Sun Belt Conference Power Rankings
Article By: Sun Belt Conference Football Power Rankings
As we head down the final stretch of Season 31, we're starting to see a two-way race for the SBC title between #12 Old Dominion and #23 Southern Mississippi. Both schools are currently undefeated and on a crash course for a matchup in the conference championship with a possible CFP berth on the line. Behind those two are several schools that are on track for bowl berths as they SBC attempts to land a record numbers of school in after such a great showing OOC this year. Lots of great matchups still left on the schedule but for now here is where we sit two thirds of the way through the season:
14. James Madison (0-3 overall, 0-0 SBCE)
James Madison checks in at the bottom of the power rankings a little over halfway through the season. With only 3 games played, it’s tough to get any read on how the Dukes look this year. We’re hopeful that Coach MCX can get some games in over the following few weeks as the James Madison fanbase is passionate and loves to see their team in action.
13. Troy (0-4 overall, 0-2 SBCW)
Similar to James Madison, we need to see more from Troy before knowing where to accurately rank them in conference. While the Trojans are 0-4 on the season, their games against non-P5 schools have been extremely competitive so they could easily rise in the rankings as they get more games in. The Trojans fanbase is equally passionate about their team so we hope to see them getting more reps in the coming weeks.
12. South Alabama (1-3 overall, 0-1 SBCW)
The Jaguars move up two spots this ranking as they’ve finally hired a new coach who got their first win right out of the gate against Eastern Michigan. South Alabama also looked good against Georgia Southern despite falling short in a four-point loss to the Eagles. This is another one to keep an eye on as he starts to get more games completed on his schedule.
11. Louisiana Monroe (1-3 overall, 0-1 SBCW)
With only two games left against teams with winning conference records, ULM can control their own destiny on where they end up in the SBC. It’s a manageable schedule for a coach that is known for being competitive. We look forward to seeing the Warhawks in their battle uniforms start to light up the scoreboard soon at a field near you.
10. Georgia State (2-4 overall, 0-3 SBCE)
After starting out hot with two wins right out of the gate, Georgia State has fallen in the power rankings after hitting a brick wall in conference play. With arguably the toughest opening slate in the SBC this season, Georgia State has failed to notch their first conference win of the year yet. They’ve played Old Dominion, Georgia Southern and Marshall to start the season with their next matchup against Appalachian State. Things open after that stretch with winnable games leading up to their end of year clash against Coastal Carolina.
9. Arkansas State (3-3 overall, 0-2 SBCW)
The Red Wolves started out hotter than fire to begin the year going 3-1 out of conference and looking like one of the best teams in the league doing it. However, they’ve faltered at the open of conference play dropping their first two matchups against Southern Miss and Texas State. This Arkansas State roster is loaded however so we expect Coach Ick to shake the losses off and get back to early season form where he was lighting the scoreboard up. Don’t be surprised to see this team challenge for a top 4 spot in conference down the stretch.
8. Coastal Carolina (4-5 overall, 1-4 SBCE)
Coastal has the toughest schedule in the league right now having to play 5 of their 8 conference games against teams ranked ahead of them. Based off the power rankings, they’ve won the game they were supposed to win and lost the four that they were supposed to lose. You can’t get much steadier than that. We know Coach Brian would like to see more out of his team and expect him to make a run at a bowl game with at least 2 winnable games left on his schedule. Will he return to Coastal again next year is the questions that the fans begin to ask now.
7. Texas State (3-5 overall, 2-2 SBCW)
Coach Dawg continues to go to the well and get solid production from Ismael Madi. The premier RB in the SBC is close to breaking the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season. He continues to look like an NFL running back and will be needed down the stretch as the Bobcats need to win three out of their last four to guarantee a bowl game. The wins are there but the production needs to happen in order to see them through to fruition.
6. Marshall (4-5 overall, 2-3 SBCE)
Marshall is like Coastal in that they have lost to the three teams above them in the rankings and beat everyone else below them. If that trend holds steady, we look for the Herd to finish out the season 2-1 which would lock up a bowl bid for Marshall. After weathering an 0-4 stretch midseason, that extra game and practice would be a welcome gift for the fans in Huntington.
5. Louisiana (4-2 overall, 2-1 SBCW)
Louisiana comes in at the 5th spot at the mid-point but finds themselves in a position to vault up the rankings if they can take down Southern Miss in their upcoming matchup. The Cajuns gave looked very good so far this season in putting up 14+ point victories three times this season. They went toe to toe against Appalachian State but ultimately fell short in the 4th
4. Appalachian State (4-3 overall, 3-1 SBCE)
While their record may only sit slight above .500, Appalachian State’s losses this season have come by a total of 11 points and two of those were against top 15 teams. The Mountaineers have shown that they can play with the best but unfortunately, they’ve come up just short in closing them both out. We need to see more from App State before potentially moving them up higher on the list but based off the resume so far, we expect that to happen sooner rather than later.
3. Georgia Southern (6-2 overall, 3-1 SBCE)
Georgia Southern raced to the top of the SBC power rankings with a hot start this season that saw them go 5-0 against G5 opponents heading into a prime-time clash with Old Dominion this past week. The Eagles only OOC loss was a heart breaker to the Utah Utes that saw them come up short in a 38-28 loss to the much more talented Big 12 team. Passion was high in Statesboro as the Eagles fanbase felt like they were ready to bead the preseason favorite Monarchs. However, that was not to be as Georgia Southern suffered a 49-21 loss to ODU. They can still sneak into the SBC Championship game if Old Dominion slips up twice but for now, they are playing for a spot in the top 25 and a solid bowl game.
2. Southern Miss (7-0 overall, 3-0 SBCW)
#23 Southern Miss continues to impress with their tenacious defense that is becoming known across the country for their ability to force turnovers. While the Golden Eagles have been perfect so far, they move into a difficult stretch of games against Louisiana and Texas State that will determine if they can catch Old Dominion in the top 25 or just be known as a good Sun Belt team.
1. Old Dominion (8-0 overall, 5-0 SBCE)
#12 Old Dominion keeps hold of the top spot in the mid-season SBC power rankings as they have continued to roll through the season posting an 8-0 mark overall and 5-0 in conference play. They received their toughest test yet this season with Appalachian State pushing them to the wire in a 24-21 Old Dominion victory. The Mountaineers were able to find a formula to keep it close against the best offense in the league so it will be something to watch down the stretch to see if anyone else can replicate it.
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