 2009, as nine wide receivers caught at least 10 passes. Six of those players return, led by senior Garrett Andrews.

Andrews was either second or tied for second on the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns last season and recorded a team-high seven plays of 30-plus yards.

One thing the Raider receiving corps has in abundance is size. Aside from the 6'3" Andrews, 6'4" junior Shane Blissard and 6'3" junior Sancho McDonald give Dwight Dasher some attractive jump ball targets.

Blissard averaged almost 15 yards per catch last season, including four grabs of greater than 40 yards. McDonald was awarded the most improved receiver honor at spring practice, and his role should expand beyond last season's 24 catches.

Smaller receivers Tavarres Jefferson and Harold Turner are waging a battle for a slot position. Jefferson, a 5'9" sophomore, was one of the few bright spots in MTSU's lopsided loss to Troy last season, hauling in seven receptions for 79 yards and the Raiders' only score.

Turner, a 5'8", 160-pound lightning bug, had his own blowout game a couple of weeks later, recording six catches, 113 yards, and two touchdowns in the 62-24 throttling of Western Kentucky.

Another smaller receiver, junior college transfer Tyler Mason, stands only 5'7" and weighs 160 after a big lunch.

At Chabot College in Hayward, Calif., Mason rolled up approximately 1,800 all-purpose yards last season, lining up at receiver, running back, and returner.

That versatility may make it hard for coach Rick Stockstill to chain him to the bench, no matter how many bodies the Raiders have to choose from.

5. Louisiana-Lafayette

Unlike most teams in the SBC, the Ragin' Cajuns have a prominent weapon at tight end. Ladarius Green, a 6'6", 230-pound junior, missed three games with injuries, yet still recorded 533 receiving yards, ranking third in yards per game.

He returned from those injuries with a vengeance, grabbing 12 passes for 250 yards in games against ULM and Troy. The Troy game also yielded both of his TD catches on the season, including a conference season-long 91-yarder.

Senior Marlin Miller was a prototype possession receiver last season. He ranked second on the team with 37 catches, but averaged only 8.8 yards.

Senior Richie Falgout was the next most productive receiver last season, hauling in 18 passes for 221 yards.

Junior Pierre Hill showed a bit more big play capability last season when he caught a 42-yard score in the opener against Southern University. That was the only game in which he broke 30 yards last season, however.

He's coming into fall practice with the inside track on the split end position, and he'll need to prove he can make those big catches on a more regular basis.

Some observers are holding out hope for six-foot, 185-pound freshman Daryl Surgent to crack the depth chart and also make noise as a return man.

Surgent averaged 20 yards per catch as a high school senior with 11 touchdowns, and also recorded scores on a punt return and a kickoff return.

6. Western Kentucky

Like ULL, WKU may be led by their tight end this season. As a freshman, 6'5", 250-pound Jack Doyle finished second on the team with 37 receptions and 365 yards.

Doyle isn't renowned for his blocking, but he is known for his quickness and ability to separate from a linebacker. Look for him to catch more than the one touchdown that he managed last season.

Senior Quinterrance Cooper is expected to establish himself as the top outside target this season. Unfortunately for him, the same thing was said before last season.

Cooper caught 20 balls on the year, but for an anemic average of 7.6 yards per catch. Cooper's quicker than he is fast, and the Hilltoppers hope that he can shake defenders better than last year.

Redshirt freshman Willie McNeal was named MVP of the Toppers' spring game, accounting for 83 rushing yards and a score on some trick plays, also recording a 30-yard catch.

McNeal weighs only 158 pounds and can be muscled around by bigger corners (meaning most of them), but he possesses the ability to go a long way with a short pass in a short period of time.

Junior Derrius Brooks and sophomore Marcus Vasquez are both considered potential deep threats, but neither was terribly explosive last season in the Toppers' popgun passing game.

The two combined for 30 catches and three touchdowns, but also averaged only 9.5 yards per catch between them. It's hoped that coach Willie Taggart's new West Coast offense will get the ball to Brooks, Vasquez, and McNeal with some room to evade coverage.

7. Florida Atlantic

Unlike most of the remaining schools on this list, the Owls actually return a little bit of experience to their receiver corps. Unfortunately, they don't return a ton of 2009 production.

Five of FAU's top six receivers have moved on, and 6'3" senior Lester Jean inherits the go-to receiver mantle almost by default. Jean hauled in 38 passes for 501 yards and four scores, including two against Western Kentucky.

The next most productive returnee is speedy, spindly senior Avery Holley. The six-foot, 150-pounder has an injury-prone reputation, but didn't miss a game last season en route to 22 catches for 224 yards.

Redshirt freshman DeAndre Richardson battled a case of the drops in spring practice, but he may still be able to contend for Holley's starting spot. After those three, depth appears to be an issue.

According to FAU beat writer Ted Hutton, three receivers quit the team between spring and fall practice, although two of them are still listed on the Sun Belt media guide roster.

The tight end gets opportunities in FAU's pro-style offense, as Jason Harmon and Jamari Grant combined for 75 receptions, eight touchdowns, and approximately 950 yards last season. Now both are gone, and 2008 backup Rob Housler inherits the starting position.

Housler, who caught 32 balls for 519 yards in 2008, was actually named to Athlon's preseason All-SBC second team, perhaps more because of a lack of qualified tight ends in the league than Housler's own talent.

Backup Darian Williams averaged over 15 yards per catch last season, accounting for eight grabs, 106 yards, and two scores in back-to-back games against ULM and Wyoming.

8. Louisiana-Monroe

ULM doesn't return a lot of experienced production with dangerous duo LaGregory Sapp and Darrell McNeal departing. Third-leading receiver Luther Ambrose inherits the go-to position after racking up 34 catches for 455 yards and four scores last season.

Ambrose gave Warhawk fans what they hope was a glimpse of coming attractions in last season's finale, when he lit up Middle Tennessee for 107 yards and two scores on seven receptions.

