College Football

Buzzing Away

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

After 11 seasons in Atlanta Paul Johnson has retired suddenly from coaching at Georgia Tech. As a fan I think this is great news. I do think the timing is very odd though.

“It’s been a great run for the last 11 years here on The Flats. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and am looking forward to having the chance to coach this team one last time at our bowl game next month.”

It seemingly came out of nowhere but CPJ said he contemplated retirement in 2016. After athletic director Mike Bobinski departed for Purdue in 2016, he was replaced by Todd Stansbury.

“To be honest with you, truthfully, had Todd not shown up, I was ready to do this before he came,” Johnson said. “Because it wasn’t much fun. It was drudgery. I think that Todd came in, he understands what needs to happen.”

That is an interesting quote because on the outside he appeared to be content coaching. This is interesting insight into the mind of a coach because we often see them say one thing then doing something totally different.

For example, how many times have we seen a coach claim they love their current job then bolt for the next open position?

Johnson, 61, is fourth all-time at Georgia Tech with an 82-59 mark, and has a career coaching record of 189-98 over 22 seasons. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the ACC championship in 2009, and he finished first or second in the Coastal Division in 7 of his 11 seasons.

He’s known for running the triple option, which is extremely old school since the turn of the century. The Yellow Jackets lead the country in rushing this season and have been a fixture in the top 10 nationally in rushing each of the past 10 years.

Since 2008, Georgia Tech has averaged 301.9 rushing yards per game – second in FBS behind Navy (308.0).

He has struggled recently, having losing seasons in 2015 and 2017. The team got off to a slow start this season going 1-3. They rallied to win six of the next seven. I believe the criticism from fans has worn Johnson out on coaching at Tech.

The Yellow Jackets lost to rival Georgia 45-21. That score is closer than the game actually was.

They were also trounced by UGA in 2017 38-7. He has struggled to beat them and Clemson in his tenure. The talent gap between the programs has only gotten worse because he is not a good recruiter.

More than likely he will take a little time off and return to coaching. I think that’s a good move for him. He is not cut out for a Power 5 school, but I think he would excel at a smaller school or back at the FCS level.

“I think I’m still young enough that I’ll take a break and see if it fits and see if it’s what I want,” he said. “And if not, hopefully the body of work that I’ve had over the last 40 years, if I decide to do it again, I’ll get back in it somewhere else.”

I think Johnson will be remembered fondly by Tech fans in the next few years.

Who Is In?

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

If Georgia upsets Alabama Saturday night, then the playoff field will be set, I believe, regardless of any other outcomes: Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Clemson. (And yes, even if Clemson were to lose to Pittsburgh- which I don’t think will happen- I would still put them in ahead of both Oklahoma and Ohio State.)

If the SEC Championship game winds up being a repeat of last year’s national championship, and Alabama escapes victorious, I don’t think all is lost for UGA fans.

However, I will admit there’s a better chance of me waking up tomorrow with Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” body than the Bulldogs joining the playoffs for the second straight year. I just don’t think it’s impossible.

The obvious way it could work out is that Georgia plays Alabama tough and both Oklahoma and Ohio State lose their respective championship games.

Georgia’s overall body of work would be better than Ohio State’s and it would be difficult to put in an Oklahoma team that would’ve lost twice to the same team, Texas.

To be honest, even if Ohio State wins, I’m not sure I put them in over Georgia. (I realize I may be the only non-Georgia fan who believes this. I don’t know, maybe after all these years I’m finally starting to warm up to the ol’ Dawgs. Nah, it’s probably the egg nog speaking.)

I don’t think OSU beating a Northwestern team that basically won their division by default is that much of a game changer. I’d still take a two loss Georgia team over a one loss Ohio State.

So, in my eyes, it really comes down to the Oklahoma/Texas game.

The Sooners are in a very similar situation to the one Georgia was in last year; a one loss team, playing in their conference championship game against the team that gave them their only blemish on the season. And much like Georgia last year, it will be nearly impossible to keep Oklahoma out of the playoffs, in this particular scenario, if they win.

As I alluded to above though, if Oklahoma loses I would still go with a two loss Georgia over a two loss Oklahoma.

The Big 12 title game will take place before the SEC, so Georgia fans will have a better idea of the scenarios that may play out, before their game begins.

