It's that time of year again. Here are my power ratings, lets hear yours.

1. Arkansas State
2. Troy
3. Appalachian State
4. ULM
5. South Alabama
6. Georgia State
7. Louisiana
8. Georgia Southern
9. Coastal Carolina
10. Texas State

Notes: These ratings are how I feel at Week 0. I don't think Arkansas State will stay in the #1 position. Teams 5-8 are almost interchangeable. Coastal will hit its stride mid-season and won't finish 9th. I think South Alabama is in the best position to be immediately better, but could have a Jeckle and Hyde season like Troy had in year one under Neal Brown, and likely stays around 5th. Troy and APP should be good, but if QB play is bad, it could be down years for both. Liking them at the top by midseason, for now.

1. Troy
2. Arkansas State
3. Appalachian State
4. ULM
5. Georgia Southern
6. Georgia State
7. South Alabama
8. Louisiana
9. Texas State
10. Coastal Carolina

1. Arkansas St
2. Troy
3. App St
4. ULM
5. Ga St
6. GS
7. USA
8. ULL
9. CCU
10. TXST

1. Troy
2. Arkansas State
3. Appalachian State
4. Georgia State
5. ULM
6. Louisiana
7. South Alabama
8. Georgia Southern
9. Coastal Carolina
10. Texas State

Maybe the first person to ever list their own team last...

1 - Troy (I know there are questions but see #3)
2 - App (I know there are questions but see #3)
3 - stAte (Got to beat the man to be the man)
4 - South (I think Campbell may be that missing link)
5 - ULM (You don't build a defense overnight)
6 - Cajuns (Might surprise us all. Depends on what coach can do to rebuild the once great.)
7 - Ga. Sta. (Just because they dog on Ga. So. whom I've never forgiven for the 1AA ass whipping they handed us)
8 - Ga. So.(we shall see)
9 - Coastal (if we can get them off the beach)
10 - Texas State (I want you to be better, I really do.)

(08-24-2018 07:23 PM)trueblue21 Wrote:  1. Troy
2. Arkansas State
3. Appalachian State
4. ULM
5. Georgia Southern
6. Georgia State
7. South Alabama
8. Louisiana
9. Texas State
10. Coastal Carolina

I completely agree with this initial ranking.

will be interesting to see how this changes as the year plays out!

1. Arkansas State( least amount of question marks in the top 3)
2. Troy ( best defense with question marks in top 3)
3. Appalachian State ( somebody had to be 3rd in the top 3)
4. Louisiana ( highest upside from spots 4-8 of high potential teams)
5. ULM ( lots of potential to build on, offense will keep them in every game)
6. Georgia Southern ( gut feeling is only difference for this spot)
7. South Alabama ( could have easily been in 5th or 6th spot)
8. Georgia State (spots 4-8 are razor thin margins, somebody had to be 8th)
9. Coastal Carolina (who knows, every game will be a dog fight)
10. Texas State (at some point everything will come together, just need to see it first)

Troy
AState
App
ULM
Georgia Southern
Louisiana
Georgia State
South Alabama
Coastal Carolina
Texas State

I have questions for Troy & App fans. Both teams lost outstanding QBs and Troy lost Chun too. What players do you expect to make up for the losses at those key positions? What is the strength of your team.

As for A-State, we lost a couple of good WRs (Booker, Paschall & Mack TE) but we reloaded at WR (see Dahu Green, Kirk Merritt, etc.). We also return one RB who got injured early last year & picked up a stud freshman RB that has turned out to be a nice surprise in fall camp.

...but our most concern is on defense. We lost Roland-Jones at DE & Kyle Martin at LB along with both starting CBs. From what I gather we will still be loaded on the DL but the CBs are still fighting it out...we got one guy back from injury last year that played significantly at CB. However, LB is the biggest question mark. We have one guy, Chambers, who started on fire as a Freshman against USC but got injured in game 2 and has battled injuries since. If he stays healthy he could be a beast but we shall see.

MY guess is we will be somewhat like ULM...A lot of offense and a few concerns on defense.

(08-25-2018 07:22 AM)JSinLR Wrote:  I have questions for Troy & App fans. Both teams lost outstanding QBs and Troy lost Chun too. What players do you expect to make up for the losses at those key positions? What is the strength of your team.

At QB we have two true dual threat guys competing for the job. Neal Brown, over the last two years, has done a great job of getting them game experience during the early parts of seasons, with a series or two here and there. They've also had some cleanup duty when the team was ahead late. Silvers missed all of last spring with a hand injury, allowing Barker and Smith to have the entire spring to themselves. They've now had this spring as well and this fall as the main guys, so the system is not new to them. They've been around the program a long time, so I expect them to pretty good by midseason.

At running back, we have maybe the best kept secret in the league in Jamarius Henderson. The JUCO back we signed that had the same measurables as Chunn, is academically ineligible. Tough blow for Troy, but we still have two backs that are capable of competing for 1st team all SBC. We just don't have that big, bruising guy that sucks in linebackers.

OL and WR are stacked with experience. Special teams has three guys at kick return that could be legit all-americans in Marcus Jones, Jabir Frye, and Treveon Samuel. Kicking game has everyone back as well. Should be an improved unit.

Defense is the most talented its ever been, but some camp reports suggest they're not playing as hard as they could be. The loss of leadership at some positions will be a work in progress. If everything comes together, the defense has the potential to be even better than last year's.

