A-Ambrose, Luther-This speedy Louisiana-Monroe receiver is the model of consistency.  Ambrose, has improved every single year for the Warhawks, and has a chance to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in 2011. Don’t be surprised if ULM is able to creep into a bowl game in 2011.

B-Bobby Rainey-The best kept secret in college football! Rainey rushed for 1649 yards and 15 td’s in 2010. A big season from the Western Kentucky senior could help him earn a spot as a late round selection in next year’s NFL draft (if there is one). Look for a big game in the nationally televised season opener against Kentucky.

C-Conference Battle-I’ve always said the great thing about the Sun Belt is that everybody has a chance. This year, that is again the case. FIU and Troy will enter as favorites, but ULM and Arkansas State have quality teams as well. Who do we think will win? You’ll have to check back when we make our predictions later this summer.

D-Dunbar, Lance-This guy is a treat to watch, and looking over the schedule, he could top 2,000 yards in his final season in Denton. At only 5’ 9”, this 203 lb. North Texas bruiser is reminiscent of former Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann, who made his reputation running over defenders. A strong start from Dunbar, will help QB Derek Thompson acclimate at QB after returning from injury.

E-End of an Era?-Is the Howard Schnellenberger ERA about to wrap up at Florida Atlantic? The Owls seem to be headed in the wrong direction the past two seasons, and the recruiting trail seems to have gone dry. Get a good look at the classic pink tie, as a losing season may mean a different role for the man who built the FAU program from the ground up.

F-FIU-No pressure, but there is no reason Florida International shouldn’t rack up their second straight winning season in 2011. FIU is fun to watch, and is loaded with a ton of offensive talent and speed. The October 1st game against Duke should be a nice conference upset for the Golden Panthers, and home games against those same Blue Devils, UCF and Troy, combined with last year’s great bowl win, should help bolster attendance. Don’t make us come down there!

G-Gang Green-No program in the SBC has more optimism surrounding it than North Texas. The Mean Green bring in a new head coach in Dan McCarney, get a brand-spanking-new stadium (it’s actually very cool) and have endless possibilities with a huge enrollment. Any kind of winning this year by UNT will only add more leverage to their market, and facilities which are looking more and more appealing to other conferences.

H-Home Games-Want to be noticed? Win a couple of “unwinnable” home games against the big/bigger boys! This year, FIU has a chance to beat Duke, UNT could use home-opener momentum to upset a Houston team with a weak defense, and MTSU will get a crack at ACC school Georgia Tech. While none of these BCS schools are great, it would still be a nice stepping stone for the SBC.

I-Illinois vs. Arkansas State-We nearly picked this game as one of our upsets, due in part to the burgeoning greatness of ASU QB Ryan Aplin, but in the end the Red Wolves will need to proove us wrong. We chose ASU to pull the upset at Iowa two seasons ago (which they nearly did) and this matchup gives the conference a chance to pull a road shocker in front of the nation on the Big 10 network.

J-Jonathan Massaquoi-Have you ever had that dream where you’re being chased by someone looking to hurt you? It was probably Troy DE Jonathan Massaquoi! The surprisingly fast Jr. racked up 13.5 sacks as a sophomore, and will most likely start gathering a lot of national attention by November when he surpasses that mark.Scary good!

K-Kolton Browning-Call him the savior! If ULM is going to turn things around and finally get to a bowl game, it will be under his leadership (No pressure!). Browning has a strong arm, great rushing instinct, and with a really good receiving core, there’s no reason he doesn’t pass for 3,000 yards in 2011.

L-Lame scheduling!-I will gladly volunteer to do all conference scheduling for the SBC next year if they will just ask. Football fans like dramatics, and the best way to do that is to schedule your pre-season conference favorites head-to-head at the end of the season. The reason Troy and FIU meet October 25th (Tuesday) is probably for T.V. purposes, but the common observer will not be interested in a game like that in October. It is not a guarantee that those two will be fighting for first, but they need to schedule according to probability. Important games need to be played later!

M-Movement?-The WAC already made a play for North Texas, and wisely UNT turned it down. The SBC is no longer the lowest ranked conference as the WAC is struggling, and the MAC is the next target in the pecking order. If conference commissioner Wright Waters can negotiate a “creative” and more lucrative TV deal after 2012, and the members don’t chase the quick buck, the SBC could be the most stable non-BCS conference in the country. Who would of thought?

