Two of the 10 FBS conferences don’t have championship games to determine a league champion. The Big 12, which will go to a title game format next season, crowned an undisputed champion earlier today. The other game-less league, on the other hand, will have more than one official champ.
Arkansas State had the opportunity to potentially win the Sun Belt Conference outright, but lost in Week 13 to drop to 6-1 in conference play. Appalachian State won the same weekend to finish the season at 7-1 and claim at least a share of league title.
ASU and Troy, both 6-1 entering Week 14, needed a win to claim its share.
Troy failed miserably, falling 28-24 on the road to a Georgia Southern team that entered the game 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the SBC. ASU, though, passed its final regular season test, putting 20 fourth-quarter points on the scoreboard in getting past Texas State in a 36-14 win in San Marcos.
The Red Wolves have now won five SBC titles the past six years, with three of those (2011, 2012, 2015) being undisputed. They’re also the first team since Troy was in the midst of a five-year run from 2006-10 to win back-to-back championships.
As for App State, this is the Mountaineers’ first FBS league championship since moving to the SBC from the FCS for the 2014 season.
The three teams at the top of the SBC will play in some combination of the New Orleans/Dollar General/Camellia Bowls. Arkansas State will be playing in its sixth straight bowl game, while Appalachian State will be in its second in a row in just its third season at this level. Troy, meanwhile, will be making its first postseason appearance since winning the New Orleans Bowl in 2010.
