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 19th 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 2025, which is the last FBS league to still feature division play.

East Division

1	Georgia Southern (9-4, 6-2)– conference champion

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at James Madison (September 27)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Arkansas State (October 25)

Bottom Line: Clay Helton has slowly but surely been building the Eagles into a powerhouse in the Sun Belt, and I believe its time for this program to take the next step and win a conference title in 2025. They have recruited very well, used the transfer portal efficiently, and have a lot of returning talent including seven defensive starters and an experienced quarterback.

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2	Old Dominion (7-5, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Liberty (September 27)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at UL-Monroe (November 1)

Bottom Line: Head Coach Ricky Rahne has done “more with less” during his six year tenure at ODU, as they consistently battle for bowl eligibility despite having some of the lowest rated recruiting and transfer portal rankings in the conference. I am predicting that trend to continue in 2025 as ODU brings back an experienced quarterback and defense to a squad that would have gone bowling last year but for a 3-6 record in one score games.

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3	James Madison (7-5, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4): another spot-on prediction!

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Liberty (September 20)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Old Dominion (October 18)

Bottom Line: The Dukes will always be one of the most talented teams in this league, but I do think they take a step back in 2025. I just don’t think Bob Chesney is as good of a coach as Cignetti and the impreding quarterback controversy has me worried. JMU also faces a tougher scheudle this season and is unlikely to repeat the incredible +20 turnover margin they had last year which was # 1 amongst all teams in FBS.

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4	Coastal Carolina (5-7, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Appalachian State (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Old Dominion (October 4)

Bottom Line: I feel like this program is gradually losing both prominence and relevance following departure of Jamey Chadwell three years ago. The results reflect that as well as, this team has dropped from 11 wins to 9 to 8 to 7 over the past four seasons, and I am calling for that trendt o continue in 2025. The Chants still have great facilities and are recruiting well, but they face a brutal schedule this season that features three games against Power 4 and AAC programs as well as a conference slate that includes road games against Georgia Southern South Alabama, and Appalachian State. They also ended last season losing three of out of their last four contetes, including a blowout loss at home in their bowl game. I attended that one in person and it definitely didn’t give me much confidence about the future of this program.

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5	Appalachian State (6-6, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 5-6 (My 2024 prediction: 8-5)

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Georgia Southern (November 6)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Coastal Carolina (October 18)

Bottom Line: Hard to believe this program who was very recently one of the top powerhouses at the Group of Five level has failed to make a bowl game in two of their past three seasons. And while I don’t love the Dowell Loggins hire, I do think the Mountaineers find a way to attain bowl eligibility in 2025 thanks to a talented QB who started previoulsy at the power 4 level (A.J. Swann) and a closing schedule that features three of their final four games at home.

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6	Georgia State (4-8, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 3-9 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)- I correctly predicted the Panthers downfall last season.

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. South Alabama (October 23)- GSU always surprises someone every season

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Old Dominion (November 29)

Bottom Line: Other than a stunning upset over Diego Pavia’s Vanderbilt squad, Dell McGee’s first season as Georgia State head coach was rough. I don’t see much positive change on the horizon, as the schedule in 2025 is brutal (GSU will likely be an underdog in 10 of their 12 games) and they still have glaring personnel issues, as their offensive line, linebacking corps, and defensive backfield are all three of the league’s worst position groups.

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7	Marshall (1-11, 0-8)

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Missouri State (September 6)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Old Dominion (October 11)

Bottom Line: Charles Huff’s departure completed gutted this program, as 47 players left this team when Huff was hired at Southern Miss due to contractual disputes with the Mashall administration. Now, the Thundering Heard are left with a brand new coach (Tony Gibson) who has never been the head coach at any level of football and and an inexperienced roster that has never played together. This could actually be one of the worst football teams this university as fielded since the 1970s when they were dealing with the aftermath of the catastrophic plane crash that inspired the “We Are Marshall” film.