Ambrose's speed is clearly evidenced by his third-place 100-meter finish at the NCAA outdoor championships.

Junior Anthony McCall was a producer in 2008, catching 28 balls for 406 yards and six scores, but he disappeared last season with only seven catches.

Sophomore Brent Leonard and juniors Tim Taylor and Julian Griffin can't even say they've had that good of a season so far, but one or more will have to begin producing if ULM's passing game is to be a factor.

Redshirt freshman Tavarese Maye is listed as a backup on the depth chart, but may appear in an expanded role if guys like Taylor and McCall can't produce.

Senior Alvin Jordan returns at tight end after snagging 24 catches for 250 yards last season. However, despite being listed on Phil Steele's All-SBC fourth team, he isn't even listed as ULM's number one TE.

Sophomore Keavon Milton is listed as the starter, partially due to his imposing 6'4", 267-pound frame. Opening lanes for Frank Goodin to run through appears to be more of a priority for the position.

9. Arkansas State

The Red Wolves lost their top five receivers from 2009, and need to completely rebuild. Sophomore Taylor Stockemer appears to be a prototype player to build around. The 6'4", 195-pound receiver had 16 grabs for 347 yards, an impressive 21.7 average.

The rest of the returning wideouts combined for a not-quite-whopping nine catches and 85 yards.

Seniors Lucious Henderson and Jonathan White and sophomores Allen Muse and Andre Smith will all get opportunities, but the biggest impact of the bunch may come from Smith filling in as a Wildcat quarterback.

Newcomers may have to play important roles in Jonesboro this season. Junior college transfer Dwayne Frampton caught 77 balls for 1,230 yards and nine touchdowns for Los Angeles Harbor College, and is getting an early shot at a slot position.

Freshman Raheim Alford, out of Warren, Ark., could be another under-the-radar prospect for 2010. Alford hauled in 68 passes for 1,005 yards and 13 scores last season.

Former fullback Jeff Blake will convert to tight end, where he and projected starter Kedric Murry probably won't see a large quantity of passes.

The Sun Belt has a handful of established star receivers, but it's likely that many of the big stories of this season will come from currently anonymous players.

Scott Henry covers the MTSU Blue Raiders on his radio show "4 Quarters," airing on WMTS 88.3 FM in Murfreesboro and streaming live at wmts.org. Podcasts may be found at Starr*Rated.

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Lane who? The new couch of the USC Trojans, LA's 'pro' football team. I'm sorry, Kiffner? I'm watching TV, and there's a news break, “Pete Carroll new coach of the Seahawks, Lane Somebody is taking over the Trojans.” What? Kliffins? Guy's been one season with the Tennessee Vols, and took the Raiders to a what? 5-15 record? Pete Carroll's replacement? What the hell?

Kind of sudden. Just like that. USC has an off season, and boom, new coach. Has to be more to this.

Okay, here is Southern Cal, with a $300 plus million football program at stake, somebody, Boosters or whoever, must have put some thought into this. You'd think. It was news to me.

So I did some digging. New guy's been here before. He was a coach under Pete Carroll for five years when USC was winning national championships. Good sign. USC thinks so. Good enough to pay off the $800 grand left on his contract with Tennessee. He looks a little like Carroll. No football build, more like from the drama club. But then in football seems the players make okay announcers but NOT coaches. Remember the Raider's Art Shell, Matt Millen with the Lions. It might work in baseball, but not football.

Don't know about Carroll leaving. Seemed sudden, but maybe Carroll asked for a bigger pay check? What with NCAA sanctions coming up, and a less than stellar season, recruiting might be down? But he's going back to the NFL? Not a successful place for Pete; remember when he was with the Jets and the Pats. He didn't see much Gatorade. Or is nine years with USC long enough in one place? Perhaps he still has something to prove in the NFL?

Who again, Lane Kliffern? He's bringing along his father, Monte, as a defensive coordinator, and maybe Norm Chow, from UCLA? Or will Chow follow Carroll to Seattle? Supposed to be some kind of rift between Norm and Pete. Whatever, I don't think success comes from the sidelines, anyway. Good players win games. Sure, motivation is part of it, one more for the Gipper, but if USC cannot put away the Pac-10, then football fans here will start thinking Jaguars, or Bills, maybe the Rams again for the Colosseum. No Booster wants that. No mention of the NFL while Pete Carroll was producing national champions. Maybe it's time. How about Al Davis coming back? All depends on this new guy.

Hold on, I'll get it right, Kiffin. Lane Kiffin. I'm thinking, give him a chance. Sure, Carroll will be a tough act to follow. Pete was no great shakes before he arrived at USC either, but after nine years what did he win? 85% of his games. Not bad. Who doesn't want a winner?

Recruiting is key. USC did better than I expected with a freshman QB, but the team needs defense. Last year's defensive line is playing now in the NFL. Quick turnover in college football. Coach has to cope with college mentalities, and stay away from NCAA sanctions. Can the new coach survive all this? Keep from fumbling? Big spotlight, LA.

Bottom line: If Mr Kiffin losses his first three games, he's out. Then maybe we can get Eric Mangini from Cleveland. If dreadful NFL records produce college dynasties, then he might be the perfect guy. He might even work for free.

That's my take. Tell me I'm wrong.

The Sun Belt Conference has named Troy's Levi Brown its Player of the Year.

Sensational Troy tailback Shawn Southward also picked up league honors on Wednesday, as did head coach Larry Blakeney.

The conference named Southward its Freshman of the Year after the Florence, Ala. native ran for an impressive 574 yards in his first season.

Blakeney, on the other hand, was recognized as the conference's Coach of the Year after his team recorded its fourth straight Sun Belt title.

In just his second year starting for the Trojans, Brown shattered the old conference record by throwing for 3,868 yards this season and currently ranks second nationally in passing yards.

