Sun Belt Sports Fans

The Troy Trojans might be the only Sun Belt Conference team with fewer than five overall losses, but league titles aren’t handed out based on overall records. As unbelievable as this statement might seem to be, the Florida International Golden Panthers – less than a decade old as a program and a member of the Sun Belt since 2005 – could actually take away Troy’s prized possession this weekend at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium in the southeastern corner of the state of Alabama.

Yes, it’s all so counterintuitive, but while Coach Mario Cristobal’s FIU crew is 3-5 in 2010, the Golden Panthers are 3-1 in the conference and are tied with 4-1 Troy in the loss column. Troy has a 5-3 overall record, but that obviously doesn’t mean the Trojans have a two-game lead in the Sun Belt standings. This late in the conference season – with only three games left for Troy (and four for FIU) – a Florida International victory would give the Golden Panthers what would amount to a two-game lead in the Belt. The boys from Miami would own a one-game lead in the loss column plus the head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams finish even-steven in the loss column on the morning of Dec. 5. There’s always a chance FIU could lose twice and cough away the league crown, but it’s highly likely that one way or the other, the title belt in the Sun Belt will be decided this upcoming Saturday.

What’s the key to this consequential confrontation? As is the case in so many big games, the quarterbacks hold the keys. Troy is better at most positions, but it’s quite possible that FIU has the better signal caller, and therein lies the Golden Panthers’ chance at a momentous and historic upset. Wesley Carroll was overmatched in his days as the quarterback for Mississippi State. The Southeastern Conference offered a pace and a level of pressure that were far too daunting for Carroll. Now in the Sun Belt, the SEC refugee has found a comfort zone, a place of serenity that was in evidence last weekend, when he calmly led FIU’s offense back from a 35-28 overtime deficit against Louisiana-Monroe. Yes, teammate T.Y. Hilton had a lot to do with Carroll’s successful evening – Hilton scored four touchdowns for FIU in that contest – but it was Carroll who shrugged off two interceptions earlier in the game to steady the ship for the Golden Panthers. Carroll was horrible in his team’s one Sun Belt loss this season, a 21-9 train-wreck against Florida Atlantic, but in FIU’s wins, he’s managed the game effectively and made plays when called upon to provide them.  Against Troy, Carroll certainly needs to be in control of his emotions and exert a calming influence on his teammates. Exactly how much production Carroll brings to the table will depend on how his counterpart performs.

A conference championship is always special, but it would be extra precious this year for Troy because the Trojans have entrusted their offense to a freshman. Corey Robinson has wobbled at times – he certainly did so in Troy’s one Sun Belt loss against Louisiana-Monroe – but for the most part, he’s maintained the high standards coach Larry Blakeney expects from his offense. While a number of college football teams have suffered markedly this year because of the loss of great quarterbacks – think Texas without Colt McCoy, Central Michigan without Dan LeFevour, and Florida without Tim Tebow – Troy has marched onward without decorated signal caller Levi Brown, who rewrote the Sun Belt record book in his four years as a Trojan. Robinson’s body of work is to be commended to this point in the season, but if he stumbles one more time and displays the nerves of a freshman in this spotlight showdown, the verdict on Troy’s season – and Robinson’s overall grade – will definitely change.

It’s a question of quarterbacks. Wesley Carroll and Corey Robinson hold a lot of fortunes in their hands this weekend. The Sun Belt championship is on the line when the Golden Panthers and Trojans lock horns.

Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer