The 2011-12 Bowl Season kicks off on Saturday with 3 Bowl Match Ups

The FBS kicks off the first of 35 bowl games in 2011-12, with the first three bowl games on Saturday. Too many? Sure, but when one considers 68 teams make the NCAA Basketball Tournament, is it that far fetched that 70 teams finish the season with a bowl game?

Big Ten leads with ten bowl spots. The Big Ten has a record ten teams in bowl games this year, including first-year member, Nebraska. The University of Iowa is playing in its tenth bowl in eleven years, under Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 13 season as head coach. Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten for the second straight year in the Rose Bowl.

Three other college football games play on Saturday. The Division II Championship Game and the NAIA Championship Game are played on Saturday, as well as the second semi-final game on the road to the FCS title game. On Friday, the first semi-final game in FCS was played, with Sam Houston State defeating Montana 31-28 at home.

2011-12 Bowl Games kick off on Saturday

(Printable Bowl Schedule w/ DirecTV channels)
Saturday, December 17th

D2 Final: Pittsburg State vs. Wayne State (MI)
10:00 a.m.
ESPN2 (HD) / espn3

New Mexico Bowl: Temple vs. Wyoming
1:00 p.m.
ESPN (HD) / espn3

DI-AA Semifinals: Georgia Southern at North Dakota State
1:30 p.m.
ESPNU (HD) / espn3

NAIA Championship: Carroll (MT) vs. Saint Xavier (IL)
3:30 p.m.
CBSSN (HD)

Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Utah State
4:30 p.m.
ESPN (HD) / espn3

New Orleans Bowl: LA Lafayette vs. San Diego State
8:00 p.m.
ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3

Cidsports Thoughts and Predictions on the three opening bowl games:

Temple (8-4, 5-3 MAC East) vs. Wyoming (8-4, 5-2 MWC) in New Mexico Bowl

• First year coach Steve Addazio's Owls vs. third year coach Dave Christensen's Cowboys


• Both teams last bowl games were in 2009, Christensen's Cowboys won in New Mexico over Fresno State, while the Owls lost to UCLA in the EagleBank


• Owls are 1-2 lifetime in bowls, while Cowboys are 6-6


• We will take the Cowboys, as a +7 underdog in this bowl game

Ohio U (9-4, 6-2 MAC East) vs. Utah State (7-5, 5-2 WAC) in Idaho Potato Bowl

• Seven year coach Frank Solich's Bobcats vs. third year coach Gary Anderson's Aggies


• Solich is leading the Bobcats to third straight bowl game, fourth in six years, while Anderson has the Aggies in their first bowl game, since '97 season


• Ohio U is 0-5 in bowls, while Utah State is 1-4 over the years


• Again, we will take the underdog, Ohio U as a +1.5 underdog in this bowl game

Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt) vs. San Diego State (8-4, 4-3 MWC) in New Orleans Bowl

• Battle of first year coaches: Mark Hudspeth's Ragin' Cajuns vs. Rocky Long's Aztecs


• Ragin' Cajuns have never played in an FBS bowl, while the Aztecs beat Navy last season 35-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl


• San Diego State is 2-4 lifetime in bowl games, while it is the first postseason appearance in 41 years for the Ragin' Cajuns


• San Diego State is a -4.5 favorite in this bowl game: Go Aztecs!

Conference Look: The 2010 Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt Conference is the lowest rated FBS conference by most accounts, but there could be some excitement during the 2010 season. The Sun Belt celebrates the 10Th anniversary in football in 2010.

Only 16 programs in the FBS have never been ranked. None of the Sun Belt programs have ever been ranked, since 1959. Could the ceiling be broke in 2010?

Biggest Win by Sun Belt: Louisiana-Monroe had a huge win in 2007 at Alabama, when the Warhawks upset Nick Sabin's Alabama Crimson Tide, 21-14. Alabama has been 27-3, since that game.