The senior also took home the league's Offensive Player of the Week award an impressive six times this season.

However, when asked about the honors, always down-to-earth Brown didn't surprise anyone with his reply.

“It is a huge honor for me to get this award, but it is really a team award,” Brown said. “The rest of the guys on offense make it easy for me to play well.”

Head coach Larry Blakeney, currently in his 19th season at the south Alabama school, seemed to disagree.

“Levi is certainly deserving of all the recognition he has received,” Blakeney said. “This honor is a testament not only to the kind of player Levi has become, but also to the perseverance he displayed to put himself in position to succeed.”

Troy landed seven Trojans on the Sun Belt All-Conference First Team.

Joining Brown were wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan, offensive linemen Danny Franks and Tyler Clark, defensive end Brandon Lang, and last but not least, linebackers Bear Woods and Boris Lee.

Meanwhile, senior end Cameron Sheffield, senior tackle Kevin Dixon, senior safety Courtland Fuller, and redshirt freshman Bryan Willis were named to the All-Sun Belt second team, while junior receiver Tebarius Gill and sophomore punter Will Goggans were recognized as honorable mention All-Conference by the Sun Belt.

Troy (9-3, 8-0), who recorded the school's first ever unblemished Sun Belt record this season, will hit the practice fields tomorrow in preparation for the GMAC Bowl against Central Michigan (11-2, 8-0) on Jan. 6th.

Tickets for the Mobile, Ala. bowl are available through the Troy University Athletics Ticket Office, located in the Davis Field House, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., by calling 877-878-9467. Tickets are also available online at www.TroyTrojans.com.

It's official.

The GMAC Bowl finally announced on Sunday that its Jan. 6 bowl game in Mobile will feature two conference champions—Troy and Central Michigan.

Troy (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt) accepted the bid Sunday amid tons of speculation.

Since 2001, the Sun Belt champion has appeared in the New Orleans Bowl each year based on a contractual agreement between the conference and the bowl.

But this is 2009, and in a year that Alabama is No. 1 and USC has fallen out of the top 25, who says the norm has to be followed? 

Hmm.

The contract also states that the champion doesn't have to go to New Orleans if another bowl offers them a bid, and after Notre Dame fell out of the bowl picture last week, that's just what the GMAC Bowl did on Sunday.

The unusual offer sets up one of the most underrated matchups this bowl season, as the bowl game will feature the only matchup of two conference champions outside of the BCS.

Featuring two of America's most overlooked quarterbacks, this game has all the ingredients to prove its critics wrong.

Central Michigan (11-2, 8-0 MAC) is led by senior quarterback Dan LeFevour, a star who has better stats in his career than either Florida's Tim Tebow or Texas' Colt McCoy.

In fact, the Downers Grove, Illinois native is the only quarterback in NCAA history besides Tebow to ever pass for 20 TDs and rush for 20 TDs in the same season.

This year, he has thrown for 3,043 yards and 27 touchdowns, shattering CMU records along the way in what seems to have become a weekly ordeal.

Opposite LeFevour, Troy has a senior leader of its own.

Quarterback Levi Brown won the starting job for Troy last season after starter Jamie Hampton went down with a season-ending knee injury at Florida Atlantic.

Since then, the 6'4", 219-pounder has flourished.

Brown has racked up 3,868 yards through the air this season for 22 touchdowns and is good enough to rank eighth nationally in passing.

Either Troy and CMU better start working on their defenses now, or those in charge of Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium will have to consider adding more light bulbs to the scoreboard.

Whatever the case, get ready for an exciting game full of offensive explosion.

The GMAC Bowl kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

The regular Big Ten Season ended and while there are few Big Ten teams playing in mostly meaningless games. It's time to take a look back, give some well deserved awards  and evaluate each team according to their performance and pre season predictions;

1. GAME OF THE YEAR:  Ohio State over IA in overtime. Not only did this game determine the Rose Bowl participant, but came near the end of the season and was an exciting over time game. Adding to the drama of this game was that IA's starting QB, Stanzi was injured the week before and Freshmen Vandebergh played a great game. OSU did what it had to do to win, but Iowa played valliantly taking entertained fans and nail biting Hawkeye and Buckey die hards into overtime!

2.  COACH OF THE YEAR:  With out a doubt, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa. His team beat OOC opponents, IA ST. and AZ, then went 9-0 and amazingly did it with key injuries. Many of his victories were on the road against finer Big Ten opponents WI, MSU, and in a white out night game at Happy Valley against PSU.  Most impressively, losing his starting QB, went into Columbus and nearly beat a surging OSU squad with a terrific game plan and heroic effort starting a FR QB!  Year in and year out he gets the most out of his talent and the future looks bright. No wonder why NFL teams covet him as their next head coach.

3. PLAY OF THE YEAR: There are all sorts of entries for this;  A heart stopping 4th down end of the game TD pass by Iowa QB, Stanzi in East Lansing.  Iowa's 4th quarter Kick Off return to put them back into the title game in Columbus, Pryor's TD pass to Posey in Happy Valley to put OSU up by 10, etc..  However, one must simply look to the biggest Big Ten game of the year and the winner as that would be the play that matters the most. Many might say the OT winning FG, but it would be the key 3rd down sack by OSU's DL. That sack forced Vandebergh into the Hail Mary pass and just about sealed OSU's win with a 42 yard or less Field Goal when OSU got its first offensive possession in OT!

4. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Would it come from the most outstanding D in the Big Ten, OSU's DLmen like Gibson or Heyward?  Would it come from PSU with some of their outstanding stats? Or what about MSU's playmaker Jackson?  Or IA's consistent LB Angerer?  How about The Badgers outstanding DLmen Schoffield?  The Defensive player of the year is Michigan's GRAHAM! He made huge plays all year in a rather weak defense that many offenses targeted.  Against OSU, he had four tackles for a loss and in this key rivalry game when OSU was 1st and goal at the two smashed Saine for a loss and ran down Pryor to make it 3rd and 11.  Watch for him to go first from the Big Ten in next year's NFL draft.

5. OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  It can't come from OSU as their offense struggled early in the Conference slate as there were no real outstanding players.  It wasn't IL's Juice Williams who is inconsistent and makes too may errors.  MI's Forcier has talent, but needs experience from avoiding mistakes.  PSU's Clark has real upside, but in games when it counted the most, he looked very mediocre, limited in yardage and throwing huge picks.  CLAY from WI is the offensive player of the year. His stats are right there, and he forced defenses to adjust their game plan and still had significant success.  Bet that all Big Ten opponents are hoping that he declares for the NFL draft as he is a load.

6. CONFERENCE UPSET OF THE YEAR:  A close second would be NW over IA.  Not only did NW knock out Stanzi, but shocked the Big Ten shutting down IA in the 2nd half in Iowa City. However, IA had been living dangerously the whole year and had plenty of wake up calls and the close game loss finally came. The Big Ten Upset of the year would be Purdue over OSU.  With their poor record and loss to Northern Illinois, many saw this as a cake walk for Ohio State.  Coaches, players and CFB analysts saw this as a game for The Buckeye's struggling offense to improve and get healthy.  Instead Pryor had numerous costly turnovers, Purdue built a huge 23-7 win and held off a stunned Ohio State team. The loss knocked them from national title contention and lead many to write them off for any chance of a 5th straight Big Ten title.  Purdue played a smart offensive game hitting short passes, knocked Pryor and The Buckeye's offensive line around and made key field goals to put more pressure on the struggling Ohio State offense and seal the celebration in West Lafayette!

6 TEAM GRADES:  Based on performance and pre season predictions.

A:  Iowa; key OOC wins, huge road wins at WI, PSU, MSU, as odd as it sounds struggled at home but most of the time came away with 'W's'.   Most impressively was The Hawkeye's ability to nearly beat OSU in Columbus for a coveted Rose Bowl trip with their starting QB out pushing OSU into overtime with a Freshman QB.  They get an A for scheduling decent OOC opponents, beating PSU/WI by 10 or more on the road and winning with key injuries, many believe that they may get a BCS bid, which they deserve.

B+: Ohio State: While many might wonder why not an A, simply because OSU had a shot to make it an undefeated season and lost two games they should have easily won.  The most talented team in the Big Ten struggled offensively earlier in the season watching their top recruit Sophomore QB Pryor struggle and viewed as America's most over rated player. However, OSU did rebound, winning their last five, beating and stunned PSU at home and rushing for over 200+ yards in their final 5 games. Their D was outstanding the whole year, and Pryor improved greatly mostly with his decisions

B:  Northwestern:  NW turned the year around hanging around with PSU until the Lions pulled away in the fourth quarter.  They then stunned IA THERE and went on to beat in state rival IL, and beat a decent WI team in a thriller.  NW plays exciting spread offensive ball and deserves a better bowl.

C:  Penn State: That might seem low, but this is an under achieving team that lost to the only two decent opponents its played and both games were at home. Iowa and Ohio State soundly beat Penn State by 10 pts. or more.  Penn State appears to have decent stats on both sides of the ball, but honestly, which team couldn't do the same with a cup cake schedule of the likes of IL, Eastern IL, Temple, Akron, Syracuse, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota and the like.  Yes, they did have an impressive win at MSU, but this is the same .500 MSU team that lost to MAC Central Michigan and the struggling ND. 

C-: Wisconsin: This might seem odd considering that WI was banging on the door for a 10 win season and talking about a BCS Bowl birth.  The reality is that Beliema has NOT won a significant game since arriving at the helm in Madison. WI lost to OSU 31-13, IA by 10 at home then got beat by NW.  Their OOC schedule is a diet of light weights.  Wisconsin needs to begin beating some decent Big Ten teams and scheduling competent OOC opponents, and no Fresno State is not one of them.

C-:  Michigan State: Many believed that this was the year that Sparty could challenge for The Big Ten Crown.  Their schedule dodged OSU, instead MSU stumbled out of the gate losing to Central Michigan and Notre Dame.  MSU got somewhat on track beating a struggling MI team. MSU lost on the road to Minnesota and struggled to hang around the .500 mark. The recent pasting by PSU at home shows how much further this team has to go to sniff the top of the Big Ten.

C-:  Purdue:  Purdue beat Indiana convingly and at times played extremely well.  Just ask Ohio State and possible PAC 10 champ Oregon how good Purdue can be when they play to their potential.  However, losses to Northern Illinois, not being able to beat Michigan State, and their losing record shows that they still have a way to go, but are on the right road.

D+  Indiana: Yes, they finished at the bottom of the Big Ten, but ask any conference school about their game verses the Hoosiers.  This team had large leads in Happy Valley, Iowa City, Ann Arbor, hung around with Wisconsin and played exciting ball all to watch large leads slip away and gum get thrown out by Lynch.  A controversial call in Ann Arbor helped seal a close loss to The Wolverines.

D:  Minnesota:  Yes, they have a few wins, beat Syracuse in a close game and beat the same MSU team that nearly knocked off Iowa. However, this team got pounded by the elites;  OSU, PSU, shut out by IA, and needed defensive key plays to get by...The Jack Rabbits of South Dakota State.  Yes, they broke in a beautiful key stadium, hung around with CA, but need to begin winning games.

F:  Illinois:  Their only win during the first two months came from D I AA class Illinois State. This was to be an exciting, explosive offense lead by "Juice" Williams, instead one got inconsitent play and a rash of losses.  Yes, they did respond with late season wins over Michigan and Minn. but this was truly the under achieving team of the year. The surprising OOC blow out by a down Missouri in their opening game revealed much of The Illini's misery and there was rumor that Zook would get canned.

