So who's everyone pulling for Thursday night? I have two considerations, 1) what gives us the best chance to win a share of the conference title, and 2) in the event we don't get a share, who would I rather see win it?

The second point is easy - I don't want to hear another offseason of stAte fans bragging about how they own the league, especially if they win it without playing us. And having a team go 0-4 OOC and 8-0 in conference would look awful for the league. If Troy goes 11-1 (8-0), at least no one can say they aren't a worthy champion.

The first question is tougher. Both teams have two road games after this. Both play Texas State, who I assume both will beat. Troy ends at GS, which would seem like at least a possible loss, but if GS decides to just play for the future, play the freshman QB the whole way and stop running the ball, probably not. That could also be a team that's just ready for it to be over by that point.

stAte's next game is at ULL, who will likely need a win to have a shot at bowl eligibility. It will also be their senior day, if that matters. I'm thinking that's at least a slightly better chance of an upset.

Either way, probably a lost cause, but not totally out of the question.

Troy. Ultimately, I believe that we are better off with a Sun Belt Champion who finishes 13-1 and ranked in the top 20. Selfishly, I would love for us to end up being some type of co champion, but I really don't see that happening; ie I don't see Troy losing.

Does anyone know that last time a Sun Belt team finished in top 25 and at what ranking?

1) Ark St.
2) Troy

Troy will present better nationally due to their OOC success, national ranking, and a more likely positive showing in a bowl game. With that RB, Oline, and defense they can play with just about anyone outside of the top 15.

Taking our desires to share a conference title out of the picture, Troy winning IMO is clearly better for the SBC.

HighlandsApp wrote:Troy. Ultimately, I believe that we are better off with a Sun Belt Champion who finishes 13-1 and ranked in the top 20. Selfishly, I would love for us to end up being some type of co champion, but I really don't see that happening; ie I don't see Troy losing.

Does anyone know that last time a Sun Belt team finished in top 25 and at what ranking?

This week is the first week that an SBC team has ever been ranked in either the AP or coaches poll. Historically many have been close only to beat each other in conference play down the stretch (i.e. our season last year).

Saint3333 wrote:1) Ark St.
2) Troy

Troy will present better nationally due to their OOC success, national ranking, and a more likely positive showing in a bowl game. With that RB, Oline, and defense they can play with just about anyone outside of the top 15.

Taking our desires to share a conference title out of the picture, Troy winning IMO is clearly better for the SBC.

Definitely true, but my desire for App to share the title is far greater than my desire for what's best for the conference. And that's coming from someone who has never placed as high a priority on the conference title as most do.

I completely agree, being "selfish" I'd love for our guys to get that title. But I'm not so sure that long-term if conference perception isn't more important than us winning a conference title this year (from a recruiting/bowl tie-in/fans embracing the move perspective).

It's more likely that ULL could beat stAte, so for our title's sake I'm pulling for stAte Thursday night, hoping for a big game hang-over for the Trojans to mess with their mo-jo. Although, I wouldn't be surprised to see GS give Troy a good game...those guys won't lay down for anybody and stranger upsets have happened. If we're out of title contention, say we lose this Saturday, then I'd want Troy to win out but do they recruit in the same area of Georgia that we do? That'd be a concern...

I'm rooting for Troy. Call it petty, but some of the stAte fans rubbed me the wrong way when last we met. Plus if we can't win the conference, I'd rather the SBC be represented by a nearly-unbeaten team whose only loss is to a national title contender.

I hope Troy pulls their starters at halftime.

I gotta root for Troy on this one. First, their fans have been great to us when we've played there (my group even got 6 free tickets from a Troy alum in 2014), second, I just don't want to see stAte repeat again, especially since they lost to an FCS earlier this year as it would not make the Belt look so great.

Pulling for Troy because I can't stand stAte. Then I'm pulling for stAte to lose another one and for someone to pick off Troy. Shared title for App and Troy and weeping stAte fans.

Conference championship! Gas beat Troy.
StAte lose rest of their games.

I'm definitely pulling for Troy. I'm really sick of Arkansas State embarrassing the conference by no-showing in OOC games and then dominating the Belt. It's not good for the conference. I hope they lose to both Troy and ULL.

As far as getting a shot at the conference title, I do admit that I might actually be pulling for GS when they play Troy but that is a REALLY long shot and honestly, Troy is the better face for the conference (between them and Ark State).

http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2016/11/ ... ns-preview

What could have been.....

Meteor

FWIW. Both of these guys have Troy vs Toledo in Mobile. Both have Arkansas State in New Orleans. They have us in either Montgomery or Orlando.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/st ... on-week-12

One of the benefits of Troy beating Ark St is it will tell us if the DG bowl chooses best team or team that will sale tickets.

As much as I would like for our team to get even a share of the championship I have to pull for Troy in this one. I don't want a team that went 0-4 OOC with a loss to an FCS winning the conference. Now I realize stAte could win Thursday and still lose to ULL (that would be great if it happened), but that is asking for a lot to fall in our favor.

As others have said having a Sun Belt champion that is 11-1, ranked, and in the mix for the Cotton Bowl would do a lot of good for the entire league. The Troy fans were very good to us last week as well so it's hard to pull against them.

Assuming we win the next two, I think we all need to think about how much our team has accomplished the past 2.5 years with a lot of players that weren't recruited to play in FBS. Most of the teams we're facing have a full roster of FBS recruits and a lot of transfers yet our guys are beating most of them. That says a lot about our program.

Really?? ...it's surprising to me that some appear to be wanting the outcome of the Sun Belt race this year to elevate one team (Troy) over our own team's chances of winning the championship...really??? {Not that anything we post here has any affect on the outcome}. There's still football to be played and a lot of things can happen...we put our team first and if we're out of contention (which we're NOT at this moment) then you pull for the conference. Do you think it'd be better sounding to recruits being visited by our coaches to hear: "hey come play for us because we're in a conference that had a team go 11-1 and played in a major bowl...OR "hey come play for us because we win championships even at this level." Do you think our players who have literally put in their blood, sweat, tears, hearts, souls, endured early morning workouts, made endless sacrifices, suffer painful injuries and put themselves on the line every game day...do you think they want to hear that the conference is more important than winning a championship? Maybe I'm mis-reading some posts but if not...come on.

Outside of the financial windfall if they actually make the Cotton Bowl, I question how much Troy's success would benefit the league as a whole. When Boise State came to power, they did so by destroying the WAC every year, and we see how much good it did that league.