According to SP+, the worst team in the Sun Belt East -- in this case, Georgia Southern -- would be the second-best team in the West. That tells you most of what you need to know about the current balance of power in #FunBelt country.
Thanks both to the top-20 potential of Coastal Carolina and App State and the top-75 or so potential of everyone else, the East grades out as the single best division in the Group of Five heading into 2021. App State has finished in the SP+ top 30 for three straight seasons, and Coastal Carolina surpassed the Mountaineers with a rousing breakthrough last season. Both teams bring back almost everyone ... as do the three other teams in the division. No off weeks here.
Every week through the summer, Bill Connelly will preview another division from the Group of 5 and Power 5 exclusively for ESPN+, ultimately including all 130 FBS teams. The previews will include 2020 breakdowns, 2021 previews and a brief history of each team in one handy chart. The series has thus far covered the Conference USA East and West, the MAC East and West, the MWC Mountain and West and the Sun Belt West.
Jump to a team: Georgia Southern | Georgia State | Troy | Coastal Carolina | Appalachian State
Georgia Southern Eagles
In 2017, Chad Lunsford took over an 0-6 team that would eventually go 2-10. He has since taken the Eagles to three consecutive bowls. A rough schedule could make four straight tricky.
