THE RFC MYC: Sun Belt Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Sun Belt Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: 2022 proved to be yet another solid season for the Sun Belt Conference, especially during the first several weeks of it.

On September 10, SBC newcomer Marshall (9-4 overall in 2022) pulled the upset over then No. 8 Notre Dame, claiming a 26-21 win in front of a sell-out crowd in South Bend, Indiana, while Appalachian State (6-6) stunned then No. 6 Texas A&M, 17-14, merely minutes after Marshall's win over Notre Dame.

But maybe the most shocking win of all came under the lights at Nebraska, as Georgia Southern (6-7) shocked the Cornhuskers 45-42 on a run from quarterback Kyle Vantrease in the closing seconds. That win helped propel the Eagles to an eventual appearance in the Camellia Bowl under first-year head coach Clay Helton, only to lose to Buffalo in a 23-21 heartbreaker on December 27.

After a competitive conference season where every team lost at least one conference game last fall, the Troy University Trojans (12-2 in 2022) downed the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (9-4) 45-16 on December 3, to win their seventh Sun Belt Conference championship in school history.  

The Trojans were one of three SBC teams to win bowl games, beating UTSA in the closing seconds to claim the Cure Bowl on December 17. League newcomers Southern Mississippi (7-6) and Marshall also emerged victorious in their respective contests, with the Golden Eagles defeating Rice in the Lending Tree Bowl, while the Thundering Herd outlasted UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. 

A quick look ahead to the 2023 season has multiple SBC squads playing a strong non-conference schedule during the season's first several weeks, with South Alabama at Tulane, Coastal Carolina at UCLA, Appalachian State at North Carolina, Southern Miss at Florida State, and Georgia Southern at Wisconsin, being among the most notable contests.  

To make that long story short, expect another competitive season, from top to bottom, in the Sun Belt Conference this fall.

2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Final 2022 Sun Belt Conference Football Standings

East Division

Appalachian State

Coastal Carolina

Georgia Southern 

Georgia State

James Madison*

Marshall

Old Dominion

West Division

Arkansas State

Louisiana

South Alabama

Southern Mississippi

Texas State

Troy

ULM 

*-Ineligible for postseason play and the Sun Belt Conference title, transitioning from the FCS level.

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THE RFC MYC: Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: After a sluggish start to their season, 2022 turned out to be a year to remember for the Fresno State University Bulldogs.

Following a 1-4 start, which included a four-game losing streak that started after defeating FCS Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in their season opener on September 1, Fresno State reeled off nine straight to close out its season at 10-4 overall. The Bulldogs stunned Boise State on the road to win the Mountain West Conference championship, then moved on to take down Washington State to win the Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl on December 17 to finish an incredible, yet unlikely year in the double-digit win club.

Other Mountain West Conference squads struggled tremendously during postseason play, with Air Force and Boise State winning the Armed Forces and Frisco Bowls, respectively, while San Diego State (Hawai'i), San Jose State (Famous Idaho Potato), Utah State (First Responder), and Wyoming (Barstool Sports Arizona), all lost their games, for a combined 3-4 record in bowl games for the league last season.

The primary change within the Mountain West for this fall will be the elimination of divisions. Instead of two division champions (Mountain and West) playing the conference championship, all 12 teams will compete in a single division for the 2023 season, with the top two teams in the final regular season standings vying for the title on December 2.

Even without divisions, however, expect some stiff competition in the Mountain West Conference going into this season.

2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Final 2023 Mountain West Conference Football Standings

2023 Mountain West Conference Composite Schedule

Air Force

Boise State 

Colorado State

Fresno State

Hawai'i

New Mexico

Nevada

San Diego State

San Jose State

UNLV

Utah State

Wyoming


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THE RFC MYC: Mid-American Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Mid-American Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: After yet another competitive regular season from top to bottom, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) had one of its best postseason showings in quite some time last fall.

Six of the MAC's 12 teams-Bowling Green, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, and Toledo-all qualified for postseason play in 2022, with all of those squads finishing a combined 4-2 in bowl games. That accomplishment was good enough to give the conference its' first-ever outright Bowl Challenge Cup championship.

Of the four teams that won their bowl games last season, Buffalo knocked off Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl, Eastern Michigan downed San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to claim their first postseason win since 1987, while Ohio outlasted Wyoming in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl in overtime to finish its season at 10-4 overall, and Toledo parlayed its MAC title game win over the Bobcats to beat Liberty in the Boca Raton Bowl. 

As for what could happen in 2023, don't be surprised if a different set of squads end up not only winning a MAC championship but also becoming bowl-eligible going into December.

2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)


NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Final 2022 Mid-American Conference Football Standings

2023 Mid-American Conference Composite Schedule

East Division

Akron

Bowling Green

Buffalo

Kent State

Miami (Ohio)

Ohio

West Division

Ball State

Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan

Northern Illinois

Toledo

Western Michigan

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THE RFC MYC: Conference USA (FBS Group Of Five)

Conference USA (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: The 2022 season was the "Year of the Roadrunners". The UTSA Roadrunners, that is.

