In the second season under head coach Todd Berry, ULM went just 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. However, the Warhawks were a much better team than their record might indicate. ULM actually outgained their opponents in conference play by an average of 105.5 ypg (second best). They had three heartbreaking losses against Arkansas St (19-24), Western Kentucky (28-31 OT) and Louisiana (35-36). This is one of those teams that could surprise in the Sun Belt this season, much like Arkansas...
Read more about Louisiana-Monroe Football Predictions MAC Football Predictions - July 6, 2012The Northern Illinois Huskies capped off an exciting run to a MAC title in 2011 with a 23-20 victory over Ohio in the championship game. Trailing 20-0 at halftime, the Huskies came storming back with 23 unanswered points behind the brilliant play of QB Chandler Harnish, as well as perhaps the best half of the season by their defense. While Harnish is gone, both Northern Illinois and Ohio figure to be contenders to get back to the MAC title game in 2012. This has been one of the most stable conferences...
Read more about MAC Football Predictions Arkansas State Football Predictions - July 6, 2012Arkansas State is coming off their best season in school history. In the first year under head coach Hugh Freeze, the Red Wolves won the Sun Belt Conference with a perfect 8-0 record. They would finish up the season at 10-3 after a disappointing 20-36 loss to Northwestern in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. It was quite a turnaround for the Red Wolves, as they had gone just 4-8 each of the previous two season. Things weren’t looking all that great for 2012 when Freeze accepted an offer to become the new...
Read more about Arkansas State Football Predictions Western Kentucky Football Predictions - July 6, 2012Willie Taggart received a well-deserved four-year contract extension after guiding Western Kentucky to the biggest turnaround in Sun Belt history. The Hilltoppers finished 7-5 overall with a 7-1 record in conference play. Despite a successful season, WKU was left wanting more as it did not receive a bowl invitation. The snubbing will serve as motivation in 2012. Offense The Hilltoppers finished sixth in the Sun Belt in scoring with 22.9 points per game and seventh in the league in total offense with...
Read more about Western Kentucky Football Predictions Troy Football Predictions - July 6, 2012Troy suffered a major setback last season. The Trojans were picked by many to take home at least a share of the Sun Belt title for a sixth straight season, but instead they went just 3-9 overall and were only 2-6 in conference play. It was the worst finish to a season in the 21 years under head coach Larry Blakeney. What really surprised me was just how poorly this team played. It wasn’t like they were losing a lot of close games. Six of their nine losses were decided by at least two touchdowns. Blakeney...
Read more about Troy Football Predictions Florida International Football Predictions - July 6, 2012Florida International enters 2012 off back-to-back impressive campaigns. It went 7-6 in 2010 and 8-5 in 2011 after failing to post a winning record in the first eight seasons in program history. The challenge is to keep it going, which won’t be easy after losing the explosive T.Y. Hilton. Offense The Golden Panthers finished third in the Sun Belt in scoring last season with 25.0 points per game. They ranked sixth in the conference in total offense with 360.5 yards per contest. They’ll...
Read more about Florida International Football Predictions South Alabama Football Predictions - July 5, 2012The South Alabama Jaguars are set to join the Sun Belt Conference in 2012. The school first started playing football in 2009. Don’t let their 23-4 record fool you. South Alabama has primarily played teams out of the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) and even smaller division schools. They played their first two games against FBS (Football Bowl subdivision) teams last year. They got killed 13-35 at NC State, but held their own in a 25-33 loss at Kent State. The Jaguars are coached by Joey...
Read more about South Alabama Football Predictions Louisiana-Lafayette Football Predictions - July 5, 2012The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns were one of the biggest surprises in college football last year. Most experts had Louisiana picked to finish last in the Sun Belt conference, but first year head coach Mark Hudspeth had different plans. The Ragin’ Cajuns ended up third in the Sun Belt with a 6-2 conference mark and would end the year 9-4 after they upset San Diego State 32-30 in the New Orleans Bowl. With last year’s success and the return of 13 starters (9 offense, 4 defense), the Ragin’...
