There is hope to be found among those programs huddling along the bottom half of the Sun Belt Conference standings.
Once again, expect the chase for the 2016 conference championship to center on a cast of familiar characters. Arkansas State, the defending champion, has built itself into one of the most consistent programs on the Group of Five level.
Despite an offseason coaching change, Georgia Southern should remain a strong threat to regain its post atop the conference standings. Georgia State’s unexpected rise to bowl eligibility a year ago paints the Panthers as a program with increasing growth potential in 2016 and beyond.