F:  Michigan: Coming off a promising 4-0 start with an exciting victory over Notre Dame, Michigan's only win during the last two months came over Deleware State. Game after Game MI was out classed and beat by all but one Big Ten team.  The Wolverines even got blown out by the lowly Illini.  A valliant closing game against their rivals Ohio State came up short meaning MI's first back to back losing seasons in nearly 45 years. Once again The Wolverines are sitting at home and their once strong defense is only a shadow of the past. Many CFB fans are wondering if MI will be searching for a new head coach as Rodriguez's seat is HOT!   

It was an exciting year for The Big Ten, lets see how they fare during the upcoming Bowl Season!         

TROY STATE (-7.0) 31 Middle Tenn 22

Over/Under Total: 55.5

05:00 PM Pacific Time Tuesday, Oct-06

Troy has rebounded from their 0-2 start to win and cover their last two games and the Trojans are starting to look more like the team that was picked to defend their Sun Belt title.

The Trojans are just average offensively on a national scale (5.5 yards per play against teams that would combine to allow 5.5 yppl to an average team), but Middle Tennessee is 0.5 yppl worse than average defensively and I expect Troy to move the ball pretty well at home tonight.

The Blue Raiders should also move the ball at a decent clip, as their slightly worse than average attack (5.3 yppl against teams that would allow 5.5 yppl to an average team) goes up against a Troy defense that is 0.4 yppl worse than average for the season (although just 0.1 yppl worse than average if you take out the Florida game in which they were over-matched).

There isn't too much difference between these teams from the line of scrimmage, but Middle Tennessee State has been having problems with special teams and Troy is at home.

My math model gives Troy State a 53% chance to cover at -6 1/2 points, so I'll lean with the Trojans.

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Well it sure is a good thing that I don’t do this for a living, as four of my bottom five “cellar dwellers” won during the opening week of action. It was so bad, that my number one team, Washington gave 11th-ranked LSU a run for its money.

So that being said, here are my new rankings heading into the second week of the season. The team's previous ranking is in parentheses.

5. (NR) San Jose State Spastics

Had an impressive debut against the USC Trojans to the tune of 56-3, although USC did trail by three points after the first quarter.

Then Pete Carroll took out the cheerleaders and it was game over.

You know that old saying that says the game was closer than the score indicated? Well what do you think since the total yards gained was 620 to 121 in favor of USC. Next loss against Utah.

4. (NR) Troy

The Trojans debuted with a resounding 31-14 spanking by power house Bowling Green. Troy’s next loss will be this Saturday and maybe, just maybe, they can hold their opponent to under 70.

Who do they play, you ask? Uh, that would be Florida in Gainesville.

3. (NR) San Diego State Asstechs

Opened in the Rose Bowl and impressed all with a 33-14 wupping at the hands of UCLA, and they averaged an impressive four yards per play.

Next loss this Saturday to Southern Utah.

2. (1) Washington Muskies

I had to drop them from their preseason number one ranking because they gave LSU such a close game Losing 31-23. They even out-gained LSU to the tune of 478 to 321.

This may be the last time they appear in the bottom five this season because of their improvement and the fact that they play perennial bottom five dweller Idaho on Saturday.

1. (NR) New Mexico Lubes

They were zapped by Texas A&M to the tune of 41-6 and during the game went an impressive 4-for-14 on third down conversions. They were out-gained by 606 to 231 yards and averaged a ball hogging, clock chewing 0.9 yards per carry rushing the ball.

Next loss to Tulsa.

Well that is all that I have for this week’s poll. Look to see you again next week.

by RunTellMatt



Every summer I make do with the monotony and the boring, college football-less Saturdays by doing my best to scout all 120 FBS teams. Plus, as a gambling man and a rabid college football fan, I like to know what I’m talking about.

In this 12-part feature, I’ll break down each conference, including the independents, ranking the teams in order of how good I perceive them to be heading into the season, complete with last year’s W-L record and my predictions for each team’s 2009 W-L record.

Feel free to comment on what a splendid job you think I’ve done and how my analysis and forecast is dead-on. Or you can disagree, whatever.

Last but not least, part 12: the Sun Belt




9. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | Last Year: 2-10 | My 2009 Prediction: 2-10

In 2007, the Hilltoppers began their transition from a member of the FCS to a FBS team by playing a schedule consisting of half FCS, half FBS teams. In 2008, as a FBS independent, the Hilltoppers played their first full FBS schedule and went 2-10—those two wins coming against their only FCS opponents.

2009 will be the Hilltoppers' first season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They'll play just one game against a FCS opponent, so it’s not unreasonable to expect similar results as they continue their difficult transition to better competition.

It’s not as if the Hilltoppers have been bad as they played in several close games against Sun Belt opponents. This year, however, could be a little different considering they’ve lost their starting QB, have yet to settle on a replacement, and return just four starters on DEF. Furthermore, of those four returning on DEF, their best returning starter, SR LB Blake Boyd, was booted from the team this past spring for academic reasons leaving the Hilltoppers even less experienced.

The OFF, returning eight starters, will have some weapons in place to run their spread, including a couple of good RBs and their top three WRs.

The Hilltoppers’ schedule should be difficult with a full FBS slate including two of their four conference home games coming against Troy and Arkansas State—two teams expected to compete for the conference title this year. The Hilltoppers will continue their building process this year, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be an easy win for conference opponents.

Nonetheless, with a difficult schedule, lack of overall experience and such low number of returning starters, the Hilltoppers are in for a long season.

8. North Texas Mean Green | Last Year: 1-11 | My 2009 Prediction: 3-9

In Todd Dodge’s two seasons as HC, the Mean Green have won a total of three games, two of which came against Western Kentucky. Considering WKU has been transitioning to the FBS from the FCS over the last two years and will play their first season in the SBC this year, the Mean Green have really gone just 1-13 in conference play the last two seasons.