Last year, Middle Tennessee (10-3) beat Maryland 32-31 in Week 3 on the road and beat Southern Mississippi 42-32 in the New Orleans Bowl. Troy (9-4) lost 41-44 to Central Michigan in the GMAC. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6) beat Kansas State 17-15 last year in Week 2.

Top 12 OOC games with Sun Belt Conference teams:

1. Minnesota @ Middle Tennessee on 9/2 - The Blue Raiders will host the Golden Gophers on opening day ... The Sporting News is picking this game as a Sun Belt victim!


2. Kansas State @ North Texas on 11/27 - The Mean Green will close out Thanksgiving weekend with a visit from a Big 12 program ... Will this be the another victim?


3. Bowling Green @ Troy on 9/4 - The Trojans lost 14-31 last year at Bowling Green, so a payback opportunity in opening weekend rematch ...


4. Rice @ North Texas on 9/11 - The instate series is tied 1-1, but the '08 game at Rice turned out to be a 20-77 loss for the Mean Green ...


5. Louisville @ Arkansas State on 10/2 - The Red Wolves have selected the game with Louisville as their Homecoming game, despite the 13-21 loss @ Louisville last year ...


6. Oklahoma State @ Louisiana-Lafayette on 10/8 - The Ragin' Cajuns look to pick up another win vs. Big 12 at home, after last year's win over K-State ...


7. Rutgers @ FIU on 9/11 - The Panthers open the 2010 season at home a week later than most as Rutgers pays a visit to Miami, after last year's 15-23 loss in NJ ...


8. Indiana @ Western Kentucky on 9/18 - The Hilltoppers lost 13-31 in the '08 opener at IU, but this season's game the Hoosiers come for a visit ...


9. Florida Atlantic vs. Michigan State on 9/11 in Detroit - The Owls lost 0-17 @ MSU in '08 ...


10. Troy @ Oklahoma State on 9/11 - Third meeting, the Trojans won 41-23 in '07 at home, but followed it up with a 24-55 loss on the road in '08 ...


11. Arkansas State @ Indiana on 10/16 - The Red Wolves are 0-5 lifetime vs. Big Ten and gave Iowa a scare last year, so first meeting vs. Hoosiers could be interesting ...


12. Florida Atlantic @ Texas on 11/20 - The Owls opened at Texas in '08 and got rolled 10-52, so will a late November game give the Owls a better chance?

• Middle Tennessee - Austin Peay (9/11), @ Memphis (10/18)
• Troy - @ UAB (9/18), @ South Carolina (11/20)
• North Texas - @ Clemson (10/4), @ Army (10/18)
• Florida Atlantic - @ UAB (9/4), @ USF (10/2)
• Arkansas State - @ Auburn (9/4), @ Navy (10/20)
• Louisiana - Lafayette - @ Georgia (9/4), @ Ohio (10/30), @ Mississippi (11/6)
• FIU - @ Texas A&M (9/18), @ Maryland (9/25), @ Pittsburgh (10/2)
• Louisiana-Monroe - @ Arkansas (9/11), SE Louisiana (9/25), @ Auburn (10/2)
• Western Kentucky - @ Nebraska (9/4), @ Kentucky (9/11), @ USF (9/25)

Best chance for a Top 25 Team in 2010 - Middle Tennessee

Top Conference Game - Troy @ Middle Tennessee on 10/5 (Tuesday)

Most dominate program over the last 3, 5 and 9 years of the conference: Troy (best conference records)

Former members of the conference: New Mexico State, Utah State and Idaho

The Sun Belt held a Football Media Day on July 19Th and 20Th. A look at the past nine seasons and champions of the Sun Belt.

