Howdy, College Football Fans, and welcome back as we are just 22 days from kickoff. Before I continue in the Preseason Strength of Schedule (PS SOS) series, let’s have a moment of silence for the Pac-12 who, if rumors hold true, have now not only lost Southern Cal and UCLA to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Big 12, but are expected to have Oregon and Washington follow to the geographically and numerically challenged Big Ten (which should make them the Big Eighteen) while Arizona, Arizona St, and Utah are planning on joining the Big 12 which would give them 16 with Texas and Oklahoma moving to the SEC. That would leave the Pac 12 with Washington St, Oregon St, California, and Stanford. Perhaps they resume the old Pac 8 moniker and take in San Diego St, Boise St, Air Force, and Fresno St or some other combination from the Mountain West. But would they really be a Power 5 conference then? Maybe they merge with the 12 MWC teams to become the Pac 16 (definitely Group of 5). Maybe Stanford joins Notre Dame and as independent and the other 3 schools accept their G5 fates. If the rumors are true, one thing is certain: the Pac 12 is done. The tie-ins to bowls will change substantially starting with the Rose Bowl. The Power 5 will quickly become the Power 4 (until the ACC falls apart, but that’s another story and another post).
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But that’s not why we are here today. We are here to talk about the conference with the 6th most difficult schedule and the Group of 5 conference at the top of the heap. That would be the Sun Belt whose 14 members average PS SOS is 6.816 compared to the Group of 5 average of 6.5305. A few years ago, this conference was a bit of an afterthought, considered the weakest FBS conference. Additions such as App St, Ga Southern, Coastal Carolina, James Madison and others, along with a parsing of the previous Group of 5 leader, the American Conference, has propelled the once-lowly Sun Belt into elite status. This will be a very exciting group of teams to watch this year. It wouldn’t surprise me if the G5 New Year’s Six participant comes from them this year. There are no neutral site games scheduled. FCS opponents are indicated by (F) and Power 5 teams are indicated by (P). All others are Group of 5 foes. Here are all 14 from Southern Miss to Coastal Carolina:
| Team/ Conf Rank | PS SOS/ Rank | ’22 Record/ SOS Rank | ’23 Opp’s W-L | Conf Home | Conf Away | Non-Conf Home | Non-Conf Away |
| Southern Miss (1) | 7.648/59 | 7-6/75 | 84-67 (.556) | (23-27) Texas St, Old Dominion, ULM, Troy | (25-25) Arkansas St, South Alabama, App St, Louisiana | (17-8) (F) Alcorn St, Tulane | (19-7) (P) Florida St, (P) Mississippi St |
| South Alabama (2) | 7.427/68 | 10-3/ 119 | 85-67 (.559) | (25-26) Southern Miss, Louisiana, Arkansas St, Marshall | (28-21) James Madison, ULM, Troy, Texas St | (13-12) (F) SELA, C Michigan | (19-8) Tulane, (P) Oklahoma St |
| Georgia St (3) | 7.215/77 | 4-8/102 | 85-66 (.563) | (35-15) Troy, Marshall, James Madison, App St | (24-27) Louisiana, Ga Southern, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion | (13-11) (F) Rhode Island, UCONN | (13-13) Charlotte, (P) LSU |
| Texas St (4) | 7.194/78 | 4-8/112 | 88-67 (.568) | (32-20) ULM, Troy, Ga Southern, South Alabama | (25-26) Southern Miss, Louisiana, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas St | (14-11) (F) Jackson St, Nevada | (17-10) (P) Baylor, UTSA |
| Old Dominion (5) | 6.980/84 | 3-9/97 | 79-69 (.534) | (25-25) Louisiana, App St, Coastal Carolina, Georgia St | (30-20) Marshall, Southern Miss, James Madison, Ga Southern | (13-11) (P) Wake Forest, (F) Commerce | (11-13) (P) Virginia Tech, Liberty |
| Arkansas St (6) | 6.968/89 | 3-9/109 | 77-75 (.507) | (26-25) Southern Miss, Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, Texas St | (35-17) Troy, ULM, South Alabama, Marshall | (9-15) Memphis, (F) Stony Brook | (7-18) (P) Oklahoma, UMASS |
| James Madison (7) | 6.903/91 | 8-3/124 | 74-72 (.507) | (22-25) South Alabama, Ga Southern, Old Dominion, App St | (34-18) Troy, Marshall, Georgia St, Coastal Carolina | (9-15) (F) Bucknell, UCONN | (9-14) (P) Virginia, Utah St |
| App St (8) | 6.843/92 | 6-6/110 | 81-71 (.533) | (31-21) Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, Marshall, Ga Southern | (19-28) ULM, Old Dominion, Georgia St, James Madison | (15-11) (F) Gardner Webb, East Carolina | (16-11) (P) North Carolina, Wyoming |
| Louisiana (9) | 6.795/93 | 6-7/70 | 74-77 (.490) | (19-29) Texas St, Georgia St, Southern Miss, ULM | (28-25) Old Dominion, South Alabama, Arkansas St, Troy | (11-13) (F) Northwestern St, Buffalo | (16-10) UAB, (P) Minnesota |
| ULM (10) | 6.717/98 | 4-8/64 | 74-76 (.493) | (31-20) App St, South Alabama, Arkansas St, Troy | (23-28) Texas St, Ga Southern, Southern Miss, Louisiana | (7-16) Army, (F) Lamar | (13-12) (P) Texas A&M, (P) Mississippi |
| Marshall (11) | 6.680/99 | 9-4/107 | 71-75 (.486) | (20-28) Old Dominion, James Madison, Ga Southern, Arkansas St | (29-21) Georgia St, Coastal Carolina, App St, South Alabama | (6-16) (F) Albany, (P) Virginia Tech | (16-10) East Carolina, (P) NC St |
| Troy (12) | 6.621/102 | 12-2/79 | 77-72 (.517) | (27-22) James Madison, Arkansas St, South Alabama, Louisiana | (19-30) Georgia St, Texas St, ULM Southern Miss | (15-10) (F) Steph F Austin, W Kentucky | (16-10) (P) Kansas St, Army |
| Ga Southern (13) | 6.298/108 | 6-7/114 | 72-76 (.486) | (20-29) Coastal Carolina, ULM, Georgia St, Old Dominion | (27-21) James Madison, Texas St, Marshall, App St | (11-13) (F) Citadel, UAB | (12-13) (P) Wisconsin, Ball St |
| Coastal Carolina (14) | 5.766/123 | 9-4/93 | 71-76 (.482) | (25-23) Georgia St, Marshall, Texas St, James Madison | (18-31) Ga Southern, App St, Arkansas St, Old Dominion | (13-9) Jacksonville St, (F) Duquesne | (15-10) (P) UCLA, Army |
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That’s it for today. Tune in next time when we start our final push to the season counting down the Power 5 conferences. If you have suggestions or questions, please comment. If you like what we are doing, please share with others. Thank you for reading, G