This year will be Dodge’s best team yet with 16 returning starters on OFF and DEF. The OFF returns seven, including their top RB and best OFF weapon, Cam Montgomery, who put up over 1,000 yards of total OFF with nine scores last year.

The other skill position losses could be significant as they lose their starting QB and four of their top five WRs, including Casey Fitzgerald, who was by far their best WR with 113 receptions for 1,119 yards. The second-leading WR only had 46 and the highest of those returning had 26 receptions.

The replacement at QB will be the coach’s son, redshirt freshman Riley Dodge, who has attempted all of two career passes thus far, but is familiar with dad’s system as he ran it in HS. The O-line, on the other hand, has 103 combined career starts—eighth-most in the FBS—so QB Dodge should at least get good protection.

With nine returning starters, including their top eight tacklers, the DEF should be much more improved after ceding an average of 46 points/game and 484.5 yards/game of total OFF the past two seasons (both worst in the conference).

The schedule shouldn’t be too bad, except on the road at Alabama, and will open with two games against the MAC—at Ball State and home against Ohio. The Mean Green have a good chance to get off on the right track as they catch Ball State in a rebuilding year.

Overall, the Mean Green should be much improved, but they’ll have to significantly improve both their points/game scored as well as their points/game allowed in order to see significant improvement in the W-L column.




7. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns | Last Year: 6-6 | My 2009 Prediction: 4-8

The Ragin' Cajuns look to be taking a step back this year with the loss of some major skill players. The OFF returns seven, but the skill position losses are huge with the absence of RB Tyrell Fenroy, QB Michael Desormeaux, and WR Jason Chery, all of whom combined for almost 4,600 yards and 40 TDs of total OFF last year.

The replacements will be RB Undrea Sails, who carried 19 times last year, QB Brad McGuire, who attempted 30 passes last year, and WR Louis Lee, who had 20 receptions last year, so the Ragin’ Cajuns will be considerably less experienced this year offensively.

The O-line, however, should be one of the best in the SBC with two First-Team and one Second-Team All-SBC linemen.

The DEF returns nine of their top 10 tacklers and will be led by LB Daylon McCoy and FS Gerren Blount. They’re also two-deep at the D-line, so there should be an improvement upon last year’s poor stats consisting of 33.7 points/game allowed and 430 yards/game allowed of total OFF.

The schedule shouldn’t be bad as the Ragin’ Cajuns get Troy and Florida Atlantic at home, but they do start off with non-conference games against Kansas State, at LSU, and at Nebraska after the home opener against Southern from the FCS.

With such significant losses at the skill positions, it will be very difficult for the Ragin’ Cajuns to match last seasons increased production of 33 points/game, and therefore should fall back to the 20-22 points/game range. But, with nine returning starters on DEF, the stats should improve on that side causing an overall balancing of statistics.

It’s tough to say how this will affect the W-L column, but I’m willing to predict a drop from last year’s 6-6 mark.

6. FIU Golden Panthers | Last Year: 5-7 | My 2009 Prediction: 5-7

The Golden Panthers are another SBC team that has transitioned from the FCS during the past five years—and they certainly started off well going 5-6 their first season. But after going 1-23 the next two seasons in ‘06 and ‘07, the Golden Panthers realized it wasn’t going to be as easy a transition as it might have appeared.

They did, however, make considerable improvements last year going 5-7 overall and 3-4 in conference play. It could have been even better considering they lost to Florida Atlantic 50-57 in OT, and to ULM by four.

This year the Golden Panthers should continue with their progress, particularly on OFF, which returns 10 starters, including all five starting linemen, their starting QB, entire WR corps and even their best RB of last season, Darriet Perry.

The biggest question mark for the Golden Panthers this year appears to be on DEF, where they return a total six starters and just three of which to the front seven. The secondary returns First Team All-SBC CB Anthony Gaitor, who led the conference with 16 pass defends including five INTs.

The schedule is difficult and starts out with four of the first five on the road including at Alabama and at Rutgers. The Golden Panthers also play Troy, at Florida, at Middle Tennessee State and at Arkansas State, which are four games, in addition to the aforementioned games, most don’t expect them to win (myself included).

The Golden Panthers would then have to win all six of their remaining games just to become bowl eligible and improve upon last year’s W-L record. While not impossible, it’s unlikely, but they should at least match last year’s record with an improvement on OFF.




5. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks | Last Year: 4-8 | My 2009 Prediction: 5-7

Last year the Warhawks led the nation in starts lost to injury with 54 and still managed to be very competitive in most of their games. Even though the Warhawks went just 4-8, they lost to Florida Atlantic by one, Arkansas by one, Middle Tennessee State by three, and even beat Troy by one.

This year should be a different story as 17 starters return and mostly everybody is back healthy. The leading rusher Frank Goodin returns, but three-year starting QB Kinsmon Lancaster is gone as well as the top two WRs, which makes for the biggest question mark for the Warhawks this year.

The replacement at QB will be JR Trey Revell, who played sparingly the past two seasons. The O-line should be good with four returning starters, despite the loss of four-year starter, RT Larry Shappley.

The DEF returns nine and will be solid up front in their 3-3-5 scheme with DE Aaron Morgan and NT Aaron Williams. The LB unit loses just one starter, but the secondary returns in tact. The DEF should be a strength of the team, and they’ll need to be considering the lack of proven skill position players on OFF.

The Warhawks play seven road games with five being expected losses to Texas, Arizona State, Florida Atlantic, Kentucky, and Troy. Overall, the experience should go a long way and the DEF should improve. But, unless the pass game develops, RB Frank Goodin won’t have the run lanes, the OFF will be stagnant and will cause the DEF to wear down from being on the field too much.

Best case scenario, the Warhawks can improve to 6-6 and earn a bowl appearance for the first time ever.

4. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders | Last Year: 5-7 | My 2009 Prediction: 6-6

The Blue Raiders were largely inconsistent last year and went 5-7 as a result. They started off with a loss to Troy, but then beat Maryland, lost to FIU, but beat FL Atlantic, lost to LA-Lafayette, but then beat ULM. It’s tough to say if this year will be any different despite returning 10 on OFF.

While a solid and deep WR corps returns, as does leading rusher Phillip Tanner, the Blue Raiders lose two-year starter, QB Joe Craddock, who last year completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,677 yards with 15 scores and seven INTs. JR Dwight Dasher, who played sparingly the last season and decent at times in 2007, looks to be the replacement at starter and will benefit from a veteran O-line possessing 99 combined career starts.

The DEF returns just six, including one starting LB—their leading tackler Danny Carmichael—but has a good D-line and strong secondary.

The schedule starts out difficult with four of the first five on the road, including a non-conference slate of Clemson, Memphis and Maryland. There’s only two road games in the last seven, which will allow the Blue Raiders the opportunity for a strong finish.

HC Rick Stockstill enters his fourth season with the Blue Raiders and therefore will benefit from the maturation of his first couple recruiting classes to fill the voids on DEF. If Stockstill’s recruits can fill in seamlessly on DEF and QB Dasher can play like he showed in 2007, the Blue Raiders will not only become bowl-eligible this season, but should contend for a SBC tittle.




3. Florida Atlantic Owls | Last Year: 7-6 | My 2009 Prediction: 6-6

Despite going 6-1 over the final seven games, including a bowl win over Central Michigan, the 2008 Owls season has to be considered a disappointment considering they were the preseason consensus favorite to win the SBC. It didn’t help that three of the first four games were on the road at Texas, Michigan State and Minnesota—all losses.

This year’s schedule is a little bit better, although it starts out similarly to last year's with two straight road games—at Nebraska then at South Carolina. The Owls do get both Middle Tennessee State and Arkansas State at home, but go on the road to face Troy, this year’s consensus preseason SBC favorite.

The Owls OFF will benefit from eight returning starters, including SR QB Rusty Smith, who threw for 3,224 yards, 24 TDs and 14 INTs last season. Smith will get his entire WR corps back, but loses the top two in the backfield. The O-line returns three with at least eight+ starts, but they’ll be less experienced overall with the loss of a two-, three- and four-year starter.

The biggest question mark for the Owls this year is on the DEF side, where the losses are heavy. The DEF returns just three starters and loses seven of their top eight tacklers, including their all-time career leading tackler, LB Frantz Joseph. Last year’s DEF had five returning starters and gave up 400 yards/game of total OFF and only posted 13 sacks for the season.

While star QB Rusty Smith is back as well as his top targets, it remains to be seen if the O-line can provide the same type of protection to allow Smith to carry the DEF while they develop. My guess is the Owls will see similar results to last year: season-long inconsistency with enough to make it above .500 and to a bowl game.

2. Arkansas State Red Wolves | Last Year: 6-6 | My 2009 Prediction: 7-5

The Red Wolves look to be the most viable candidate to challenge Troy for the SBC title this year. The OFF returns all their top skill players of a year ago, including RB Reggie Arnold, who is the leader in rush yards/game (89.5) of all returning SBC RBs.

Although only hitting on 54.2 percent of his passes last year, starting QB Corey Leonard is the leader in passing efficiency (130.7) of all retuning SBC QBs as well and will have his top two WRs back. There is, however, one major question mark with this year’s Red Wolves’ OFF: the O-line.

The losses at the O-line are major as the unit returns just one starter. The rest of the group will have a combined 19 career starts—tied with Army for fewest in the country.

The DEF not only returns eight starters, but the losses are evenly spread throughout the units as the D-line returns seven of their top eight, the LBs return five of their top six and the secondary returns seven of their top eight as well. The DEF will be led by SR DE Alex Carrington, who led the conference in both sacks (10.5, T-1st) and tackles for a loss (19).

The schedule is rather difficult with seven road games including three non-conference games at Nebraska, Iowa and Louisville. The Red Wolves also get FL Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State on the road, but get Troy at home.

The Red Wolves broke a 57-year-old school record last year by averaging 399 yards of total OFF per game. With a suspect O-line, this statistic is expected to drop as might the 27 points/game posted last year.

Other than the O-line, the Red Wolves are loaded with talent and experience and have a solid DEF to rely on. If the O-line steps up, the Red Wolves should be a dangerous team and could easily take the conference crown.





1. Troy Trojans | Last Year: 8-5 | My 2009 Prediction: 10-2

The Troy Trojans are this year’s preseason consensus favorite to win the SBC title, and for good reason as they won it outright last year and appear to have all the pieces in place to do it again.

The OFF returns seven and will be led by SR QB Levi Brown, who last year completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 2,030 yards with 15 TDs to just three INTs. Backup QB Jamie Hampton, who last season added 1,046 yards passing with nine scores and four more scores on the ground with 236 rushing yards, will take a redshirt in 2009.

The OFF also welcomes back their 1,000+ yard rusher, DuJuan Harris, who also scored 14 times last year, including 11 on the ground. There’s some concern at the O-line as the starting LT and RT need to be replaced, but three other starters return with adequate experience.

The DEF only returns five, but gets back their stars, including the “Killer Bees” at LB, SR Bear Woods and SR Boris Lee—also the teams two top tacklers—as well as SR DE Brandon Lang, who tied for best in the conference last year with 10.5 sacks.

In addition to Lang, the D-line will start two other SRs, one JR and overall should be pretty solid, although they may not match their conference-best 37 sacks posted last year. The secondary takes a hit losing three starters, including First-Team All-SBC and second-round NFL draft choice, FS Sherrod Martin.

Troy has put together a respectable streak of three consecutive eight-win seasons. This year, I think they’ll not only exceed their previous mark, but will post their first-ever double-digit win total (in their FBS history) on their way to a second consecutive outright SBC title.

Usually when a player makes an impact in the NFL, fans are quick to memorize where he went to college. However, many such aficionados don't realize that DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora attended Troy University.