Look, as difficult as it is for me to say this, I just feel Georgia is the better team between them, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. So, unless it’s just obvious that one of the latter two is more deserving of a playoff appearance than Georgia, the Bulldogs should get the edge.

I don’t think Georgia will win, but I do believe they’re good enough to play the Tide close. When you consider how Alabama has pretty much steam rolled through their schedule, being able to keep close will say an awful lot, if Georgia is able to do that.

Of course, they could completely take away all the suspense by just winning the damn game, but obviously that’s a little bit easier said than done.

If it does play out where there is no clear cut fourth team, it will be interesting to see what the committee does and what they prioritize. I’ve made it clear I think Georgia should be the team, but then again, I also think UCF should be in the conversation, so what do I know. But, that’s an entirely different story for another day.

 

Balance Of Power

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Before the season started, all you heard is how dominant the SEC West was and that division carried the entire conference on its shoulders, while the SEC East was the weaker of the two.

Let me let you in on a little secret going into the final weekend of the season, the SEC East holds an 8-5 edge on the SEC West going into this weekend’s matchup with Arkansas and Missouri. If Missouri wins as expected then the east will win the crossover game series 9-5 in 2018. How can that be?

Is there a power shift occurring in the SEC? Let’s take a look at the state of the SEC East going into the last week of the season.

Georgia: Right now, UGA is king of the east and defending SEC Champions and most of their current roster is underclassmen.

The future is bright in Athens with Kirby Smart bringing five star athlete after five star athlete. Smart is building a monster in Athens and look for the Dawgs to be national power for some time to come.

Florida: The Gators under Dan Mullen have a chance to win 10 games in a season most experts wrote them off.

Mullen is a quality coach and the Gators are a QB away from being dangerous.

Florida may be the most fertile recruiting ground in the United States, and with both Miami and FSU struggling it could mean the Gators get all the way back really quickly.

Florida had a signature win at home this season against LSU, and a potential dream matchup with UCF in the Fiesta Bowl could shut up the smack talk coming out of Orlando once and for all.

Kentucky: The Wildcats are 8-3 and also have a chance to get their first ten win season since 1977. Yes, I said 1977.

Mark Stoops will be on top of many SEC coach of the year ballots. The Cats played UGA for the SEC East Championship on November 3rd, 2018. Kentucky football is ascending and Lexington will not be a fun road trip in the near future.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks are going to win seven games under Will Muschamp in 2018. Carolina was a dumpster fire after Steve Spurrier bailed on the program in 2015 in the middle of the season.

Muschamp is slowly building this program from the inside out. Be patient South Carolina fans, you have never been a great football program to begin with.

Missouri: The Tigers are 7-4 with with 2-9 Arkansas left on the schedule. A win by the Tigers means that every SEC East team will have beaten an SEC West Team in 2018.

Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State all failed to beat and SEC East teams in 2018. Barry Odom is doing a fine job in the Show Me State, but who is going to replace Drew Lock when Lock replaces Blake Bortles in Jacksonville?

Vanderbilt: The Commodores are sitting at 5-6 and should have probably beaten Missouri, Florida, and Notre Dame in South Bend. A win over Tennessee this week and Vandy goes bowling. This team is not a cupcake anymore.

Tennessee: The Vols went 0-8 in the SEC in 2017, but beat Auburn, and Kentucky in 2018. Pruitt needs two more recruiting cycles to get this team back to being Tennessee again, and when he does look out.

The SEC East went 3-11 against the West in 2017, and looks like they will turn that into 9-5 in 2018. If Georgia beats Alabama in Atlanta then you can say the balance of power has shifted in the SEC. Tua will have a huge say about that.

Picking Off The Panthers

By: Mike Anthony

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

By any measure imaginable, the 2018 Georgia Southern football season has been an overwhelming success.

The Eagles entered the fall with their third head coach in four seasons and their fifth offensive coordinator in the same span. The team went a program-worst 2-10 in 2017, losing its first nine games as one of the youngest rosters in the country was thrown into the deep end and struggled to stay afloat.

Those two wins came only after Chad Lunsford was named interim head coach midway through the season. Lunsford was given the official head coach title just before the final game of the season. He promised a return to the winning culture that Georgia Southern is synonymous with and he has delivered.