Preseason Sun Belt Coaches Poll

First Place Votes in Parenthesis (Record from '09)
1. Middle Tennessee (7-1) 75 (5)
2. Troy (8-0) 73 (3)
3. Arkansas State (3-5) 53
4. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-4) 49 (1)
5. Florida Atlantic (5-3) 45
6. FIU (3-5) 42
7. Louisiana-Monroe (5-3) 32
8. North Texas (1-7) 27
9. WKU (0-8) 9

Note - Western Kentucky's first official football season was '09. South Alabama hopes to join the football conference in 2013. The Arkansas-Little Rock and the University of Denver don't field a football team.

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team

As voted on by the Sun Belt Head Coaches and Media Representatives

Offense

• Dwight Dasher (MT, Sr., QB)
• Alfred Morris (FAU, Jr., RB) and Lance Dunbar (NT, Jr., RB)
• T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., WR) and Jerrel Jernigan (Troy, Sr., WR)
• Ladarius Green (ULL, Jr., TE)
• Derek Newton (ASU, Sr., OL), Brad Serirni (FIU, Sr., OL), Mark Fisher (MT, Sr., OL)
• Esteban Santiago (NT, Sr., OL) and Tyler Clark (Troy, Sr., OL)

Defense

• Bryan Hall (ASU, Sr., DL), Troy Evans (ULM, Jr., DL),
• Jamari Lattimore (MT, Sr., DL) and Brandon Akpunku (NT, Jr., DL)
• Demario Davis (ASU, Jr., LB), Grant Fleming (ULL, Sr., LB),
• Craig Robertson (NT, Sr., LB)
• Tavious Polo (FAU, Sr., DB), Anthony Gaitor (FIU, Sr., DB),
• Jeremy Kellem (MT, Sr., DB) and Bryan Willis (Troy, So., DB)

Special Teams

• Alan Gendreau (MT, Jr., Place Kicker)
• Spencer Ortego (ULL, Sr., Punter)
• T.Y. Hilton (FIU, Jr., Return Specialist)

Offensive Player of the Year: Dwight Dasher (MT, Sr., QB)
Defensive Player of the Year: Bryan Hall (ASU, Sr., DL)

Bowl tie-ins for the Sun Belt Conference:

• New Orleans Bowl
• GMAC Bowl

MTSU primed to pass up Troy atop Sun Belt - SI.com
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -As the Sun Belt Conference closes out its first decade of college football, commissioner Wright Waters is calling on its top teams to set ...

peace

College Football '09: A look at this year's Sun Belt Conference

Does the Sun Belt Conference make any BCS noise in '09. Who would a candidate be for '09? How does the conference breakdown in '09 for Sun Belt?

• The Sun Belt is ranked by Jeff Sagarin as a lowest conference in FBS

• The Sun Belt is ranked lower than the Colonial Conference, which is in the FCS

Ranked teams in the AP and Coaches' preseason polls:

none, with Troy receiving one vote in each poll

Preseason magazines don't like any Sun Belt teams in the Top 25 preseason:

none

Teams rebuilding in the Sun Belt in '09

• UL - Lafeyette

Teams rated below the FBS mark of #120 in 2009?

• UL -Lafayette
• UL -Monroe
• Western Kentucky
• FIU
• North Texas

Will the Sun Belt Conference finish this way in 2009??

1. Troy * (6-1 in '08) (1-2 in bowls)
2. Arkansas State (4-3) (0-1)
3. Middle Tennessee (3-4) (0-1)
4. Florida Atlantic (4-3) (2-0)
5. Florida International (3-4) (none)
6. Lousisiana - Monroe (3-4) (none)
7. Louisisiana - Lafayette (5-2) (none)
8. North Texas (0-7) (1-5)
9. Western Kentucky # (0-5) (none)

* denotes 2008 Sun Belt Conference champs (source for above list)

# New full member in 2009, after moving to FBS in 2008.

Last BCS title winner

• No Sun Belt team has ever participated in a BCS bowl.