In their final campaign of what will soon be a new-look Conference USA, UTSA finished the season undefeated at 8-0 in C-USA action en route to a final overall record of 11-3. The Roadrunners only losses came in non-conference play, losing to Big 12-bound Houston, 37-35, in triple overtime, to SEC-bound Texas, 41-20, and 18-12 to Troy at the Cure Bowl in Orlando.

UTSA was one of six C-USA teams to qualify for bowl eligibility last fall, with Rice and North Texas falling short in the Lending Tree and Frisco Bowls, respectively, while Middle Tennessee State (Hawai'i), UAB (Bahamas), and Western Kentucky (New Orleans) all ended their seasons with bowl wins.

The 2023 season, however, will bring about significant changes in Conference USA's make-up, with Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA all leaving for the American Athletic Conference. Replacing those aforementioned institutions will be soon-to-be former FCS powers Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State, as well as soon-to-be former independents Liberty and New Mexico State.

Additionally, after this current round of realignment is said and done, the only remaining teams that will join the newcomers to C-USA this upcoming season will be FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, UTEP, and Western Kentucky. That will give this constantly-changing conference nine squads taking the football field this fall. 

2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.


Final 2022 Conference USA Football Standings

FIU

Jacksonville State*

Liberty

Louisiana Tech

Middle Tennessee State

New Mexico State

Sam Houston State*

UTEP

Western Kentucky

*-Programs are transitioning from the FCS to the FBS level, and are ineligible for postseason play.

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THE RFC MYC: 2023 Debut-American Athletic Conference

Editor's Note: Welcome to the 2023 debut of the "RFC MYC", with the "MYC" initials standing for "Mark Your Calendars". The purpose of the previews at the Real Football Central blog is to present the schedules of every college football team outside of the so-called "Power Five" conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, and SEC), throughout the mid-to-late spring, as well as the summer of 2023. As to what the "Group Of Five" conferences are, they currently consist of the following conferences:

American Athletic Conference (AAC)

Conference USA (C-USA)

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

Mountain West Conference (MWC)

Sun Belt Conference (SBC)

So, once again, what are we waiting for? Let's get started.

American Athletic Conference (FBS Group Of Five)

Overview: Say goodbye to Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, and hello to Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA. 

Change will be the name of the game for the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2023, as the six aforementioned schools will replace the former trio in this soon-to-be 10-year league this fall, with all three of those aforementioned institutions joining the Big 12 this fall.

All six newcomers, of course, will have to try and dethrone Tulane as the defending AAC champs. The Green Wave are coming off their best season in nearly 25 years, as they completed a storybook 2022 season with a come-from-behind win over USC in the Cotton Bowl on Monday, January 2, 2023. Tulane finished its season at 12-2 overall after the stunning upset win over the Trojans.

The most likely challenger to Tulane's crown could be UTSA. The Roadrunners will enter the AAC after winning back-to-back Conference USA crowns in as many seasons. However, the main goal for this soon-to-be 13-year old program will be to finally win a bowl game, with UTSA losing another heartbreaker, this time to Troy in the Cure Bowl.

2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Final 2022 American Athletic Conference Football Standings

2023 American Athletic Conference Composite Schedule

Charlotte

East Carolina

Florida Atlantic

Memphis

Navy 

North Texas

Rice

SMU

Temple

Tulane

Tulsa

UAB

USF

UTSA

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

Alternative Pro Football Quickie Previews 2023: CIF

Editor's Note: The NFL season may be over, but the " real football season" is already in full swing. Our series on alternative professional football leagues in North America continues with the Champions Indoor Football League (CIF).

CIF 2023 Teams (In Alphabetical Order)

Billings Outlaws

Gillette (Wyoming) Mustangs

Omaha Beef

Rapid City Marshals

Salina (Kansas) Liberty

Sioux City Bandits

Southwest Kansas Storm

Topeka Tropics

Quickie Analysis: As this article was posted, the 2023 CIF season was already one week old, with six of the league's eight teams seeing action. The defending league champion Salina Liberty got their title defense off to a good start, defeating the Topeka Tropics in convincing fashion 75-45 on March 4. After finishing 9-3 overall in 2022 en route to claiming the CIF title, the Liberty will look to win back-to-back titles in 2023.

As for the offseason and off-the-field news, the CIF introduced a new commissioner shortly before Christmas in Bob Scott, who sold the Sioux City Bandits just two years ago in 2021. If that wasn't enough, the CIF also announced a new format where six of the league's eight squads will advance to the playoffs, while also introducing new scoring options for the 2023 season.

