1. Sam Houston State2016 Finish: 1st | Preseason Poll: 1st UCA made no major change in the last year to put themselves over the top in my mind. Their battle in Conway will be must-watch television but status quo favors the Bearkats. 
2. Central Arkansas2016 Finish: 2nd | Preseason Poll: 2nd The Bears lost some big components of their 2016 defense (Terence Partee and Jordan Toliver - quite literally very big), but return their entire offensive line and should get another season of excellent quarterback play from Hayden Hildebrand. This season, without the services of the aforementioned interior linemen, I won't be shocked to see two losses in UCA's first four conference games (SELA, SHSU, HBU, SFA). If they survive that stretch, look the hell out. 
3. McNeese2016 Finish: 4th | Preseason Poll: 3rd The historically excellent program in Lake Charles has also been by far the most consistent in the SLC over the last decade with 12 straight winning seasons.McNeese boasted the second best defense in the league last year and returns eight starters on that side of the ball. With a formidable defensive line and a couple superstar pass rushers in Chris Livings and Jammerio Gross among them, 2017 should be more of the same. There's probably a lot more separating the Cowboys from the Bears than there is between the top two, but with 97% of their total statistical offense returning and 2016 SLC Newcomer of the Year James Tabury leading the charge, McNeese should be in solid position to compete for a playoff berth. Consider the Cowboys to be the best of the next-level teams. 
4. Houston Baptist2016 Finish: 7th | Preseason Poll: 9th I'm very well aware that my belief in Houston Baptist is a bit of an outlier. I don't blame people for looking at this mostly unremarkable roster and penciling the Huskies toward the basement of the league.That said, I'm a big believer in experience when it comes to any college sport. If HBU lacks the talent of other teams in the top five, they make up for it with a wealth of maturity. Vic Shealy returns 31 seniors and all but five starters from a 2016 season that saw strides taken. They'll need to find a new quarterback but that may not be such a bad thing. More times than not, expect the veteran presence on the HBU sidelines to will the Huskies to victory in the close ones. 
5. Stephen F. Austin2016 Finish: 6th | Preseason Poll: 6th The reasons I'm high on HBU are mostly the same ones that refuse to let me put SFA higher on this list. Maturity matters.The Lumberjacks may well be one of the most talented on this whole list, but in Clint Conque's fourth year, they're still incredibly young. There is a lot to be excited about if you're an SFA fan - Foster Sawyer at quarterback, Jeff Byrd's defensive scheme, the return of a myriad of injured players, loads of potential young superstars in the making - but there's a good chance it won't click until the halfway point of the season. SFA has built a roster that could very well be the league favorite in one year. In 2017, though, they're playoff contenders who probably lose the numbers game. 
6. Abilene Christian2016 Finish: 10th | Preseason Poll: 8th Adam Dorrel has said all the right things and by the look of his first recruiting class, kids seem to be buying it. Despite his specifically saying that culture this year matters a lot more than wins and losses, the fans in Abilene seem to be geared up for an exciting season and controlling those expectations might be important.Nevertheless, I think ACU is going to be a sneakily good team. A prolific offense a year ago should pick up where it left off, despite the staff turnover, with junior quarterback Dallas Sealey returning and a couple big offensive line transfers. They say defense wins championships. In the Southland, the last few years, that's been a lie. I don't think ACU is in conversation with the top teams in the league yet, but I do think they could beat any of them given the right conditions. 
7. Southeastern Louisiana2016 Finish: 3rd | Preseason Poll: 4th For our disagreements in other places, Austin and I both seem to be on the same page here. Southeastern is overrated, period.They won a lot of games in 2016 despite being outscored by their opponents 319 to 328. Even with a stout defense, the Lions could easily have lost five conference games a year ago and they deserve credit for pulling out some close ones. They lack experience on offense, but should get a boost from the return of running back Julius Maracalin and receiver Juwan Dickey. Maybe there's an intangible aspect I'm missing, but it seems most people's belief in SELA lies in their ability to win games last year. That doesn't do justice to how much better the teams around them have gotten. 
