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Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
James Madison a favorite to win Sun Belt as chaos reigns in the conference
The Sun Belt has created a bit of a reputation for chaos. The days of single-team dominance have been replaced by fast risers, rapid turnover, unpredictable outcomes and fierce competition. Defending champion Marshall lost coach Charles Huff and a significant portion of the roster to conference foe Southern Miss. The West Division has its own intrigue with Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State splitting opinion on which will be on top this season. JMU was the clear favorite in the Sun Belt preseason coaches poll, earning a league-high 11 first-place votes. James Madison the consensus favorite James Madison is in its fourth year in the conference and the Football Bowl Subdivision and has 28 wins to show for it, a steady performance that followed a run near the top of the FCS. The Dukes finished 9-4 overall and third in the East Division with a 4-4 conference record in coach Bob Chesney's first year at the helm. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III completed 60% of his passes for 2,598 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 442 yards and seven TDs. A leg injury cut Barnett's season short, sidelining the sophomore from the Boca Raton Bowl. The Dukes brought in other options at signal-caller, including Matt Sluka, who played for Chesney at Holy Cross and left UNLV over a contract dispute. Georgia Southern was picked to finish second in the East. None of the Sun Belt Conference teams made the AP Top 25 preseason poll, but JMU (9) and Louisiana-Lafayette (1) got votes — and both are the coaches' picks to reach the title game. Are the Golden Eagles the new Thundering Herd? Under Huff, Marshall went 10-3 last season, including 7-1 in play, and beat the Ragin' Cajuns 31-3 in the league title game. Huff left for Southern Miss soon after and the Herd had to pull out of the Independence Bowl because more than 30 players jumped into the transfer portal, pushing the team below the necessary roster minimum. Several of those players followed Huff, including quarterback Braylon Braxton, the preseason Sun Belt offensive player of the year. Braxton completed 124 of 206 passes for 1,624 yards, 19 touchdowns and two interceptions while tacking on 610 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 2024 – all career highs. Redshirt sophomore return specialist Ian Foster and redshirt senior defensive back Josh Moten also followed Huff and were 2025 preseason all-Sun Belt selections. In the West Division Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas State each got six votes from league coaches to win the division. The Ragin' Cajuns followed their loss to Marshall in the Sun Belt title game with a 34-3 loss to TCU in the New Mexico Bowl, but it was still the best season offensively since the departure of coach Billy Napier. Significant turnover looms over its offense, losing quarterbacks Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields. Texas State's offense faces similar changes, bringing in a new quarterback and offensive coordinator Landon Keopple. Of the five quarterbacks on the roster, redshirt freshman Brad Jackson is the sole returner. The Bobcats acquired several transfer quarterbacks from strong programs: Keldric Luster from SMU, Holden Geriner from Auburn and Nate Yarnell from Pitt. The Bobcats also welcomed freshman Gavin Parkhurst. Key transfers Braxton, Moten and Foster weren't the only notable transfers who could have an immediate impact: — Kenard Snyder, Edge, Texas State — Kaleno Levine, CB, Troy — Zach Palmer-Smith, RB, ULM — Walker Howard, QB, Louisiana-Lafayette — Xavier Holmes, DL, James Madison — Luke Murphy, LB, Coastal Carolina Key matchups Georgia Southern at James Madison (Sept. 27), Louisiana-Lafayette at James Madison (Oct. 11), Georgia Southern at Arkansas State (Oct. 25), James Madison at Texas State (Oct. 28), Georgia Southern at Appalachian State (Nov. 6), Texas State vs. Louisiana (Nov. 8), Troy at Old Dominion (Nov. 13) __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank Can the UNC football program surpass its preseason rankings? There arguably isn't a college football program with more offseason hype than the North Carolina Tar Heels, who made the greatest offseason splash by hiring Bill Belichick, an 8-time Super Bowl Champion, to be their next head football coach. UNC had a disappointing 2024 campaign under Mack Brown headlined by a blowout loss to James Madison, coupled with another late-season collapse, which sealed his fate. With Belichick in charge, the hope is North Carolina becomes a consistent winner. The Tar Heels are already starting to see the Belichick Effect take place, with several high-profile players in the transfer portal announcing their commitments. UNC's greatest offseason add is South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, while the trenches are completely revamped. Despite all the talent North Carolina brought into Chapel Hill, the boys in baby blue still have to prove themselves on the football field. In USA TODAY Sports' re-rank of all 136 FBS teams (welcome, Delaware and Missouri State) after spring practice, the Tar Heels landed 80th. UNC finds itself sandwiched between UConn (79th), who won the 2024 Fenway Bowl between both programs and Kentucky, which missed a bowl game for the first time since 2015. North Carolina will be on full display in its 2025 kickoff game, hosting TCU under the Kenan Stadium lights on Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Horned Frogs finished their 2024 campaign 9-4, dominating Louisiana, 34-3, in the New Mexico Bowl. Preseason rankings mean nothing, so don't be concerned the Tar Heels are amongst the FBS' bottom half. What matters is that UNC turns into a consistent winner – with Belichick leading the way, that's a very strong possibility. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 TCU Horned Frogs win total predictions, futures, over/under and odds
2025 TCU Horned Frogs win total predictions, futures, over/under and odds Bookmakers have set an over/under of 6.5 wins for the TCU Horned Frogs this season, with -120 odds to go over that total. Last year, the Horned Frogs went 9-4 and won the New Mexico Bowl. TCU futures: win total over/under, odds College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Friday at 8:25 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Over/Under: 6.5 6.5 Over Payout: -120 -120 Under Payout: -102 TCU splits - last season Last season TCU finished 9-4 and bested Louisiana 34-3 in the New Mexico Bowl The Horned Frogs collected seven wins as favorites (in 10 games), and they won twice (in three opportunities) as underdogs. TCU was 4-2 in one-possession games, but won just one game decided by three points or fewer (1-2). The Horned Frogs had a couple of wins when favored by seven points or fewer last season (2-2), and won five tilts when favored by seven or more points (5-1). Watch College Football on Fubo!
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. Advertisement UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. Advertisement There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC, TCU to open 2026 college football season in Ireland
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond
UNC to open 2026 football season across the pond The UNC football program is heading international to start its 2026 campaign. The 2025 UNC football season can't come soon enough, with the Bill Belichick era officially kicking off Monday, Sept. 1 as TCU comes to Kenan Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Horned Frogs, who finished 2024 with a 9-4 record and domination of Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl, are a great, early-season test to see how legitimate Belichick's Tar Heels are. We aren't expecting North Carolina to be a College Football Playoff contender in Year One, but an improvement from Mack Brown's teams. UNC will also play TCU in 2026 – but instead of Forth Worth, the Tar Heels and Horned Frogs are heading across the pond. On Tuesday, North Carolina announced it will face TCU in the 2026 Aer Lingus Classic. According to Kevin Kelley, this game will be played on August 29, 2026. The Horned Frogs were initially scheduled to host UNC on September 5. 2026 will mark the second time in three seasons an ACC team plays in Ireland, with 2024's edition featuring Georgia Tech upsetting then-No. 10 Florida State. The 2025 Aer Lingus classic features Iowa State and Kansas State, while the 2027 edition will showcase Pitt and Wisconsin. There's still plenty of uncertainty with the Tar Heels' 2025 roster, but they at least have their starting quarterback in South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. North Carolina will also carry initial 2024 starter Max Johnson and incoming, 4-star freshman Bryce Baker in its QB room. There's just over four months until UNC plays football – are you ready? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