Kickoff Game of the Season

Thursday, September 4Th
Troy @ Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Ohio

TV: none

Final Look at the Sun Belt teams, using the preseason Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings:

1. Troy (# 70 in Sagarin ratings) - Coach Larry Blakeney enters his 19Th season at the helm for the Trojans. The Trojans are the most competetitive and consistent program of late in the Sun Belt. The 8-5 team in '08 return 52 letterwinners, with 7 OFF and 5 DEF plus both kickers from a team coming off a 27-30 loss to Southern Miss to close out the season in the New Orleans. Troy opens in OOC @ Bowling Green @ Florida, vs. UAB, then a huge Sun Belt opener @ Arkansas State. Final OOC game is at Arkansas on 11/14.
2. Middle Tennesse (# 106) - Coach Rick Stockstill enters 4Th year after a 5-7 record in '08. The Blue Raiders return 45 letterwinners, with 10 OFF and 6 DEF plus both kickers. The Blue Raiders open the '09 seaon @ Clemson, vs. Memphis, @ Maryland, then enter Sun Belt play. Final OOC game is vs. Mississippi State on 10/17 coming off bye week.
3. Florida Atlantic (# 112) - Coach Howard Schnellenberger enters his 9Th season and is the only coach in FAU history for the Owls, who started football in '01. The Owls 7-6 team from '08 return 46 letterwinners, 8 OFF and 3 DEF plus their punter, from the team that defeated Central Michigan 24-21 in the Motor City. The Owls open '09 @ Nebraska, bye week, @ South Carolina, the Sun Belt opener vs. ULM, vs. Wyoming. Final OOC game is @ UAB to open November.
4. Arkansas State (# 119) - Coach Steve Roberts enters his 8Th year for the Red Wolves coming off a 6-6 record in '08. The Red Wolves return 51 letterwinners, including 7 OFF and 8 DEF plus their placekicker. They open '09 vs. Mississippi Valley State, @ Nebraska, bye week before the Sun Belt opener vs. Troy, @ Iowa and travel on Halloween @ Louisville.
5. Louisiana - Lafayette (# 123) - Coach Ricky Bustle is entering 8Th season at the helm of the Ragin' Cajuns. The Ragin' Cajuns return 50 letterwinners, including 7 OFF and 9 DEF plus punter from their 6-6 squad from '08. They open '09 season vs. Southern, vs. Kansas State, @ LSU and @ Nebraska, before a bye week and the run in the Sun Belt Conference.
6. Louisiana - Monroe (# 127) - Coach Charlie Weatherbie is entering his 7Th year at the helm for the Warhawks. Last year the Warhawks finished 4-8. They return 40 letterwinners, with 8 OFF and 9 DEF plus both kickers. They open in '09 @ Texas, vs. Texas Southern, @ Arizona State and later play @ Kentucky on 10/24 for their OOC games.
7. Western Kentucky (# 133) - Coach David Elson begins his 7Th year and will enter a full slate of Sun Belt games finally in '09. The Hilltoppers return 33 letterwinners, with 8 OFF and 4 DEF plus their punter from last year's 2-10 team. The Hilltoppers open '09 play @ Tennessee, vs. USF, vs. Central Arkansas and @ Navy, before a bye week and play in the conference.
8. Florida International (# 147) - Coach Mario Cristobal enters his 3Rd season in Miami at the Golden Panthers' helm. They finished 5-7 last year and return 55 letterwinners, with 10 OFF and 6 DEF plus PK Dustin Rivest will take over both duties in '09. The Golden Panthers open the '09 season a week later than most teams @ Alabama, @ Rutgers, vs. Toledo, then enter conference play. On 11/21, FIU will travel to face preseason #1 Florida.
9. North Texas (# 165) - Coach Todd Dodge enters his 3Rd season at the helm for the Mean Green after leaving head coaching at the Texas high school level. The Mean Green were 1-11 last year and return 47 letterwinners, with 7 OFF and 9 DEF plus their PK. North Texas opens the '09 season @ Ball State, vs. Ohio U., @ Alabama, then opens Sun Belt play vs. Middle Tennessee. The final OOC game is 11/21 vs. Army.