Under the new scoring rules, teams can opt to go for either a two, three, or four-point conversion after scoring a touchdown. Three-point conversions can be attempted from the five-yard line, while four-point conversions will be placed at the 10-yard line.

Still, even with all of the changes, expect the Salina Liberty to be the team to beat in the CIF this spring. However, don't be surprised if Sioux City, Omaha, and Billings have the ultimate say in who will take home the title this season.

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Alternative Pro Football Quickie Previews 2023: XFL

Editor's Note: The NFL season may be over, but the " real football season" is just beginning. Following is a series of brief posts previewing each alternative professional football league in North America, starting with the XFL.

XFL 2023 Schedules (In Alphabetical Order)

Arlington (Texas) Renegades

D.C. Defenders

Houston Roughnecks

Orlando Guardians

San Antonio Brahmas

Seattle Sea Dragons

St. Louis Battlehawks

Vegas Vipers

Quickie Analysis: After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the XFL returns to the field this weekend. The significant differences between the 2020 and 2023 seasons will be in which teams will play this season. The Dallas Renegades have become the Arlington (Texas) Renegades, and the New York Guardians moved to Orlando, Florida. In contrast, the San Antonio Brahmas and the Vegas Vipers became the newest franchises to join the fold. It'll be interesting to see if the XFL can play a full season from start to finish, with few to no interruptions. 

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College Football 2022-2023: The Final Wrap-Up

Starting with the FCS National Championship Game on Sunday, January 8, 2023, with the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits winning their first-ever national championship while denying their longtime archrivals in the North Dakota State University Bison, their 10th title in 12 years. SDSU cruised to a convincing 45-21 win over NDSU. It was the first-ever loss in the Bison's 10 national championship game appearances.

Read the recap of the game, from the SDSU perspective, by clicking here. 

For the NDSU point of view, please click here.

Also, here's a quick moment to recognize the other "national champions" below the FBS level

Celebration Bowl: North Carolina Central

NCAA Division II: Ferris State

NCAA Division III: North Central (Ill.)

NAIA: Northwestern (Iowa)

And now, the final overall prediction totals for the 2022-2023 college football season:

FBS Group Of Five Bowl Predictions Special: 8-8 (.500)

FCS Semifinal and Small College National Championship Games: 5-1 (.833)

Final Overall Record: 1,044-450 (.699)

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RFC Throwback Thursday Finale: North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State FCS Playoffs-2012

(Video courtesy of ESPN.)

The final installment of "RFC Throwback Thursday" for the 2022-2023 season turns the clock back to December 1, 2012. That was when the North Dakota State University Bison hosted the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits in an FCS playoff game. After outlasting SDSU 20-17 in the battle for the Dakota Marker on November 10, NDSU ended the Jackrabbits' season in the second round of the playoffs, as the Bison cruised to a convincing 28-3 victory that day. North Dakota State eventually downed Sam Houston State 39-13 on January 5, 2013, to win the second of five straight national championships, as well as their ninth overall, dating back to the start of the 2011 season.

Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.

 

Bowl/Other Postseason Prediction (s) Results and Quickie Prediction for the FCS Championship Game 2022-2023

FCS Semifinal and Small College National Championship Game Results 2022

5-1 (.833)

Note: Only one miss here in this category, with MEAC champion North Carolina Central pulling off the upset over the previously undefeated SWAC Champion Jackson State University Tigers in overtime, to win the Celebration Bowl, 41-34, on Saturday, December 17, 2022.

Group Of Five Bowl Prediction Results 2022

8-8 (.500)*

*Correct Predictions (The bowl game is listed first, followed by the final score in parentheses, with the winning team marked in RED.)

-Cure Bowl (Troy 18, UTSA 12)

-Lending Tree Bowl (Southern Mississippi 38, Rice 24)

-Frisco Bowl (Boise State 35, North Texas 32)

-Myrtle Beach (Marshall 28, UConn 24)

-Boca Raton (Toledo 21, Liberty 19)

-Independence (Houston 23, Louisiana 20)

-Birmingham (East Carolina 53, Coastal Carolina 29)

-Arizona (Ohio 30, Wyoming 27 [Overtime])

*Incorrect Predictions (The bowl game is listed first, followed by the final score in parentheses, with the losing team marked in RED.)

-Bahamas (UAB 24, Miami [Ohio] 20)

-New Mexico (BYU 24, SMU 23)

-Famous Idaho Potato (Eastern Michigan 41, San Jose State 27)

-New Orleans Bowl (Western Kentucky 44, South Alabama 23)

-Hawai'i Bowl (Middle Tennessee State 25, San Diego State 23)

-Quick Lane (New Mexico State 24, Bowling Green 19)

-Camellia Bowl (Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21)

-First Responder Bowl (Memphis 38, Utah State 10)

Quickie Prediction for the FCS National Championship Game (Projected winner marked in RED, followed by the projected final score, listed below.)

North Dakota State 36, South Dakota State 35