Is Appalachian State The Team To Beat In The Sun Belt East?

One of the most intriguing divisional races in college football this year is in the Sun Belt where Appalachian State is supposed to dominate. They’ve now become the king of the Sun Belt but will they again reign supreme or will someone else knock them off their perch?

APPALACHIAN STATE

ODDS: -300

The powerhouse in the Sun Belt, winner of the last four conference titles (shared or outright), will once again be expected to make the Sun Belt Championship Game. The Mountaineers return their starting quarterback and their top three wide receivers plus most of their offensive line. Their big weakness will be pass coverage; they lose five members of their linebackers and secondary personnel. The big uncertainty for this team is that it has its third head coach in three seasons. Scott Satterfield coached App State in 2018; Eliah Drinkwitz coached the team last year; Shawn Clark is the coach this year. If Clark is up to the task, the team should continue to win at a high level. If Clark struggles, Troy or Georgia Southern could swipe the division.

TROY

ODDS: +425

The Trojans lose their starting quarterback and three starting offensive linemen from the 2019 roster. The big question will be at quarterback; the Trojans will have to find a replacement under center, but the good news is they won’t have to rely on a freshman or someone without live-game collegiate experience. Multiple transfers from other programs will contend for the starting job, and if the actual starter is up to the challenge, everything could fall into place. The defense was mostly comprised of underclassmen last year. A lot of seasoned juniors and battle-tested sophomores should give Troy a lot more competence and stability on defense, compared to last year’s “learn on the job” season. Troy and Georgia Southern should wage a spirited battle for second place in the division.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN
ODDS: +800

The Eagles are noteworthy in the Sun Belt because they have defeated the league champion, Appalachian State, each of the last two seasons. This is enough to give the Eagles respect and stature as a legitimate division title contender. Nearly the whole offense returns intact this season, which bolsters Georgia Southern’s hopes of doing something big. The offense wasn’t great last season, but having a cohesive, experienced unit should certainly produce better results on that side of the ball. The big concern is that Georgia Southern has to replace its two starting cornerbacks plus a backup as well. Opposing offenses are going to throw the ball a lot, and Georgia Southern’s defense might not be ready.

GEORGIA STATE
ODDS: +1500

The Panthers will be strong, deep and experienced at offensive line and wide receiver, but have to replace their quarterback and most of their defense, particularly their defensive line. This team’s defense was vulnerable enough as it was last season, getting ambushed after an early-season road upset victory at Tennessee. That defense doesn’t appear to be in any position to improve this season; merely staying at a 2019 standard would represent a good result under the circumstances. It is hard to take this team seriously as a division title contender. It could make a bowl game, but it probably can’t expect anything more than that.

COASTAL CAROLINA
ODDS: +2500

The Chanticleers bring back each of their starting safeties but have to replace each of their starting cornerbacks from 2019. They bring back their wide receivers and offensive line but are thin at linebacker and need to replace their starting quarterback from last season. The program has struggled in recent seasons, so a significant upward movement requires all the pieces to be firmly in place. There are some strong points to the 2020 roster, but there are enough weaknesses and limitations to make it clear that Coastal Carolina is not ready to make a serious run at a division title.

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