A look back at last year's statistics in the Sun Belt.

peace

Florida Atlantic nearly consensus pick in Sun Belt for '08

The Florida Atlantic Owls are nearly a preseason consensus pick in the Sun Belt Conference football race for '08. However, the College Football News is departing from conventional wisdom and is going with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders for '08.

The Sun Belt Conference is the lowest rated conference in the FBS division entering '08, by most accounts. Though, Phil Steele rated the Sun Belt ahead of the MAC to close out '07 (page 18 of Phil Steele's 2008 College Football Preview).

Lindy's has Florida Atlantic at #84 nationally, behind 3 MAC teams (Central Michigan, Ball State, and Miami-OH). Athlon Sports on the other hand has FAU #70 nationally, ahead of everyone in the MAC, other than #62 Central Michigan. PFW/College Football News picks Middle Tennessee ahead of FAU in the conference race, but has FAU #82 nationally, behind 3 MAC teams (CMU, Ball State, and Bowling Green), while Middle Tennessee is rated #108 nationally. All three magazines have FIU #119, last nationally of all FBS teams for '08.

Top 15 Sun Belt OOC games to watch in '08 -

1. Troy at Ohio State
2. Florida Atlantic at Texas in season opener
3. Florida Atlantic at Michigan State
4. Arkansas State at Texas A&M in season opener
5. Arkansas State at Alabama
6. Florida Atlantic at Minnesota
7. Troy at Oklahoma State
8. ULM at Auburn in season opener
9. ULM at Arkansas
10. ULM at Ole Miss
11. Louisiana-Lafayette at Illinois
12. Maryland at Middle Tennessee
13. North Texas at Kansas State in season opener
14. FIU at Kansas in season opener
15. FIU at Iowa

Finally, defending BCS champion LSU hosts both Troy and North Texas in '08 in the OOC. Troy is the only FBS team in '08 that will face both the BCS champ and runner up on their schedule. Who will be this year's victim to the Sun Belt in the OOC in '08. ULM beat Alabama in November '07, while Troy beat Oklahoma State in '07?

The Sun Belt will add Western Kentucky as a football member in 2009 and South Alabama in 2013. For what it's worth, according to Wikipedia, Florida Atlantic has the strongest endowment of all football members in the Sun Belt.

So, who does one pick in the Sun Belt Conference for 2008?

1. Troy Trojans (7-1 in '07) are going for their 3rd straight share of a Sun Belt title and they have several skill position holes to fill in '08. My surprise pick!
2. Florida Atlantic Owls (7-1 in '07) have the upper hand, playing Troy at home in '08?
3. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (4-3 in '07) won a share of the Sun Belt in '06 w/ Troy.
4. UL- Monroe Warhawks (4-3 in '07) last won a share of the Sun Belt in '05.
5. Arkansas State Red Wolves (3-4 in '07) also last won a share of the Sun Belt in '05.
6. UL-Lafayette Red Wolves (3-4 in '07) also last won a share of the Sun Belt in '05.
7. North Texas Mean Green (1-6 in '08) won a share or outright Sun Belt title from '01 to '04.
8. Florida International Golden Panthers (1-6 in '08) are the #119 team in the nation and will likely need another year before moving out of the Sun Belt cellar.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers play five games vs. Sun Belt teams, but will not become an official conference member in football until next season.

• Biggest Game: Oct. 7th - Troy @ Florida Atlantic
• Biggest Football Rivalry Game: Aug. 28 - Troy @ Middle Tennessee to open season
• Coach of the Year: Larry Blakeney, Troy (his 18th season for Trojans)

Some other projections for the Sun Belt in '08 that I googled after I made my own picks. Jason Lowry's picks. Jeff Alexander's picks. Catfish and Cornbread picks. I know I went on a limb in the Sun Belt for '08.

peace