8. Nicholls2016 Finish: 4th(t) | Preseason Poll: 5th First of all, give Tim Rebowe a ton of credit. He took a very undesirable job in Thibodaux and has made the Colonels a respected program in the state.That doesn't mean they didn't largely overachieve a year ago when they went 5-4 in Southland Conference play. During that campaign, the Colonels benefited from playing their toughest opponents (minus a loss to Central Arkansas) at home. They won't be so fortunate this year. Chase Fourcade is a really good player, but his favorite target in C.J. Bates has moved on. The defensive secondary is missing key components from last year and there are questions on the offensive line. The Colonels will come back down to earth in 2017. 
9. Lamar2016 Finish: 8th(t) | Preseason Poll: 7th Lamar was one of the big disappointments in 2016 and their 8th place finish cost head coach Ray Woodard his job. Since Lamar brought football back in 2010, they've been a program perpetually in rebuild mode. 2017, under first-year head coach Mike Schultz, is no different.Just 14 starters return from last season and question marks at quarterback (where a four-way battle is underway) and running back headline the offensive issue. With just five starters on defense and the absence of a bonafide defensive superstar in Brendan Langley, the pass-happy Southland could find a few faces with career days against the Cardinals. They'll score some points but they're a work in progress. One of the youngest teams in the league will probably play like it. 
10. Incarnate Word2016 Finish: 8th(t) | Preseason Poll: 11th They're picked last and they might finish there, but Incarnate Word has a better team than they did last year. Larry Kennan has guided the Cardinals through a tough transition to DI and overachieved with a 5-4 record in 2015 before coming back down a bit to 3-6 last year.He'll need to figure out his quarterback situation where Trent Brittain was a respected starter until his graduation. Running back Desmond Hite and receiver Kody Edwards will help make the job easier for whoever fills his void. Teams averaged nearly 38 points per game while playing the Cardinals last year and they have since lost their best defensive player in Josh Zellars. Incarnate Word still has a ways to go before they'll be able to stop some of the impressive passing attacks in the Southland. 
11. Northwestern State2016 Finish: 11th | Preseason Poll: 10th Jay Thomas is very liked both at Northwestern State and elsewhere in the conference - but realistically, he's probably coaching for his job.Northwestern State will be working with new coordinators on both ends of the ball. They have a senior quarterback returning in J.D. Almond but he's not guaranteed any starting job. The Demons were decimated by injury last year and so there's some level of uncertainty in how much talent they really have right now. Like SFA, a lot of young players were forced to start too early last year, and that could bode well in the experience factor. I'm still picking them last. |
1. Central Arkansas2016 Finish: 2nd | Preseason Poll: 2nd The Bears are returning a slew of offensive starters that include Hayden Hildebrand, very possibly the most overlooked quarterback in the Southland Conference. If the Bears can rebuild a few losses on their defense, I see UCA being the most complete team in 2017 and having enough weapons to push them past Sam Houston in their early season matchup.
2. Sam Houston State2016 Finish: 1st | Preseason Poll: 1st Their biggest issue will be on the defensive side of the ball where they will be playing with one of the smallest backfields in the conference. I think these holes on defense will be very noticeable, especially against bigger teams. As strong as the Bearkats are throwing the ball, the offense is pretty one dimensional. If anyone can slow down Briscoe, the offense could become stagnant (see: Madison, James). Of course, when their signal caller is on, Sam rarely has to worry about being outscored.
3. Stephen F. Austin2016 Finish: 6th | Preseason Poll: 6th Stephen F. Austin is actually one of the biggest wildcards coming into this season. Offensively, the Jacks look stacked with depth at running back, new talent on the offensive line, and one of the tallest receiving corps in the nation.The biggest question will be at quarterback where, as most now are aware, Foster Sawyer will be absent for a few weeks. The preseason quarterback battle will be very interesting to see, and - who knows? The Jacks may have a hidden gem hidden there. Defensively the Lumberjacks are certainly excited for the new approach that new defensive coordinator Jeff Byrd is bringing in. In the spring, despite vanilla operations, the new defense shined. If it continues to improve, combined with all of the weapons on offense, the Jacks are in prime position to surprise a lot of people this season.
