Georgia Southern and Sam Houston, two of the premier FCS programs a decade ago, were each a single win away from appearing in conference championship games.
Georgia Southern was 8-4 during the regular season. The Eagles were 2-2 during their non-conference slate with losses against Boise State, which earned a bye in the College Football Playoff, and then No. 5-ranked Ole Miss.
Georgia Southern went 6-2 against Sun Belt opponents, losing to Old Dominion and Troy. The Eagles did defeat Marshall by a point, so a win against either ODU or Troy would’ve put the Eagles in the conference title game. Instead, Marshall won the Sun Belt East and ended up winning the league title game.
Sam Houston was among the top 10 teams in the HERO Sports Group of Five Top 25 media polls for a few weeks after a fantastic start. The Bearkats, which are in their second season in the FBS, won five of their first six contests, losing only at UCF during that stretch. Losses to Western Kentucky and Jacksonville State kept Sam Houston out of the Conference USA title game, but the Bearkats will still play in their first FBS bowl game in program history in the New Orleans Bowl against Georgia Southern.
That is, without longtime head coach KC Keeler, who left to take over at Temple.
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Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston Betting Odds
Georgia Southern is a -4 college football betting odds favorite against Sam Houston, with the Over/Under being 48.5.
The moneyline for Georgia Southern is -185, while it’s +150 for Sam Houston.
Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston On TV
The matchup between Georgia Southern and Sam Houston will be televised on ESPN2.
The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 19. The contest is taking place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston Prediction
I predict Sam Houston will win and cover the spread at +4. I also project the game will go Under 48.5 total points.
There are certainly reasons to think Georgia Southern will win here, especially with Keeler no longer leading the Bearkats. But I think Sam Houston has enough talent on the defensive side of the ball – even when accounting for transfers – and the depth to win here.
The Bearkats, going into bowl season, were ranked 19th in the country in both total defense and scoring defense. They’ve allowed 20 points and 315.6 yards per game.
But I also think there’s going to be a next-level excitement around this game for Sam Houston. This is the program’s first-ever bowl game, and I think that means a lot for the players on the roster.
I think they’ll be motivated to triumph here and prove just how much they belong at the FBS level.
