Sun Belters facing OC challenges

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CajunBlog by Dan McDonald

Cajuns aren¹t only Sun Belters facing football challenges

Dan McDonald

dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

The Ragin' Cajun football squad plays two games this season against teams that played in bowl games last year, and also faces an LSU team that finished the 2005 season ranked sixth in the AP poll and fifth in the USA Today coaches poll.

It's a tough task, but it's not one that¹s unique in the Sun Belt Conference. In fact, it's something that every one of the eight league teams faces this season.

Every Sun Belt team has at least two non-conference games against teams that made the bowl lineup last year, and half of them -- Florida International, Middle Tennessee, North Texas and Troy -- play three returning bowl teams among their five non-league games.

Each Sun Belt team also plays a squad that was in the season-ending polls last year. North Texas meets No. 1 Texas, UL Monroe faces Alabama (eighth), Arkansas State plays Auburn (14th) and Florida Atlantic meets Clemson (21st). FIU, Middle and Troy play two returning ranked teams each -- FIU against Alabama and Miami, Middle against Louisville and Oklahoma and Troy against Florida State and Nebraska.

Play that caliber of competition, and the record will suffer. Sun Belt teams went 6-27 outside the conference last year, and only one broke even outside the league.

FIU finished 2-2 in its non-conference games, but both wins came over Division I-AA clubs.

Originally published July 24, 2006