From the origins of Appalachian State mascot Yosef to Florida's coach getting arrested in Cuba during the 1912 Bacardi Bowl, these are just a few of the hard-to-believe stories for college football's top teams.
The Sun Belt East has made its mark against Power 5 competition recently, but who's the favorite to take the division? Will App State make it three straight, or will a surprise team knock it off the throne?
With players making their NFL draft declarations and many programs shuffling their coaching staffs, our second Way-Too-Early Top 25 looks a lot different than a month ago, as the offseason challenges mount for defending champ LSU, among others.
Darrynton Evans ran for 161 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown after he scooped up a fourth-down fumble, and No. 20 Appalachian State defeated UAB 31-17 in the New Orleans Bowl on Saturday night.
| EAST | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | 7-1 | 13-1 |
| Georgia Southern | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| Georgia State | 4-4 | 7-6 |
| Troy | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Coastal Carolina | 2-6 | 5-7 |
| WEST | CONF | OVR |
| Louisiana | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Arkansas State | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| UL Monroe | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Texas State | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| South Alabama | 1-7 | 2-10 |
| NAME | POS | STATUS | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Powers | OG | Committed | 79 |
| Jaden Lindsay | OG | Committed | 79 |
| Jordan Favors | S | Committed | 77 |
| Cole Essek | OT | Committed | 76 |
| D.C. Tabscott | QB-PP | Committed | 75 |
| YEAR | PLAYER | AWARD |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | A. Edwards | Walter Payton Award |
| 2008 | A. Edwards | Walter Payton Award |
