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5 College Football Programs That May Be the Next Boise State

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Oct 17, 2014; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Grant Hedrick (9) scores on a touchdown pass from wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck (82) (not seen during the second half verses the Fresno State Bulldogs at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State defeated Fresno State 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2014; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos quarterback Grant Hedrick (9) scores on a touchdown pass from wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck (82) (not seen during the second half verses the Fresno State Bulldogs at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State defeated Fresno State 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 13, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Southern Eagles wide receiver BJ Johnson (12) reacts after catching a two point conversion pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Georgia Southern 42-38. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Southern Eagles wide receiver BJ Johnson (12) reacts after catching a two point conversion pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech defeated Georgia Southern 42-38. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

They’ve only been in the FBS for one year, but the Georgia Southern Eagles proved they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt Conference by winning the league crown.

In his first season as the head coach in Statesboro after a 40-15 record in four years at Sam Houston State, Willie Fritz led the Eagles to a 9-3 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play. Georgia Southern lost 24-23 to N.C. State in the season opener and Georgia Tech 42-38 in Week 3 and won seven in a row before Navy blew them out on November 15. However, because the squad was ineligible for a bowl game in 2014 due to their transition from FCS, the Eagles stayed home for the holidays.

It was an impressive debut to say the least, and the most successful for a first-year FBS program since Marshall jumped to Division 1-A and won the MAC in 1997. Only the 1992 Nevada Wolf Pack also won at least a share of its conference title in the first year after moving up. Of course, it shouldn’t have been too surprising to those familiar with the rich history of football success at Georgia Southern.

After 41 years without a program, legendary coach Erk Russell helped revive football at Southern in 1981. The Eagles moved to Division 1-AA and first fielded a varsity squad in 1984. They not only won the national championship the very next season, but in 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000 as well (plus national runner-up finishes in ‘88 and ‘98).

More recently, Georgia Southern made waves on a national level when they beat Florida in 2013. The game was perhaps the lowest point of the Will Muschamp era and the first ever loss to a lower division opponent for the Gators.

Also, despite the flop of their in state “rival” Georgia State, Georgia Southern has once again proven a program can compete immediately after making the jump to college football’s highest level, and they weren’t alone. Appalachian State – a powerhouse in the early 2000s, was 7-5 in their first FBS season and 6-2 in the Sun Belt.

Should the Eagles and Mountaineers continue to win (and more importantly prove the move to be worthwhile financially), others like current FCS king North Dakota State or a traditional power like Montana might take a long, hard look at making the jump as well.

Because of the success of the program at the Division 1-AA/FCS level, Willie Fritz’s track record of success, the lack of a dominant or even consistent winning team in the Sun Belt and their fertile recruiting grounds, Georgia Southern has an opportunity to establish itself as the class of the league for years to come.

Georgia Southern will be eligible to play in a bowl game in 2015 should they qualify, which will raise the national profile of the program. They will also have opportunities to upset West Virginia in September and Georgia in November.

Next: Hawaii

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