By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

While many non-Power Five conferences struggle from a lack of noteworthy rivalry games, the Sun Belt has the tremendous fortune of inheriting one of the most intense rivalries in all of college football.

Nothing plays the role of equalizer like a good, old-fashioned rivalry game. Passion and disdain, in many respects, trump talent and athleticism when two teams take opposing sidelines for a fierce 60 minutes of battle on the gridiron.

And when former SoCon foes and newly-indoctrinated Sun Belt members Appalachian State and Georgia Southern square off on the gridiron, the old rivalry adage undoubtedly applies: You can throw the records out the window.

While many non-Power Five conferences struggle from a lack of noteworthy rivalry games, the Sun Belt has the tremendous fortune of inheriting one of the most intense rivalries in all of college football.

Stemming back to their heated days at the FCS level, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have, over time, developed an intense rivalry rooted in their quest to reign as the preeminent conference and national power.

The Eagles led the way during the early days of the FCS (formally known as Division I-AA), winning a remarkable six national championships in just a 16-year stretch. Georgia Southerns national championship total still stands as the highest mark in FCS football, with the next closest program being Youngstown State, which has won four national titles.

Georgia Southerns reign of dominance over the FCS landscape would come to a screeching halt in the first decade of the new millennium, however, as Appalachian State would go on to win three consecutive national championships from 2005 to 2007. The run of dominance under the leadership of Jerry Moore would firmly entrench the Mountaineers, at least temporarily, as the premier program in the FCS.

Heading into tonights nationally-televised showdown between a pair of programs that are already very familiar with the bright lights of the national stage, the overwhelming consensus is that Georgia Southern has emerged as a heavy favorite due to its early-season performances. Though the Eagles currently sit with a 2-2 record, Willie Fritzs squad lost a pair of one-possession heartbreakers to two ACC teams, and picked up a win on the road over the team picked to finish third in the Sun Belt in the programs first ever game in the conference.

Meanwhile, Appalachian States first FBS season has, to this point, been less than impressive. The Mountaineers were blown out by an average Michigan team to the open the season, and lost to a struggling Southern Miss program in its most recent contest. Appalachian States lone victory on the season came against Campbell, a non-scholarship FCS program.

Considering the teams respective performances through the first weeks of the campaign and the fact that tonights game is being played at Georgia Southerns hostile Paulson Stadium, it is easy to see why many national pundits are projecting a relatively easy victory in favor of the home team.

As is usually the case with rivalry games, though, it would be unwise to expect the outcome of this game to be based on logic or reason.

Appalachian State is one of the few programs in the country that can boast of its extended record of success against Georgia Southern. In 27 contests, the Mountaineers currently hold a 15-11-1 edge in the series.

The Mountaineers success against their bitter rivals has been more recent as well. Appalachian State currently has a three-game winning streak over the Eagles, and has won seven of the last nine contests overall.

Needless to say, the Mountaineers, unlike many other Sun Belt teams, will not be overwhelmed by the crowd at Paulson Stadium or the tradition of the Georgia Southern program.

In fact, it is likely that the team is embracing the opportunity to pull a major upset against its most heated rivalry game on the road in a game which will be televised nationally.

x9cAnybody who played with the Appalachian State football program will tell you as soon as you get off the bus at Georgia Southern, you feel the hate. The hate is in the air. You know youre at Georgia Southern, and you know its about to be a hard-fought game,x9d former Mountaineer All-American linebacker Jacque Roman commented on the Southern Pigskin Radio Network. x9cTheir fans get into it from the start. They are there when you get off the bus, and they are standing there and staring at you. For players for me, that just fueled the fire and made it even worse for our opponent.x9d

As with any great rivalry, the one aspect that makes watching Appalachian State and Georgia Southern compete so fun is the mutual respect that the programs share for one another.

The passion and intensity is by no means counterfeit, but both sides have a sincere appreciation for the tradition and fan support which the other side possesses.

x9cIts great to watch the two teams square off,x9d Roman continued. x9cThere is always a great atmosphere, there is always great tradition, and you cant help but love it.x9d

The FBS level may not know much about the rivalry between these two programs heading into tonights showdown, but given the history between the Mountaineers and Eagles, it certainly wont take much time for everybody else to become familiar with the disdain.

As for the game itself, as always, the only thing we should expect is the unexpected.