Read more about Louisiana-Lafayette Football Predictions Texas-San Antonio Football Predictions - July 5, 2012Texas-San Antonio begins its ascension into the FBS ranks in 2012. It won’t officially be considered a FBS program until 2013 and won’t be eligible for a bowl game until 2014, but it will still call itself a member of the WAC this season before moving on to Conference USA next year. Larry Coker, who has a 64-21 career mark and led Miami (Florida) to a BCS national championship, led the Roadrunners to a 4-6 record in his first season on the job. They were close to a few more wins as three...
Read more about Texas-San Antonio Football Predictions 2012 Coke Zero 400 Predictions - July 5, 2012The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is headed back to Daytona International Speedway for the 2012 Coke Zero 400. It’s the second and final stop at one of the most historic tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit. Of course, the first is none other than the Daytona 500, where the race to the chase officially begins. The Coke Zero 400 is traditionally ran on the weekend of the 4th of July. While the nation will have already celebrated Independence Day, the party will continue this weekend in Daytona. What...
Read more about 2012 Coke Zero 400 Predictions WAC Football Predictions - July 5, 2012The WAC lost its most prominent member (Boise State) following the 2010 season. Now, Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada have joined the Broncos in the Mountain West. Louisiana Tech, Utah State, San Jose State, New Mexico State and Idaho remain, and the conference has invited in Texas State and Texas San-Antonio to form a temporary seven-team league. Louisiana Tech captured the 2011 WAC title, beating out Nevada and Utah State, and looks to be the favorite to win a more watered-down league in 2012. WAC...
Read more about WAC Football Predictions Akron Football Predictions - July 3, 2012After going a combined 2-22 over the past two seasons, it was clearly time to make a coaching change. The Akron fan base has to be ecstatic about not only the best hiring in the MAC, but one of the best in all of college football. The Zips have signed Terry Bowden, who brings in a 140-62-2 career record as a head coach, including a 47-17-1 mark in his five-plus seasons at Auburn in the 1990’s. Jeff Bowden joins the staff after serving as offensive coordinator at Florida State from ’01-’06....
Read more about Akron Football Predictions 2012 Home Run Derby Predictions - July 3, 2012One of the most entertaining aspects of the MLB All-Star celebration is the State Farm Home Run Derby. The 2012 Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday, July 9 at Kauffan Stadium in Kansas City. Four players from both the American League and National League are selected to compete in a three round war of power and endurance. There have been several different formats for the event over the years, but nothing is expected to change from last year. Each of the eight players will be given 10 outs (out...
Read more about 2012 Home Run Derby Predictions NBA Rookie of the Year Odds - July 3, 2012With the 2012 NBA Draft in the books, it’s now time to look at what kind of impact this class of rookies will have on their respective teams. Anthony Davis was a shoe-in as the top pick for the Hornets, and for good reason. But will he live up to the hype and earn Rookie of the Year honors this season? Here is a look at the top Rookie of the Year candidates, as well as a preview with odds on each contender for this prestigious award. Anthony Davis (Hornets, 6/5) – A likely future Defensive...
Read more about NBA Rookie of the Year Odds Buffalo Football Predictions - July 3, 2012The Buffalo Bulls have only been to one bowl game in their history. That was back in 2008 when Turner Gill led the Bulls to an 8-6 record and a trip to the International Bowl. Buffalo has not been very competitive since Gill left. They are a combined 5-19 over the past two seasons under third-year head coach Jeff Quinn. That includes a 3-9 campaign in 2011, though the Bulls were able to knock off MAC East champ Ohio. Quinn will be working with his best team yet as he enters his third season on the...
Read more about Buffalo Football Predictions Texas State Football Predictions - July 3, 2012Dennis Franchione led Texas State to a 6-6 mark in the first season of his second stint with the school. The Bobcats got off to a strong 5-2 start but lost four of their final five games. Franchione, who has taken Alabama, TCU, Texas A&M and New Mexico to bowl games, knows it is only going to get tougher with his team jumping from FCS independent to an FBS conference. The Bobcats tested themselves last season with games at Texas Tech and Wyoming (they were blown out in both), but they’re...
Read more about Texas State Football Predictions Conference USA Football Predictions - July 3, 2012Conference USA has emerged into one of the stronger non-BCS conferences in the country. In 2010, UCF finished the season ranked No. 21 in the country and Tulsa wasn’t far behind at No. 24. It marked the first time a C-USA member finished the year inside the Top 25. Things got even better in 2011, as Houston ended up No. 18 and Southern Miss No. 20. Unfortunately this will probably be the last season that C-USA is considered one of the top non-BCS conferences. In 2013, Houston, UCF, SMU and...
