Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 18th annual college football preview guide which will contain 19 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the top two division champions but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for the Sun Belt Conference in 2024, which is now the last FBS league to still feature divisions.

East Division

1	Appalachian State (8-5, 6-2)– conference runner-up

Last Year’s Record: 9-5 (My 2023 prediction: 9-3)- another spot on prediction!

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. James Madison (November 23)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at UL-Lafayette (October 12)

Bottom Line: The Mountaineers have become a beacon of consistency in the Group of Five ranks, as they have won at least 9 games in eight of the past nine seasons. Interestingly, in their one “down” season of 2022, when they finished a mere 6-6, App picked up the program’s first win over an SEC school in Texas A & M and also hosted College Gameday for the first time. This season, the Mountaineers will be very good again, as they boast an experienced senior starting quarterback who will be throwing to his four best pass catcher from 2022. The issue is on the defensive end where the Mountaineers ranked 83rd nationally, including 110th best against the run. All in all, I think App State will do exactly what they did in 2021 and 2023 and win their division title but fall short in the conference championship game.

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2	James Madison (8-4, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 11-2 (My 2023 prediction: 5-7)- was way off on this one!

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Marshall (November 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Old Dominion (November 16)

Bottom Line: The Dukes will still be really good in 2023, but I am calling for them to take a step back this season after the departure of head coach Curt Cignetti and several of their best players. The real problem James Madison faces is that they are still in FBS transitional status, so they only become eligible for a bowl if there aren’t enough 6-6 teams to fill all the slots, like last season. In 2024, I am predicting there to be 85 bowl eligible teams to fill 82 spots, so I think the Dukes will fail to reach postseason play through no fault of their own.

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3	Coastal Carolina (7-5, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2023 prediction: 11-2)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Marshall (November 16)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Temple (September 14)

Bottom Line: Former head coach Jamey Chadwell and former QB Grayson McCall made this program into a national power, but now both are gone, and the Chanticleers will have to win with a new group of guys. Still, there is enough talent on this roster to get Coastal to a bowl game for the fifth straight season.

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4	Marshall (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2023 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Georgia Southern (October 12)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Southern Miss (November 9)

Bottom Line: The Herd are bringing in new offensive coordinator Seth Doege to install the Air Raid in Huntington, which should bolster the offense considerably. The problem is that Marshall faces a brutal schedule in 2024 which features trips to Virginia tech, Ohio State, and James Madison. Ultimately, I believe the Herd end up exactly where they have been in two of the past three seasons which is right around .500.

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5	Georgia Southern (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 6-6 (My 2023 prediction: 7-5)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. James Madison (October 19)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at South Alabama (November 2)

Bottom Line: The Eagles have put together back to back 6-6 regular seasons, and I think a third straight .500 campaign may be on the horizon. The Eagles’ experienced defense should be improved, but Helton’s Air Raid offense needs a talented quarterback to thrive and there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding that position for GSU in 2024.

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6	Georgia State (2-10, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2023 prediction: 7-5)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Coastal Carolina (November 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Chattanooga (September 7)- I am calling for an FCS over FBS upset right here!

Bottom Line: Not only is Georgia State in the midst of a coaching transition, but they had a ton of transfer portal departures, they must replace their starting quarterback and best receiver, pass catcher, and defender, and they have a brutal schedule that features games against all of the best teams in the Sun Belt as well as two Power 4 foes. As a result, I am calling for this to be a down year for the Panthers.

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7	Old Dominion (2-10, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2023 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Virginia Tech (vs. September 14)- the Monarchs are 2-0 at home against the Hokies!

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Georgia State (October 12)

Bottom Line: I called the Monarchs to have a disappointing 2022 campaign, but they surprised me by making it to a bowl game. This season though, I don’t see how ODU can avoid taking a major step back. The Monarchs lose six of their top seven tacklers, their top two rushers, and their top receiver, while also facing a brutal schedule in which they will likely be an underdog in 8 of their first 9 games.

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West Division

1	Arkansas State (10-3, 7-1)– conference champion

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2023 prediction: 4-8)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at UL-Lafayette (November 9)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Texas State (October 12)

Bottom Line: The Red Wolves are my surprise Group of Five conference champion for 2024, thanks a favorable schedule and ten returning offensive starters including their superstar sophomore quarterback Jaylen Raynor, who won Sun Belt freshman of the year honors in 2023.

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2	Texas State (9-3, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2023 prediction: 4-8)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Arizona State (September 12)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Troy (October 3)

Bottom Line: The Bobcats are a program on the rise under second year coach G.J. Kinne, and even though they lose their starter quarterback from 2023, they are still talented enough to challenge for the conference crown.

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3	Southern Miss (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2023 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Jacksonville State (September 21)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Troy (November 30)

Bottom Line: The Golden Eagles are one of those teams I frequently overrate, as their recruiting rankings and other computer numbers suggest they should be better than they have been. I may be overrating them one more time in 2024, but I just feel like Will Hall has accumulated enough talent through the portal and high schools that they should return to a bowl game in 2024.

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4	UL-Lafayette (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2023 prediction: 5-7)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Appalachian State (October 12)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at UL-Monroe (November 30)

Bottom Line: This program has definitely taken a step back since Billy Napier left after the 2021 season, but Desormeaux has at least kept the program afloat. And if a quality quarterback emerges from the controversy between Fields and Woolridge, then the Ragin’ Cajuns should reach bowl eligibility for the seventh straight season.

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5	South Alabama (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2023 prediction: 9-3)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas State (November 29)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Southern Miss (November 23)

Bottom Line: Former Texas quarterback and Houston head coach Major Applewhite inherit a talented squad from Kane Wommack, but inexperience at quarterback will preclude them from challenging for the division title like they did last season.

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6	Troy (5-7, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 11-3 (My 2023 prediction: 9-4)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas State (October 3)- the Trojans are 9-0 against the Bobcats all-time!

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Southern Miss (November 30)

Bottom Line: The Trojans lost almost the entirety of their Sun Belt Championship roster from 2023 (just 4 total returning starters), as new coach Gerad Parker will basically be rebuilding this program from scratch this season.

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7	UL-Monroe (2-10, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 2-10 (My 2023 prediction: 2-10)- the Warhawks and Georgia Bulldogs are the only FBS two teams in which I correctly picked the outcome of every game they played last season.

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. UL-Lafayette (November 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Southern Miss (October 12)

Bottom Line: The good news is that the Warhawks have the best named quarterback in college football with former Oklahoma QB General Booty. The bad news is that they may be the worst overall team in the sport in 2024, as an 0-12 finish is not out of the realm of possibilities this season.

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