Armed with some new faces on the coaching staff and a team that has had an extra bounce in its step since before spring practice began, the Eagles currently sit at 8-3 and have a chance to notch their third nine-win season in five years at the FBS level.

But for all the success, there is one glaring wrong from the past few years of GS football that need to be righted.

On Saturday, the Eagles head to Atlanta to take on Georgia State and will try to end a three-game losing streak that stems back to the 2015 regular season finale.

The Panthers haven’t been the cause of the Eagles’ recent struggles. After all, a program with a lifetime record of 29-76 isn’t the cause of anyone’s main problems. But Georgia State has been there to rub salt in the wounds over the last few seasons, making all of the negatives sting just a bit more.

Georgia Southern has exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations this season and will soon receive an invitation to is second bowl game in program history.

The Eagles were in contention for the Sun Belt championship game into November and a still relatively young squad figures to keep the positive momentum rolling into 2019.

But there’s still a looming, panther-shaped box remaining to be checked off on this season’s list of goals.

College teams are often remembered season by season, but individual classes of players also take plenty of pride in what their group was able to accomplish during their time.

This year’s seniors already have a roller coaster resume. They signed on and took a chance with a team in its FBS infancy and were immediately part of a bowl winner. Then they endured a coaching change and – over two seasons – saw the team sink as low as it ever has.

But in their final season at Georgia Southern, this class has flipped the script. In less than 12 months, they have guided the Eagles from the depths of national bottom 10 lists to plenty of accolades about a team from Statesboro that is on the rise.

The one thing this class has left to do is to take down that team from Atlanta.

And based on how this season is going, those seniors are probably thinking the same thing as their fans.

Is it Saturday yet?

Georgia Tech To Sting Georgia?

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The college football season is almost over. We’re going into the final week of the season, which features rivalry games. One of my favorites is Clean, Old Fashioned Hate from my home state.

This will be the 113th meeting between Georgia Tech and UGA. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 66-41-5. The longest win streak in the series is eight games by Georgia Tech from 1949-1956.

Since 1991 UGA has won 21 of the 27 games. To say they have been dominating recently would be an understatement. Tech did win the last meeting in Athens back in 2016, 28-27. Last season Georgia obliterated the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, 38-7.

No. 5 Georgia (10-1) has won the SEC East for the second consecutive year and guaranteed a spot in the SEC Championship.

“I try to have a 24-hour rule, too, but this one is different because you don’t have enough time to prepare for them,” Smart said, explaining why he would change things up to begin early preparations for rival Georgia Tech.

The Bulldogs have superior size, speed and talent. They are a 17-point favorite over Tech. On paper, they should win easily but that’s why they play the game.

Georgia Tech (7-4) got off to a slow start but they won four consecutive games. They have won the last two games in Athens so they should have some confidence. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation with 353.7 yards per game rushing.

The Dawgs run defense looked shaky against UMass in their 66-27 win. Georgia surrendered 125 yards rushing in the first half rushing before the Minutemen shifted into catch-up mode for the second half.

“Zero. None,” Smart said when asked after Georgia’s win over UMass if there was anything he could take from this week and apply to Georgia Tech. “No offense we faced all year. Zero. It has zero carry over. I think you see across the country if you watch teams play the triple option, it’s extremely different and so extreme that I don’t think you guys can understand. There’s not one call in our defense. The only common theme is you’ve got to tackle the man with the ball. That’s the only common theme. Outside of that, there’s nothing like it.”

One good thing for the rivalry is Paul Johnson playing the villain. He’s very outspoken about everything even it may come back to haunt him. He’s only 3-7 against Georgia but he still takes time to troll the SEC.

“Week in and week out, I promise you there isn’t any difference in lining up and playing those guys than there is playing North Carolina, Clemson and Virginia Tech,” Johnson said.

“What happened in my opinion is you had really good teams at the top of their league and they got credit. It was almost like the ACC in basketball this year. They all get ranked in the top 15 and then when they beat each other they don’t ever drop. Then you get to the tournament and you don’t do so well and you start thinking maybe they were overhyped.”

The Dawgs could make this game close if they are not focused. They may be looking ahead to their showdown with Alabama the following week. If they sleepwalk this can be a close game. No matter the scenario UGA will notch another W in the series.