Everything seems to be in place. It's just a matter of how the team responds after beating LSU and winning a conference championship. That's what I've been worried about more than any individual unit.

1. Troy (very good and defending champ)
2. stAte (11-1 is attainable in Anderson's last year)
3. App St. (most impressive program in conference to me)
4. Ga So. (They are back this year, lots of talent!)
5. USA (new coach, always tough
6. ULM (Cam Newton the second at QB)
7. UL (still talent on the roster)
8. Ga St. (wouldn't be surprised if they sneak up)
9. Coastal (looking forward to seeing Moglia coach)
10. Tx. St ( need a new coach, should be competing every year for the conf. Great facilities in recruiting hotbed - What's the deal?

All that being said, what a competitive conference! SBC should surpass CUSA and MAC this year because we don't have any lower tier teams. I think stAte wins it all, but I could see 6 teams bowling.

(08-25-2018 09:16 AM)Rik Flair Wrote:  1. Troy (very good and defending champ)
2. stAte (11-1 is attainable in Anderson's last year)
3. App St. (most impressive program in conference to me)
4. Ga So. (They are back this year, lots of talent!)
5. USA (new coach, always tough
6. ULM (Cam Newton the second at QB)
7. UL (still talent on the roster)
8. Ga St. (wouldn't be surprised if they sneak up)
9. Coastal (looking forward to seeing Moglia coach)
10. Tx. St ( need a new coach, should be competing every year for the conf. Great facilities in recruiting hotbed - What's the deal?

All that being said, what a competitive conference! SBC should surpass CUSA and MAC this year because we don't have any lower tier teams. I think stAte wins it all, but I could see 6 teams bowling.

We have just got to get it done in the OOC games to prove how competitive this conference is. Won’t do us any good if we just all beat up on each other.

Dan Ellington is better than Manning. I think we challenge for top 3 once we survive the NC St, Memphis, Western Michigan gauntlet.

(08-25-2018 07:22 AM)JSinLR Wrote:  I have questions for Troy & App fans. Both teams lost outstanding QBs and Troy lost Chun too. What players do you expect to make up for the losses at those key positions? What is the strength of your team.

As for A-State, we lost a couple of good WRs (Booker, Paschall & Mack TE) but we reloaded at WR (see Dahu Green, Kirk Merritt, etc.). We also return one RB who got injured early last year & picked up a stud freshman RB that has turned out to be a nice surprise in fall camp.

...but our most concern is on defense. We lost Roland-Jones at DE & Kyle Martin at LB along with both starting CBs. From what I gather we will still be loaded on the DL but the CBs are still fighting it out...we got one guy back from injury last year that played significantly at CB. However, LB is the biggest question mark. We have one guy, Chambers, who started on fire as a Freshman against USC but got injured in game 2 and has battled injuries since. If he stays healthy he could be a beast but we shall see.

MY guess is we will be somewhat like ULM...A lot of offense and a few concerns on defense.

Kyle Martin was a DB. Kyle Wilson was the LB.

(08-25-2018 07:22 AM)JSinLR Wrote:  I have questions for Troy & App fans. Both teams lost outstanding QBs and Troy lost Chun too. What players do you expect to make up for the losses at those key positions? What is the strength of your team.

As for A-State, we lost a couple of good WRs (Booker, Paschall & Mack TE) but we reloaded at WR (see Dahu Green, Kirk Merritt, etc.). We also return one RB who got injured early last year & picked up a stud freshman RB that has turned out to be a nice surprise in fall camp.

...but our most concern is on defense. We lost Roland-Jones at DE & Kyle Martin at LB along with both starting CBs. From what I gather we will still be loaded on the DL but the CBs are still fighting it out...we got one guy back from injury last year that played significantly at CB. However, LB is the biggest question mark. We have one guy, Chambers, who started on fire as a Freshman against USC but got injured in game 2 and has battled injuries since. If he stays healthy he could be a beast but we shall see.

MY guess is we will be somewhat like ULM...A lot of offense and a few concerns on defense.

Kyle Martin was a DB. Kyle Wilson was the LB.

1. Ark State...one of the top 10 QBs in the country, excellent receivers...just don't wait until conference play to get it all together please.

2. Troy ... I give them the edge over App because I like their defense, DC, and receivers.

3. App ... Satterfield will develop another good QB, defense will probably still be stout, one of the favorites in the east.

4. South Alabama ... Good talent at offensive skill positions, taking coaches that have won at the FCS and other levels is usually a good formula for a good hire at a G5 school.

5. Georgia Southern ... We've got a roster where a decent coach should be able to make a bowl game. By conference play I think we'll be playing well.

6. ULM ... great on offense, defense keeps them from being a top team.

7. Georgia State ... find a running back and a QB and you can be in the top 4.

8. Louisiana ... Defense seems slow and need rebuilding. May not have a QB, either.

9. Coastal Carolina ... still going to need to a few recruiting cycles before they can keep up.

10. Texas State ... Go out and get KC Keeler.

God I hope Withers proves yall wrong...

Seriously. He may actually be more disliked among the rest of the conference than he is among TXST fans.

The difference between year 1 and year 2 was pretty drastic. If we make similar improvement from year 2 to year 3 we should get some Ws.

1. StAte
2. Troy
3. ULM
4. App
5. GSU
6. USA
7. GS
8. That team down south
9. CCU
10. TXST