Blue Ribbon Sun Belt Conference Predictions

[Keith7]

Not exactly sure if this has been posted yet.. but disregard this if it has..

Here is the preview per blue ribbon yearbook and espn.com

a more in depth preview comes out July 16

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Sun Belt Conference

1. Troy

2. Florida Atlantic

3. Louisiana-Lafayette

4. Arkansas State

5. Middle Tennessee

6. Louisiana-Monroe

7. Florida International

8. North Texas

All-Sun Belt Team

Offense

WR: Gary Banks, Troy

WR: LaGregory Sapp, UL-Monroe

OL: Matt Mandrich Arkansas St.

OL: Franklin Dunbar, MTSU

OL: Kyle Cunningham, UL-Monroe

OL: Jesse Newman, UL-Lafayette

OL: Adam Hill, UL-Monroe

QB: Omar Haugabook, Troy

RB: Tyrell Fenroy, UL-Lafayette

RB: Calvin Dawson, UL-Monroe

TE: Zeek Zacherie, UL-Monroe

Defense

DL: Josh Pinnick, FAU

DL: Jervonte Jackson, FAU

DL: Erik Walden, MTSU

DL: Tavares Jones, MTSU

LB: Koby McKinnon, Arkansas St.

LB: Brent Burkhalter, UL-Lafayette

LB: Cergile Sincere, FAU

DB: Tyrell Johnson, Arkansas St.

DB: Damon Nickson, MTSU

DB: Khayyam Burns, Arkansas St.

DB: Lionell Singleton, FIU

Specialists

K: Drew Edminston, UL-Lafayette

KR: Lionell Singleton, FIU

P: Truman Spencer, North Texas

PR: Desmond Gee, MTSU

Offensive Player of the Year

Omar Haugabook, QB, Troy

Defensive Player of the Year

Damon Nickson, DB, Middle Tennessee

Newcomer of the Year

Cam Montgomery, RB, North Texas

[good_ken]

Its gonna be nice to get back to where these lists are the same as the UNT roster (and getting back to the North Texas Invitational in New Orleans).

[LongJim]

.

[PlummMeanGreen]

Another flood control deal here...

Edited July 13, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[PlummMeanGreen]

Whichever school wins the SBC in 2007 needs to be like WAC & MAC schools and with their similar traits of having been ranked as Top 25 schools most of their championship seasons as they headed to their respective bowls. At some point, more & more SBC'ers need to also discover the stark realization (if they haven't begun to already) that SBC football championships have yet to translate into national or even regional respect to some extent.

Also, there comes a time when Wright Water's creation, ie, the SBC, and most of its membership should start winning some of those higher profile OOC games, too, not just close-score losses, ie, those so-called moral wins. No new revelation with that statement, either.

As far as our prediction of last place for the 2007 SBC season, this summer will be the best summer of all future summers for all SBC prognosticators to get their kicks in and aimed at NORTH TEXAS while they can. With all due respect to those doing the forecasting, they did such based (mostly) on our 2 previous seasons.

The best thing going for all of us at NORTH TEXAS is the direction Mean Green football is finally headed (once again) in Denton, Texas, America!

Edited July 13, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---It doesn't matter where we are ranked before the season starts or even what others think about us then. What matters is where we finish and what they think of us after it over. In fact I like to be underestimated and then surprising them. It does matter than the coaching staff and players have faith in themselves and the determination to exceed expectations.

---The Sun Belt teams, even though we are rivals, are in this together. I very much hope as a group we can pull off some good upsets against people we are not expected to defeat. Non-conf wins by any of us helps us all.---For example I much rather defeat a SMU team that expects to defeat us and then really disappoint them than defeat a SMU team that expects to lose to us. I will get a great more pleasure out of that..

---Let's hope we do well against OU and then beat the tar out of SMU.... Anyone hear the comment by "Rome's Burning" yesterday when the guest host said he thought Middle Tennessee and North Texas were directions.... nice guy. We need to make these guys eat their words and shut up. I suppose it is better to be mentioned than be totally ignored... but just barely in this case.

Edited July 13, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Daddy Dumpsalot]

Whichever school wins the SBC in 2007 needs to be like WAC & MAC schools and with their similar traits of having been ranked as Top 25 schools most of their championship seasons as they headed to their respective bowls. At some point, more & more SBC'ers need to also discover the stark realization (if they haven't begun to already) that SBC football championships have yet to translate into national or even regional respect to some extent.

Question: Has an SBC school ever been ranked in the top 25 in football? I know the conference is not very old but even still.

[the real grad88]

Can't remember the year, but it seems as though the first year we won the Belt and went to NO, that we were picked to finish last on next to last. I think we could very well do it again!

[Eagle1855]

Question: Has an SBC school ever been ranked in the top 25 in football? I know the conference is not very old but even still.

no. As far as I know, we came the closest of anyone in 2003. Had we won the New Orleans Bowl, we likely would have cracked the top 25 with at a 10-3 record.

[Charlie NT 73]

All of these college football gurus, mag-rags, sports talking heads, etc, are

placing North Texas last based on the the last 2 years performance, changing

coaches, and changing the offense from a run base to the spread, and the

defense from a 3-4 to the 4-3 set. I can not blame these college football

"experts" for placing North Texas last in everything related to college football.

Here are my views-

1. North Texas has talent on this team now--the question is, can these guys

adapt, bond, gel, play together, get the attitude and swagger to be a

championship team?

2. None of these sports experts know Coach Dodge, his staff, and their coaching

skills. For now, the sports guys just do not know what to say-seems like this

whole North Texas show is a big "experiment". If North Texas wins and wins big,

you will see alot of "I told you so!". If North Texas loses, then again, "I told you

Dodge is just a HS coach!" come from these same sports experts. Either way,

win or lose, the sports experts jump on the same copy cat bandwagon.

I see North Texas as the "suprise" team of the year! This team will be taught how to

win again, motivated to win, and will win. These players know they can win. Have

faith, Coach Dodge and his staff will rebuild this team. The team has only one way to

go at this point, and that is up! I really believe this team wants to prove to themselves

and to the fans, they are winners!