Tailback U

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

A lot has been written about Georgia’s success when it comes to recruiting quarterbacks over the last few years. Signing 5-star QB’s in three straight classes tends to lend itself to those accolades.

One position I expect to see the Bulldogs copy that type of success with is in the backfield; partially because of the accomplishments their running backs are seeing on the collegiate level, but mainly because of what is starting to transpire among their backs in the NFL.

Outside of Herschel Walker, Georgia has always had good, but not great running backs in the NFL. Guys like Garrison Hearst and Knowshon Moreno certainly had respectable careers, but I’m not sure too many 17-18 year olds have any idea who they are.

However, they do know the name Todd Gurley, and more than likely at least familiar with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Gurley’s accomplishments are obvious, and even though Kirby Smart didn’t technically coach him at Georgia, that’s still a heck a name drop he can use in recruiting.

Chubb and Michel are just beginning their careers, but both are in good situations. Chubb is the featured back in Cleveland and has a great opportunity to solidify that position for years to come.

I do realize saying a player can be successful in Cleveland carries about as much weight as saying Dwight Schrute is the best beer farmer in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but along with Baker Mayfield, Chubb can play a huge part in turning the franchise around.

As for Michel, as long as he can stay healthy, being in New England will give him plenty of notoriety and he’ll be learning from the best in the business, Bill Belichick.

Even if neither of those two become upper echelon running backs, as long as they turn into consistent starters that will give Georgia three starting NFL running backs, and another talking point for Smart on the recruiting trail.

It’s not as if Georgia isn’t already bringing some heat from the tailback position, especially with D’Andre Swift. A consensus top five recruit at his position, Swift has really been a spark for the Bulldogs over the last month.

Although he’s just a sophomore, Swift has proven to be not only an effective runner but also capable of catching the ball out the backfield; something that will help his transition into the NFL.

Along with junior running back Elijah Holyfield, Georgia boasts one of the best backfields in college football. Like I said, it’s not as though Georgia is hurting in the tailback department.

Over the course of college football there have a been a plethora of teams given the moniker “Quarterback U”, used to display a particular dominance that program has shown over the years at the quarterback position. In most instances it revolves around the quarterback’s success at the professional level as opposed to college

Technically there isn’t a “Tailback U”, although Southern California was humble enough to give themselves that nickname a few years back.

Georgia still has a little ways to go before their name is added to that particular conversation, but they are on the right path. When you look at what they’re achieving at the collegiate level, along with how former players are performing in the NFL, the Bulldogs are beginning to show signs of being a prime destination for tailbacks.

As if Kirby Smart needs any more assistance when he walks into a recruit’s living room.

Not The End

By: Mike Anthony

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Georgia Southern football.

On one hand, it’s tough to say that the team has been disappointing. After all, the same Eagles that suffered their worst season ever in 2017 took the Sun Belt by surprise in racing out to a 7-1 start. Seven wins was about the highest win total anyone had projected for the Eagles, much less their mark two-thirds of the way through the schedule.

But as the season carries on, expectations have a way of changing. So, when the Eagles came up punchless in Monroe two weeks ago and then allowed 32 unanswered points to Troy last weekend, those seven wins somehow don’t seem like such a feel-good story.

That’s not an indictment of the team or even its play over the last two weeks. That’s just sports.

Coaches will drone on and on each year about how their teams aren’t as good as their best win, nor are they as bad as their worst loss. The cliches and platitudes might not do much for ailing fan bases, but there is plenty of truth behind them.

Rarely can a team look back at an entire season and not see a few places where an extra play here or there could have meant a couple of extra victories. And, if that same team is being honest with itself, it’s also usually true that it could identify a spot or two where wins could have turned into losses if not for some good fortune.

The fact is that nothing the Eagles can do over the final two weeks of the regular season will make 2018 anything other than a success. Head coach Chad Lunsford is steadily gaining folk hero status points for the job he’s done.

He has quickly turned around the program and the young guys who were thrown into the fire last season are steadily proving they are capable of forming the core of Georgia Southern squads that can compete for conference championships in the immediate future.

The current season is already a success, but the next test is whether or not that’s good enough for the 2018 Eagles.

There won’t be a top-25 ranking or a New Year’s bowl and a shot at the Sun Belt title is all but mathematically impossible. However, there is still a chance for another bowl win, a possible 10-win season and two more chances to pay back conference foes for losses suffered last season.

Georgia Southern isn’t a world-beater. The fast start was nice and there have been tons of positives when compared to 2017, but the plain truth is that there are plenty of things that need to continue to improve if the Eagles want to head into the final month of 2019 with another good shot at winning the Sun Belt.

The good news is that the players seem to realize that. The better news is that there are still a few games remaining in this season to get a head start.

Much is always made about how a team deals with success after a big win or how it handles adversity after a loss. What the Eagles need to do is figure out how they want to deal with themselves.

Either they can stay at their current level and notch some accolades with upset wins here and there while not quite having the consistency to make it to the finish line, or they can continue to improve and become a team that is feared rather than just favored.

One would assume that the Eagles want to be in the latter category. And with two possible payback games left on the schedule this season, now is as good a time as ever for them to start being feared.

Eagles High And Lows

By: Mike Anthony

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

As a lifelong baseball fan, I grew up with the old adage that “a winning streak is only as good as tomorrow’s starting pitcher.”

That sentiment isn’t exclusive to baseball as prolonged success in any sport is only attainable if a team is able to check all of the boxes and do all of the little things correctly from one game to the next.

Simply put, the huge wave of emotion and momentum that swept over the Georgia Southern football team after beating a nationally ranked Appalachian State squad didn’t carry over to the Eagles’ next game.

For every inspired play made against App, the Eagles had a flat-footed look as UL Monroe stormed its way to a victory. For every fortunate bounce Georgia Southern found against its arch rival, it seemed that an equal and opposite disaster was lying in wait against the Warhawks.

This isn’t a calling out or a tsk-tsking of the Eagles or their effort. It takes a nearly perfect team to make it through an entire season without suffering a game where things just don’t work out and – for all their success this season – the Eagles are still far from being perfect.

It is impressive that a team with so many new coaches and so much youth in key roles took so long to get around to such a disastrous game but the timing of everything certainly makes things sting a bit more for the team and fans alike.

For a team that has such high hopes for both the remainder of the season and for the immediate future, Saturday’s loss needs to serve as a lesson that is quickly learned and corrected.

Early in the season, the Eagles found success by doing all of the little things right, even if the big plays weren’t always there. Sheer athleticism powered the winning effort against South Carolina State and an impressive intensity allowed the Eagles to hang with Clemson for four quarters even while dealing with a hostile environment, a truckload of injuries and an impending hurricane.

They rose to the occasion in crunch time against Arkansas State and Texas State and they buried Appalachian State under a sea of turnovers and momentum.

But out in Monroe, all of the little things went lacking just as all of the big things – like blown coverages and an inability to gain first downs – also went wrong.

Georgia Southern proved it could overcome a slow start on the road in a convincing win over New Mexico State last month, but the Eagles were able to do that by going back to basics and playing a disciplined final three quarters.

Against the Warhawks, the penalties and negative first down plays continued throughout the game. And when two huge momentum plays – a pick-six and a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown – went their way, they were unable to capitalize and immediately gave back the points to fall further behind.

So now the Eagles are faced with a task that is unique for this season.

For the first time this week, the Eagles will enter a game coming off of a disappointing performance (it’s hard to count a loss to Clemson as too disappointing).

The last two months have been a steady stream of the Eagles and their fans building up performance and expectations with each passing week.

Now is the time for Georgia Southern to prove that it’s the effort and process of preparing for a big game that matters more than riding a winning streak.

Still Buzzing

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

I have to revisit something I said about Georgia Tech and Paul Johnson about one month ago.

After the opening week the Yellow Jackets lost three consecutive games. Then they bounced back and won two in a row, topping 60 points each game in the process. The wins were only against Bowling Green and Louisville but they were still impressive.

That was followed up by a homecoming loss to Duke. Yes, Duke football. The Blue Devils have won four of the last five meetings. At that point, it looked like it was time to get rid of Paul Johnson.

The Ramblin Wreck traveled to Blacksburg for a Thursday night game. This was a real turning point in the season. Starting quarterback TaQuan Marshall was injured so Tobias Oliver made his first career start. Oliver ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns to lead them to a 49-28 win. He only attempted one pass and did not complete it.

Oliver seems like the more explosive player so I thought he would remain the starter. Marshall returned last week and played against North Carolina.

“I feel like it’s pretty evident that I can get in and play,” Oliver said. “But at the same time, we’re at the point in the season where I don’t want to get too much that I should be the starter. As of right now, I just want to win.”

Oliver was inserted in the game on the fourth drive, still in the first quarter. He had another great game on the ground with 120 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed both of his pass attempts for 104 yards and a touchdown.

He threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to Qua Searcy, the team’s longest since 2009.

Georgia Tech, which entered the game averaging a nation-leading 366.5 rushing yards per game, ran for 461 yards against a North Carolina defensive line depleted by injuries and suspensions. It was the Yellow Jackets’ fifth 400-yard rushing performance of the season, a school record.

They got off to a 28-10 lead before holding on to win 38-28.

“It got a little crazy there. I thought maybe when we came out and opened the third quarter and put together a nice, long drive for a touchdown and then we got ’em pinned back inside the 20 on the kickoff that maybe we’d get away from them a little bit. But to their credit, they kept playing and they fought back and we did most everything we could to try to help them,” Johnson said.

Now they have five wins and only need one more win to become bowl eligible. They also still have a shot to win the ACC Coastal division. The next two games are home against Miami and Virginia. I know they can win at least one of those games, more than likely against the Cavaliers.

The Miami game is going to be a rare night game at Bobby Dodd Stadium. CPJ has a losing record against Miami and Mark Richt. The Hurricanes have lost their last three games so they are not playing well. This is a very winnable game for Tech.

It looks like Paul Johnson will do just enough to save his job after getting off to a slow start.

The Eagles Return

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Georgia Southern since they transitioned from the FCS to the FBS in 2014.

Their short-lived tenure on the FBS level reminds me of Darius Rucker’s music career (yes, I just heard Hootie & Blowfish 0n the radio and now I can’t stop thinking about how the Dolphins make him cry).

The inaugural season, in which they won the Sun Belt outright, was far more successful than anyone could have imagined; much like “Cracked Rear View Mirror”. The following seasons were basically like every other Hootie album that came after their debut album.

This current season, a redemption of sorts, is kind of like Rucker’s exploration into country music I guess.

Anyway, bad pop culture references aside, the Eagles are making another unexpected run at the Sun Belt, which gained steam after their home win over Appalachian State.

Even though the Mountaineers lost their starting quarterback on the first series, and their backups made Nathan Peterman look like Joe Montana, Georgia Southern completely dominated the game.

While you can’t look too much into all the turnovers Georgia Southern forced because of Appalachian’s quarterback situation, you can’t say the same about the other side of the ball.

Appalachian entered the game with one of the stingiest defenses in the country, which Georgia Southern promptly dominated upfront and ran all over them.

I’m not saying Georgia Southern is as good as Penn State, but as someone who has watched every App. St. game this year, I haven’t seen them be handled like that on defense all season, including the Penn State game.

With the Sun Belt’s new division alignment, and conference championship game, the next few weeks will be interesting. The big game for Georgia Southern is their November 10th matchup against Troy. If both teams win their upcoming games, the winner will take sole possession of first place within the East Division.

(The Louisiana Monroe game this weekend could be a sneaky one for Southern since it is positioned right in between the Appalachian and Troy games. Georgia Southern is the better team, but ULM is good enough to give them fits if the Eagles are looking ahead to Troy.)

If Georgia Southern beats Troy they’ll own the tiebreaker with both Troy and Appalachian State, with only Coastal Carolina and Georgia State remaining on their schedule; two teams they should defeat easily.

A loss would require Southern fans to root for Appalachian to beat Troy in the season finale, which is like asking a Georgia fan to pull for Florida to win, causing a three-way tie for the division title.

Of course, all of this would require each of those three teams to win their remaining games, outside of the ones I just outlined.

Saying a team “controls their own destiny” is one of the most clichéd sports lines there is, so I’ll simply make this statement: at this point Georgia Southern has the “authority to decide whether or not they will take advantage of the situation ordained to them by a higher power.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Eagles have begun re-staking their claim as one of the better programs within the Sun Belt Conference.

With Appalachian State and Troy both residing in the same division, having Georgia Southern back makes the East Division one of the most exciting and competitive ones in all of college football.