Headquartered in downtown New Orleans, the SUN BELT CONFERENCE – like the city itself - yearns for a new identity. They are the only conference in the nation to provide video highlights and features on its website from each of the league’s respective championships from 2005-07. Technologically advanced – yes.  Football challenged – that, too. Still, they’ve still got this ‘Louisiana Garbage Can’ image they’d like to kick.  And like New Orleans, they figure to do it one game at a time.

Here is the take on the Sun Belt Conference for 2008 from Marc Lawrence of Playbook.com. Returning starters are listed alongside each team’s name (returning QB’s designated with an *). Coming up next: the WAC CONFERENCE.  Enjoy…

SBC

ARKANSAS STATE - *6 / 5
Team Theme – INDIAN GIVERS
Head coach Steve Roberts has been around the Arkansas State program long enough (six years) to see the team nickname change from Indians to Warhawks (this year).  During that time his squads have compiled a 31-41 record, substantially better than the 17-50 mark recorded in the six seasons prior to his arrival.  He welcomes the return of QB Corey Leonard, 22-13 as a starter, along with 45 other lettermen from a team that led the SBC in team defense last year. Along with star RB Reggie Arnold (1,000 rushing yards each of the last two years) and SR OL Matt Mandich, a 6’3” 305 lb three-time all SBC lineman who has started every game of his career, the Hawks should post a winning season for the first time since 1995. With four of their first six games at home, we like their chances.
PLAY ON: vs. Southern Mississippi (9/13)

FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Team Theme – HOWIE DOING
Give the man his due.  Howie Longname is getting it done, and doing so under adverse conditions. Despite a schedule that found them home only four times last season, the Owls went 8-5 with a bowl win in only their 4th season as a Division 1-A team last year.  Now that’s impressive! Schnellenberger built this program from scratch and awaits a new stadium next year.  Not that he needs a home field. Life on the road has been good for FAU and the Owls will play six of this season's first eight games away from home. The good news is 55 lettermen are back from last year’s squad, including 6’ 5” JR QB Rusty Smith, MVP of the New Orleans Bowl and SBC Player of the Year.  Smith, who has NFL scouts drooling, threw for 3,688 yards and 32 TDs last year. Yeah, they’re doing just fine in Boca these days.
PLAY ON: vs. Louisiana Monroe (10/25) - *KEY if off loss

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Team Theme – BABY LOVE
A quick glance at FIU (FIT), and its cross-town rival FAU (FAT), shows many similarities in 2008.  FIT and FAT each welcome back 55 lettermen and they both play six of their first eight games of the season on the road.  That’s where the comparison stops. The Panthers managed just one win in Mario Cristobal's rookie campaign but they showed dramatic improvement as the season progressed. That’s confirmed with these numbers: FIU averaged 8.8 and allowed 48.8 PPG the first five games, but improved to 21.9 and 37.0 PPG over the final seven games. The Panthers did so behind the 2nd youngest group of players in the land (41 of 67 freshmen and sophomores).  In fact, QB Wayne Younger actually outrushed Arkansas’ celebrated RB’s Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in their game against Arkansas!  It will be a while before FIT becomes FAT, but the Panthers are getting there, one baby step at a time.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. North Texas (10/4)

LA LAFAYETTE - 7 / 5
Team Theme – HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
For the first time in his tenure with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Rickey Bustle saw his win percentage actually decline last season.  That’s if slipping from 6-5 to 6-6 is a steep drop.  We know this about Bustle – his teams are well coached and disciplined, having had the fewest penalties in the SUN BELT since 2002.  Monroe will open at home in five of their first eight games in 2007 but it’s down the stretch where Bustle hustles.  They will be without QB Jerry Babb for the first time in four years so there is a huge void to fill.  The feeling here is they will be in synch and looking to climb back up the ladder by season’s end.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Middle Tennessee St (11/10)

