I started wondering after UNT dropped its opener to Troy last week how many times a team has lost its Sun Belt opener and gone on to win at least a share of the league title.
We all know about 2001, when UNT lost its opener to Louisiana-Monroe and then came back to upset Middle Tennessee, kicking off a 26-game conference winning streak and the miracle bowl run, one of the great eras/achievements in program history. UNT won a bowl game, hammered Baylor and entered an era that changed the face of athletics at the school forever.
Well, I looked it up and there was one other time it happened, right after the Glory Days ended. In 2005, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe tied for the league title at 5-2. ULL lost to Florida Atlantic in its first Sun Belt game that year and came back to win a share of the league title.
I fully expect UNT to win this weekend at FAU and keep hope alive.
The Owls — or the Hooters, as we like to call them on the MGB — are in the middle of the transition to a new coaching staff under Carl Pelini and are not very good this year. I’m not saying UNT is great, either, I just think UNT is a little better.