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West Division

1	Troy (7-6, 6-2)– conference runner-up

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7)- I correctly predicted a down year for the Trojans

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. South Alabama (October 4)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at UL-Monroe (October 18)

Bottom Line: Expect this team to take a massive leap between years 1 and 2 of the Gerard Parker regime. First of all, this squad ended the 2024 campaign on a tear, as they won three of their final four games including two upsets of bowl teams. They also get their star QB back as Goose Crowder was shut down due to injury after just four games in 2024. This squad also gets a favorable schedule as they avoid James Madison, Georgia Southern, and Appalachian State from the East and get to play their toughest league games at home ( vs. South Alabama, vs. UL-Lafayette, Arkansas State).

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2	Arkansas State (8-4, 6-2)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 10-3)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at South Alabama (October 14)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Troy (November 1)

Bottom Line: I hope I am not falling into a trap on this one again, as I was too high on the Red Wolves last year and I may be overrating them again in 2025. However, Jylen Raynor and Corey Rucker are the best wide receiver/quarterback duo in this league and with a solid running game to complement them, the Red Wolves have the talent and firepower to contend for the Sun Belt title in 2025.

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3	UL-Lafayette (8-4, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 10-4 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at South Alabama (November 1)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Arkansas State (November 20)

Bottom Line: This program didn’t completely nose dived since Bill Napier left Lafayette for Gainesville after the 2021 season, but they have certainly took a step back with Michael Desormeaux at the htem in 2022 and 2023. Last year, the Ragin’ Cajuns made it back to the conference title game but subequently got clobbered by Marshall as a home favorite and then laid an egg in their bowl game against TCU. This year’s Ragin’ Cajuns lack the experience on both sides of the ball to contend for the Sun Belt title agatin, but they still have enought talent to make to a program record eight straight bowl game.

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4	Texas State (7-5, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. James Madison (October 28)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Troy (October 11)

Bottom Line: Head Coach G.J. Kinne really has gotten this program going, as the school’s only two bowl appearances have come during the first two years of his tenure. It may prove to be a little more challenging to attain bowl eligibility in 2025 however, as this squad loses 16 starters including its starting quarterback, running back, top three receivers, and top two tacklers. However, until G.J. Kinne proves he’s capable of producing a losing season as a head coach, I have to call for this team to attain bowl eligibility one more time in 2025, as they appeared to have reloaded efficiently through the transfer portal this offseason.

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5	South Alabama (5-7, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)- another spot-on prediction for me in 2024

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Tulane (September 6)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Georgia State (October 23)

Bottom Line: It is difficult for me to call for this squad to end its three year streak of bowl appereances, but this team was gutted by the transfer portal and graduation and now have to replace their starting quarterback, running back, top two receivers, and almost the entirety of their defense. Expect a rebuiling year in Mobile.

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6	Southern Miss (3-9, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 1-11 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Appalachian State (September 13)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Georgia State (October 23)

Bottom Line: The Golden Eagles have become the ultimate “fools gold” team for me, as every year I keep thinking they will return to prominent and seemingly every year they underperform my expectations for them (see my 2024 prediction above). In fact, this team has only played in one bowl game this decade, and I am not going to get caught picking them to make a second bowl in 2025. I think the Charlie Huff hire will pay dividends in the long run, but right now they have a transfer portal squad that has not really played together before. Southern Miss will ultimately be better than the 1-11 squad they fielded last season but not by much.

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7	UL-Monroe (4-8, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (My 2024 prediction: 2-10)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Troy (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Southern Miss (October 25)

Bottom Line: The Warhawks were the feel good story of the first half the college football season in 2024, as they started off with a 5-1 record following 12 straight losing seasons. Unfortunately, the wheels came off for this squad on the back half of their schedule as they ended up droppping their final six games to fall short of bowl eligibilty one more time. Now, Bryant Vincent must try to re-capture that first half magic in 2025 without their best offensive (Ahad Hardy) and defensive (Wydett Williams) players from last season. All in all, I belive the Warhakws bowl-less streak will continue for at least one more season.

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