N-Now or Never-A Few SBC players will need to have big seasons as they are running out of opportunities to do so! Most notably would be Arkansas State wide receiver Josh Jarboe. The highly touted wide-out started at Oklahoma before trying his luck at Troy and then a junior college, all in the span of three years! Troy’s Sidell Corley (LSU transfer) is in the same boat as he enters his senior season having done very little in his college career.  North Texas WR Tyler Stradford also makes the list, and will HAVE to step up, especially now that WR Darius Carey is off the team.

O-On the Tube-Like we mentioned earlier, the SBC will get a chance to restructure their contract after this year. If I were commissioner, I would try to hook on with the new NBC college sports. Sure the time slots might be crappy, but with NBC striking out in landing a big contract so far, they may be able to squeeze in and at least increase their exposure. A secondary “outside-the-box” contract with a channel like Mark Cuban’s HDNet could also help. The key-don’t wait for the phone to ring, approach broadcasters and be creative! And yes, I am applying for the commissioners job should Waters step down.

P-Pounding the Rock-We’ve already mentioned how good both Lance Dunbar and Bobby Rainey are, but FIU has a terrific backfield in Jeremiah Harden, Darriet Perry, and Darian Mallary. I guess you could ask “WWJDDD” (Who Will Jeremiah, Darriet and Darian Destroy?). The trio combined for over 1,800 rushing yards and 21tds! Can’t wait to see what they do for an encore!

Q-Quanterus Smith-WKU is not in a position to win a conference title just yet, but if they want to compete they will need a big season from DE Quanterus Smith. The 6’ 5” junior has a huge wing span, and has a great supporting cast. The Hilltoppers have a ton of experience up front, making Smith a candidate for 1st team all-conference!

R-Robinson, Corey-Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson on a fantastic freshman campaign! Now the question is, “How will you fair without the great Jerrel Jernigan?” Troy QB Corey Robinson loses his top three receivers, while having three new starters blocking for him. It will be fun to see if he can avoid the one-hit-wonder tag. We think he probably will.

S-September 3rd-With Clemson, FSU, Florida, Purdue and Oklahoma State on the menu, the conference will be all over the tube. Years ago, the MAC made a name for themselves when in a single weekend Toledo beat Pitt, Marshall upset Kansas State, and NIU upset Alabama. The SBC needs one of these big days, and there is no time like the present!

T-T.Y. Hilton-The FIU senior wideout is a joy to watch! Hilton caught America’s eye with his two touchdown performance in last year’s Little Ceaser’s Bowl win over Toledo, and is set for a big 2011. The senior should surpass Corey McKinney as the school's all-time leading receiver, and could book-end his career with his second 1,000 yard receiving season.

U-ULL-Something has gotta’ give at Louisiana! The Cajun’s have never been to a bowl game, and this year could be a long one as well. New Head Coach Mark Hudspeth will have a solid running game, and a terrific TE in LaDarius Green, but a miserable home schedule is not going to help an already dwindling attendance base. It is conceivable that the Cajuns could finish dead last in 2011, and for a school with a proud tradition like Louisiana’s, that has to be heartbreaking for any SBC fan (except for the ones in Monroe).

V-Very Big Shoes…to fill, that is!-Middle Tennessee QB Logan Kilgore has the task of filling a huge void left by graduating QB Dwight Dasher. The good news is that it may not be a bad thing. Despite all the hype Dasher got over his career, he was a disaster both on and off the field for the Blue Raiders last season. Kilgore showed flashes of brilliance at times, and will have four of the top five receivers returning. MTSU could easily be a surprise team in the conference.

W-Who’s NFL Ready?-A few guys are ready for the big time should the draft come calling. Most notably are Troy DE Jonathan Massaquoi, FIU’s Hilton, Louisiana’s LaDarius Green, and ULM’s Darius Prelow.

X-Xavier Lamb-Don’t let the name fool ‘ya, he’s not gentle! The senior had a breakout junior campaign with 91 tackles one season  ago. Lamb moves well, and has good vision in the middle of the field. Look for Lamb to top the 100 mark in tackles this season.

Y-Yourhighness Morgan-Replaces Wyndham Rotunda as the best name in the SBC. Oh, and the guy is pretty good too! Morgan had 47 tackles last season, and will need to lead the FAU linebackers as the only projected returning starter.

Z-Zach Attack-UNT has two Zachs who will be needed in the clutch if they want to improve. The first is K Zach Olen who was lights out last season going 13 for 15 including a 53 yarder. The other is linebacker Zach Orr. Orr played strong as a frosh in 2010 with 60 tackles.  Orr has the speed to play outside, and could be asked to if Sr. Forlando Johnson struggles early.