4. Nicholls2016 Finish: 4th(t) | Preseason Poll: 5th The Colonels impressed a lot of people in 2016. They were no fluke. The Colonels took two FBS opponents to the wire in 2016 and were competitive for the majority of Southland Conference play.It's clear from watching the product last year that head coach Tim Rebowe has the Colonels heading in the right direction, despite being a fairly young team. A stout defense and impressive offense lead by quarterback Chase Fourcade makes the Colonels a very dangerous team that should not be overlooked. If last season wasn't already their breakout, you can expect it in 2017.
5. McNeese2016 Finish: 4th(t) | Preseason Poll: 3rd They're always a legitimate pick for postseason competition, so it's really hard for me to put McNeese this low. I just think the Cowboys had too many holes in last season that kept them from getting over the hump and perhaps weren't fully exploited.I'm not counting out the Cowboys - I would even consider them contenders - but I do think they're still a ways away in working back towards conference dominance. If they do find a way in 2017, though, look to the defense that consistently kept them in games they probably didn't belong in a year ago.
6. Abilene Christian2016 Finish: 10th | Preseason Poll: 8th The Wildcats do have a lot going for them from a talent standpoint, including an offense that returns a slew of starters. Defensively, I still think ACU is one of the weaker teams in the SLC. With all the new faces and playing in a brand new stadium, I'll expect some upsets from the Wildcats. I don't expect them to contend. Yet.
7. Southeastern Louisiana2016 Finish: 3rd | Preseason Poll: 4th Southeastern is a team that's been rebuilding since the graduation of Bryan Bennett. They haven't been bad, in fact, they won a lot of games last year.But, clearly, they've been lacking an identity on offense to really make them stand out. Some games they show up and completely dominate with defense. With the high powered attacks around the SLC and without a sure quarterback on hand in Hammond, it won't be enough this time around. The Lions are going to stumble a lot in 2017.
8. Lamar2016 Finish: 8th(t) | Preseason Poll: 7th Similarly to SELA, Lamar has been struggling to find their identity since the graduation of Kade Harrington. This was especially evident in 2016 as the Cardinals slipped into a five-game losing streak to close the season and struggled to find any kind of offensive production.Lamar shouldn't be counted out, as they have the resources to recruit some very good players in Beaumont, and a new staff with loads of experience working the state of Texas. It still feels like they're rebuilding the program and are a few years away from any kind of sustained success.
9. Houston Baptist2016 Finish: 7th | Preseason Poll: 9th Isaac is very excited about this team because of the fact that they are returning an insane number of seniors. I'm not.The experience on this team is no doubt a positive thing for them. They even have a new quarterback this year that might bring their passing game to life. However, even with all of the good things, I would still call HBU just a good Division II team and a mediocre (at best) DI team. HBU showed some flashes last year and certainly could surprise me this year. I think they may even upset one or two teams I ranked ahead of them - but in the end, with a facility deficit and an absent of new talent, they're still a program in transition. They won't be to the point yet where they should be considered anything but a basement dweller in 2017.
10. Incarnate Word2016 Finish: 8th(t) | Preseason Poll: 11th UIW is another DII team (effectively) that is still trying to build itself up to be a competitive team in the FCS. As it stands right now though, this group of Cardinals just has way too many holes on both ends of the ball that they need to fill before they can be considered anything other than the 10th best team in the SLC.They're missing 50% of their starters from both sides of the ball and that includes quarterback. A new (and first-time) offensive coordinator could fuel the growing pains. They're headed in the right direction, but 2017 will be a long season in San Antonio.
11. Northwestern State2016 Finish: 11th | Preseason Poll: 10th Take away an impressive wideout in Bobby Chan-Chan and I consider Northwestern State to be the only team in the conference without a true standout star. Most of this roster could not start for the 10 teams above.Unfortunately, for head coach Jay Thomas, this could possibly be the least talented team he's coached since taking the job in 2013. It wouldn't be unrealistic or shocking to predict a second-straight winless season. |
The unusually tall receivers.Jon said:
Who do we see as potential difference makers on some of these teams? Obviously QB and defensive scheme are question marks for SFA, but what else do we see as potentially noticeable early on?
