Troy stuns Rice, can MTSU bring home a sweep?
The Sun Belt Conference Champion Troy Trojans began the bowl season on a high note in what could be seen by anyone who follows the Sun Belt as a best-case scenario. The win for Troy comes over the Rice Owls, a Conference USA opponent. With five non-BCS conferences and both Conference USA and the Sun Belt being located in similar geographic regions, any win over a C-USA foe is a good one for Sun Belt schools as the conference looks to build a better name for themselves. The Trojans came out and dominated the Owls en route to a 41-17 victory in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the other Sun Belt team that is bowling this holiday season is the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. MTSU (7-5) faces the Champions of the Mid-American Conference, the Central Michigan Chippewas (9-4). CMU comes in a 9.5 point favorite after surprising the MAC with a 7-1 conference record and a win over Ohio in the MAC Championship game. MTSU will be making their first-ever bowl appearance at the Division I-A level. The Blue Raiders have an opportunity to make a true statement for Sun Belt football and bring home another big win to complete the 2006 season 2-0 in bowl games for the Sun Belt.