LA LAFAYETTE - *8 / 6
Team Theme – CAGED RAGE
At first glance, last year’s 3-9 effort looked weak.  A second glimpse, however, reveals a team that refused to quit.  Following five straight losses to open the season, the Ragin’ Cajuns lived up to their nickname in a stirring 3-4 finish, including three season-ending stat victories.  Rest assured, head coach Rickey Bustle will utilize that momentum, along with 45 letter winners and 14 returning starters, to build on in 2008. SR QB Michael Desormeaux actually lead the SBC in rushing YPG in conference play.  Along with SR RB Tyrell Fenroy, the first SBC player to log three consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons, the running game is on solid ground. A final look inside last year’s ledger shows eight of the nine losses came against bowl-eligible opposition.  Not bad for a team forced to play 21 freshmen and 18 sophomores.  Yes, the Cajuns are primed to bounce back.
PLAY ON: vs. Louisiana Monroe (10/4)

LA MONROE - *7 / 8
Team Theme – UP IN SMOKE 
A David vs. Goliath feel-good story occurred when Louisiana Monroe stunned Alabama, and 4-million dollar a year coach Nick Saban, as 24-point underdogs late last season. It prompted head coach Charlie Weatherbie to draw this analogy: “According to the win, I’m undervalued by 97 percent of what I should be paid,” said Weatherbie, who earns a mere $130,000 as the coach of the Warhawks. “I’m looking forward to being paid what I’m truly owed and living out one of my lifelong dreams: buying a monkey, and then training it to smoke and drink beer.”  Our question is: smoke and chug what?  Seems Charlie and Jimmy Buffett have a lot in common.  That’s the sort of euphoria that comes when your team became bowl-eligible for the first time since jumping to Division 1-A in 1994.  Unfortunately, seven road games will likely leave the red-shouldered hawk in despair.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Auburn (8/30)

MID TENNESSEE STATE – 6 / 5
Team Theme – SURROUND SOUND
It is said that you are only as good as the people that surround you.  If that’s the case, Rick Stockstill is one first-rate coach. Stockstill and his staff own two Super Bowl rings, three National Championships, fifty-three bowl rings and one hundred forty-two years of coaching experience. That probably explains why the Blue Raiders are a lofty +18 in turnovers in two seasons under Stockstill.  Let the other team make mistakes and reap the rewards. That’s the solid philosophy being practiced these days in Murfreesboro. Stockstill is most excited about the return of QB Dwight Dasher, who lived up to his name by leading the team in rushing. Dasher was an honorable mention on the Sporting News all-freshman team. Yes, there’s a lot to like about this team, despite it’s daunting seven game road schedule.
PLAY ON: as a dog vs. Troy (8/28)

NORTH TEXAS - *8 / 6
Team Theme – THE DEFENSE RESTS
As expected, the Eagles nearly doubled their offensive output last season under the command of Todd Dodge and his new four-wide spread offense. What they didn’t count on was a defense collapsing like a cheap lawn chair. When the final dust had settled North Texas slipped from 3-9 to 2-10, despite going 6-6 ‘In The Stats’.  A 0-5 start and the worst rush defense in the land put them in a bottomless hole. To put it into perspective, had they not played FIT and FAT (Florida International and Florida Atlantic), they would have coughed up 6.5 Yards Per Rush on the season.  Sure, Dodge is excited about the prospects of SO QB Giovanni Vizza but it won’t matter a lick unless they address matters on the other side of the ball.  Dodge may be ram tough on the outside but his underbelly is too soft for our liking.  
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Western Kentucky (11/1)

TROY  - 7 / 7
Team Theme – WHERE HAVE ALL THE POWERS GONE?
The team prospectus opens: “Larry Blakeney is a winner.  Always has been.” It would be hard to refute those words. In seventeen years at Troy he is 136-68-1.  That represents the 3rd best record among all programs over the same span.  Blakeney will be looking for a Sun Belt three-peat in 2008 but to do so he’ll need to overcome some serious losses from last season.  The Trojans’ top two skill players, QB Omar Haugabook and RB Kenny Cattouse (4,6071 combined total yards of offense last year) are gone.  So too is OC Tony Franklin who takes his highly successful spread offense to Auburn. To make matters worse, five of Troy's first six games are on the road. Here’s hoping the prospectus proves prophetic.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Oklahoma State (9/27)