All this talk about Coastal needing to beat Eastern Michigan that first game has me light-headed from anticipation/anxiety!
I won't list the games in order but will make some proclamations, most just a summation of what's been posted already.
Texas State, Louisiana, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State games are on the front lines because any wins would be HUGE for the conference since they climbed the mountain of total media hype to slay the $EC football dragons and elevate our conference's reputation tremendously
South Alabama is in the second tier of importance because if they knock off a Power 5 school with a championship legacy (even if it's decades old) then they will have successfully battled this B1G Ten foe to bring more recognition for the Belt's football prowess
Then
we have those in peer conference battles, like my beloved Chants, and we join Arkansas State in trying to get to the top of the mid-major heap with all its trolls constantly proclaiming the MAC is great, American Athletic should be part of a "Power 6 discussion," this or that Group Five program should move up a conference level when realignment talk starts up again, etc. I'm ready, and I hope my Red Wolves brothers are too, to kick some
but opening week jitters creates a lot of chaos for established programs let alone a team like Coastal's still trying to find its identity after coaching and roster transitions aplenty
Finally, we have the
YOU CANNOT LOSE THESE GAMES, on the back burner of excitement for those watching perhaps but on the top level of absolute importance in conference, because if App. State, Troy, or Louisiana-Monroe stumble then the perception we are not competitive as a whole impacts every team's strength of schedule, especially if our two top programs get upset early
I'm ready for some football and to see how we all look coming out the gate...