By Christian Goeckel
SouthernPigskin.com

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Its hard to point to a conference right now and say you know which team is going to win it. Clemson in the ACC may be the closest. The Sun Belt, like many other conferences, is completely up for grabs.

Coastal Carolina and South Alabama picked up big conference wins. James Madison continues to look like the best team in the league, but none have looked unbeatable.

This is a conference known for its parody and this year is setting up for a fun ride.

Things that stood out:

• I told yall about South Alabama. The Jaguars picked up a big win at Louisiana. Sure, 20-17 was closer than it shouldve been against a down Louisiana, but a conference road win is a conference road win. South Alabama is 4-1 for the first time since 2010, the programs second season of existence. They have three division games coming up on the schedule, including a huge Thursday night matchup against Troy on October 20th.

• Georgia Southern is way ahead of schedule. The Eagles fell on the road to unbeaten Coastal Carolina, but the fact they had the lead with under a minute left in the game isnt something many were expecting prior to this season. Jalen White is a stud, and his 145 yards on the ground were almost enough to push Georgia Southern to the upset, but ultimately the defense just couldn’t slow down Grayson McCall. Georgia Southern, a team picked to finish at the bottom of the East, is now pushing to make a bowl game.

• Georgia State isnt out of this thing. The Panthers had an undeniably rough start to the season. Close losses to South Carolina and North Carolina were tough, but expected. Losing to Charlotte and then getting blown out couldve been debilitating. Then came Army on the schedule. A team that had beaten Georgia State in Atlanta 43-10 last year. The Panthers couldve folded, but instead they finally looked like the team many expected they could be. The Panthers dominated Army 31-14, forcing 3 turnovers. Georgia State may be 1-4, but only one of those losses is in the Sun Belt. They may not be the best team in the conference, but theyre certainly the most battle-tested.

Players of the week:

Offense: Grayson McCall – Coastal Carolina – 23-34, 335 yards, 3 TD. 10 rushes, 34 yards, 1 TD.

Defense: Carlton Martial – Troy – 12 tackles, .5 TFL, 1 INT

Special Teams: Johnnie Lang – Arkansas State – 3 kick returns, 146 yards, 1 TD