Read more about Conference USA Football Predictions 2012 Greenbrier Classic Predictions - July 3, 2012History was made at last week’s AT&T National. Tiger Woods won his 74th career PGA Tour title, jumping past Jack Nicklaus for second all-time. The only player left for Woods to chase down is Sam Snead (82). Woods will get a chance to move one step closer this week, as he gets ready to take on the field at the 2012 Greenbrier Classic. The tournament is held at the Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Greenbrier Classic was added to the schedule back in 2010. Stuart...
Read more about 2012 Greenbrier Classic Predictions Idaho Football Predictions - July 3, 2012Idaho has endured back-to-back disappointing seasons since defeating Bowling Green in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl. It finished 2-10 last year (1-6 in the WAC) but had a chance at several more wins. The Vandals had a pair of overtime losses to Virginia and Utah State and fell to Hawaii by two points. Nevada, Fresno State and Hawaii, who all defeated Idaho in 2011, aren’t on the schedule this year. Still, the 2012 schedule is no cake walk. The Vandals only have five home games and travel to LSU,...
Read more about Idaho Football Predictions Kent State Football Predictions - July 2, 2012The Kent State Golden Flashes are really close, but they just cannot seem to get over the hump. The football program has not been to a bowl game since 1972. The Golden Flashes have gone 5-7 in each of the past three seasons, which is just one win short of bowl eligibility. This team comes into their 2012 campaign with a lot of momentum after winning four of their final five games last season. Second-year head coach Darrell Hazell could be just the guy to put an end to this painful bowl drought by...
Read more about Kent State Football Predictions Bowling Green Football Predictions - July 2, 2012The Bowling Green Falcons are coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign from 2011. Two heartbreaking one-point losses to a pair of solid teams in Wyoming and Ohio prevented the Falcons from reaching a bowl game. Head coach Dave Clawson took Bowling Green to a bowl in his first year on the job in ‘09, but they haven’t been back to one since. The Falcons will have a decent shot at putting an end to that bowl drought in Clawson’s fourth season with the program in 2012. That’s because this team...
Read more about Bowling Green Football Predictions Miami of Ohio Football Predictions - July 2, 2012Miami of Ohio took a big step back last season. After winning the MAC Championship in 2010, the Redhawks would stumble to a 4-8 finish in ’11. They went 3-5 in conference play, and lost their final three games of the season by a combined 13 points against some quality competition. It clearly wasn’t a great debut for first-year head coach Don Treadwell. However, Treadwell and the Redhawks will have a chance to redeem themselves in 2012 as they are one of the most experienced teams in the conference....
Read more about Miami of Ohio Football Predictions Tulane Football Predictions - July 2, 2012Tulane is hoping that a change up top can get this program headed in the right direction. The Green Wave finished up the 2011 season with an overall record of just 2-11 and were just 1-7 in Conference USA. Tulane has won a total of five conference games the last four years and haven’t finished with a winning record since going 8-5 back in 2002. Things got so bad last season that the Green Wave fired head coach Bob Toledo just seven games in. Mark Hutson went 0-6 filling in for Toledo, which...
Read more about Tulane Football Predictions Rice Football Predictions - July 2, 2012It’s been a struggle for head coach David Bailiff at Rice the last three seasons. For a second straight season the Owls finished up with a 4-8 record. They are just 10-26 overall since their magical 10-3 run in 2008. As bad as things have been, the Owls nearly finished 3rd in the West last year. After back-to-back conference wins at home against UTEP and Tulane, Rice nearly went on the road and upset SMU in the season finale (24-27). It’s unlikely that Bailiff will be able to avoid a...
Read more about Rice Football Predictions SMU Football Predictions - July 2, 2012SMU was able to win the Conference USA West in 2010 with a 6-2 conference mark. They would end up losing to UCF in the Conference Championship Game and later fall to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl to finish up at 7-7 overall. Even though the Mustangs had 18 starters returning for the 2011 campaign, it didn’t seem likely they would be able to defend their division title with Houston getting back quarterback Case Keenum. As expected, SMU didn’t surprise. The Mustangs wound up going just...
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