The Pre-Season Sun Belt Coaches Poll has proved to be inaccurate for the 2018 season. The projected favorite to win the conference, Arkansas State, is currently boasting a 3-3 overall record and have started conference play at 0-2.

Unpredictability and college football seemingly go hand in hand, and that trend has continued in the Sun Belt Conference thus far in 2018, where teams like Georgia Southern are making a lot of noise that many experts did not see coming.

There is a lot of football left to play in 2018, but after six games, the Eagles sit atop the Sun Belt Standings with a perfect 3-0 conference record alongside Appalachian State and Troy, who also remain unbeaten in the conference.

App State and Troy were expected to be in this position, and with the Sun Belt Splitting into two divisions, the East and West, for the first time, both schools were projected to finish at the top of the East. This was definitely not the case for the Eagles.

After one of the worst seasons in school history, the Eagles were picked to finish in fourth place in the East, behind App State, Troy and in-state rival Georgia State. But, to the surprise of many, GS has yet again established themselves as a contender and a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt.

Conference play is just beginning to heat up, and it’s a guarantee that at least one of the three unbeatens at the top of the East are going to fall, so everyone in the division still has plenty of time to get things going.

The West Division of the Sun Belt has looked a little shaky in 2018. The West does not have a team with an above .500 record, and their current leader is Louisiana Lafayette, who has a 1-1 conference record.

Both sides of the Sun Belt are undoubtedly still up for grabs, but with quick turnarounds like Georgia Southern’s, and unexpected letdowns like Arkansas State’s, it’s safe to say no one really knows or can predict what’s coming next out of this conference.

Ryan Pye, The George-Anne Sports Reporter, gasports@georgiasouthern.edu