JONESBORO -- Arkansas State didn't play Troy last season, so Coach Blake Anderson didn't have a reason to fully dive into scouting the Trojans.
But Anderson and his staff still watched plenty of Troy's games. Coach Neal Brown's up-tempo Spread offense is similar to what Anderson has run at ASU. So when ASU coaches would scout future opponents they would frequently turn to film of Troy to see how it was defended by other teams.
Those "crossover" film sessions and some phone conversations late last season with Brown led Anderson to believe one thing heading into this season: One of the Sun Belt's traditional pillars was primed for a return to the top.