Brandon Lang is another Trojan, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, making an impact.  The 6 foot 3 inch, 256-pound senior is one of the best defensive ends in all of college football.

Last season, Lang lead the Trojans with 10.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hurries. He finished first in the Sun Belt Conference and 12th in the FBS in sacks. The 17.5 TFL ranked Lang second in the Sun Belt and 14th nationally.

Lang set a new school record for TFL yards with 115, breaking the the mark of 103 set by Ware in 2004.

Lang displayed an ability to also defend the run as he completed the season as the seventh best tackler with 69 tackles.

Against FIU, Lang was credited with 11 quarterback hurries, seven tackles, and a sack. In the game versus North Texas, he had a season-high 10 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss.

For his efforts in 2008, Lang was named first-team All-Sun Belt.

Lang's success last season did not come without hours of sweat and sacrifice.

He worked endlessly in the off-season to regain his renowned speed and explosiveness that was reduced when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in 2007. The season-ending injury occurred in only the third game of the season versus Oklahoma State when Lang was blocked.

In his freshman year at Troy, Lang played all 13 games in a reserve role and recorded 4.5 sacks, 26 total tackles, nine quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Not only are the Trojans overjoyed about Lang's success last season, they feel fortunate just to have his services.

Lang originally signed with Georgia but attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. in 2004 when he couldn't achieve the needed SAT score.  Lang committed to Troy in June of 2005, but he didn't participate in football, instead working on his academics at Troy and at a junior college in Kansas.

The 2009 season has yet to begin, but the accolades for Lang are already accumulating.

Along with being named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team, he has been placed on the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, an award presented to the nation's top defensive end.

Lang is also on the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award. This trophy is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football.

Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. has Lang projected to be drafted by the New York Giants with the 24th pick in a mock draft that included collegiate players entering their fourth year on campus.

Obviously, Lang's stellar statistics are based on more than just playing in the Sun Belt Conference.

In Greek mythology, Greek soldiers hid inside a wooden horse as part of a surprise attack on the Trojans. In 2009, the Trojans possess a horse they unleash to attack on opposing offenses.

When the subject of college football is brought up in conversation, nobody mentions the Sun Belt conference.

When the preseason discussion of "BCS busting" is brought up, the Sun Belt conference is again forgotten.

This may be the year to change these perceptions, as the Troy Trojans are ready to make noise on the college football scene.

Who are the Troy Trojans?

The Trojans began playing Division I football at the Bowl subdivision level in 2001. That same year Troy, then known as Troy State, defeated Mississippi State, 21-9.

The Trojans were new to Division I and already had a marquee win.

In 2004, Troy defeated Marshall and then No. 17 Missouri to start the season. The Trojans played in their first bowl game that year.

The 2006 Trojans had Florida State on upset alert before falling 24-17. And by the end of the season, Troy was crushing Rice in the R & L Carriers New Orleans Bowl by a score of 41-17.

The year 2007 saw the Trojans crush Oklahoma State, 41-23, ending the season with an 8-4 record and no bowl appearance. 

Troy put a scare into two teams in 2008, as Ohio State and LSU had tough games against the gritty Trojans.

This season sees Troy back off on the "body bag" games against top ten teams and look for games that they can win. Troy will play just one top ten team, Florida, in 2009.

Can the Trojans make a BCS Bowl and push the prestige of the Sun Belt Conference?

Let's look at the Schedule:

September 3, 2009: At Bowling Green: The Trojans open the season on the road against the MAC. It's not going to be an easy win at all, but the Trojans can win this game.  Quarterback Levi Brown returns with a talented group of receivers.

September 12, 2009: At Florida: The one loss that I can promise. It would be an amazing upset, one of monumental proportions, if the Trojans come out the victors.

September 19, 2009: Home against UAB: Conference USA and in-state rival UAB shouldn't be too much for the Trojans.

September 26, 2009: At Arkansas State: The Red Wolves will be a tough team, but Troy is the class of the Sun Belt, and should be the favorites on the road.

October 6, 2009: Home against Middle Tennessee: The Blue Raiders come to Movie Gallery Stadium with former Troy Offensive Coordinator Tony Franklin as new OC for the Blue Raiders. But Troy is tough at home—just ask Oklahoma State.

October 17, 2009: At Florida International: A team that once was a conference joke has gotten serious. FIU and T.Y. Hilton have actually won some games recently. Look for a close Trojan victory.

October 24, 2009: home against North Texas: The Mean Green are not as tough as they used to be. North Texas coach Todd Dodge will bring some points, but the defense of the Mean Green will allow too many.

October 31, 2009: home against Louisiana-Monroe: The War Hawks will give the Trojan linebackers trouble, especially quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster. The running attack of ULM will be neutralized by linebackers Borris Lee and Bear Woods, which will lead the Trojans to the "W."

November 7, 2009: At Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers are officially a Divison I squad, but this team is still mostly I-AA talent. Trojans take this one.

November 14, 2009: At Arkansas: The game the Trojans must win to be BCS-ready. A loss here makes the BCS talk worthless. If Troy can beat Arkansas, it can allow them to request an invitation to a BCS game.

November 21, 2009: home against Florida Atlantic: The Owls have won two straight bowl games and still have quarterback Rusty Smith to lead the offense. This will be a battle of two good Sun Belt teams, and home field will decide this game for Troy.

November 28, 2009: At Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin' Cajuns will miss their running back Tyrell Fenroy and quarterback Michael Desmoreaux. The Ragin' Cajuns fall short of upsetting Troy.

If Troy goes 11-1, do they make a BCS bowl?

I am not sure that is even possible, but the conversation deserves recognition.

Let's say Troy doesn't go to BCS bowl, will it get an invite to a more prestigious bowl? Will the class of the Sun Belt get a shot to represent against the best of the other conferences?

Time will tell.