It’s a dry heat: #SunBeltHeat Week 9

#SunBeltHeat picked up the split in Week 8, with Georgia State stoically dispatching a pretty decent Tennessee-Martin team 31-6 and ULM falling miserably to New Mexico 17-59. The degree of difficulty increases dramatically for the Sun Belt in Week 9 when New Mexico State wanders out of the desert to face #9 Texas A&M. The Aggies (Lone Star State version) will be the seventh of nine SEC teams faced by the Sun Belt this year, and the second for New Mexico State, who eventually surrendered in a shoot-out versus Kentucky in Week 3.

The Sun Belt hasn’t exactly exerted its will over the SEC, who owns a 1-5 record over their less privileged cousins. But if South Alabama teaches us anything, it’s that lousy Sun Belt teams do well against the SEC.

Remember, #SunBeltHeat is derived by the following top secret formula that was developed by sports scientists and sorcerers in a secret laboratory beneath the Mercedes Benz Super Dome:

P5 Condescension x ESPN3 + Righteous Fury / “Any given Saturday” = #SUNBELTHEAT

As always, #SunBeltHeat can only be administered to non-Sun Belt opponents and is programmed to become self-aware sometime in the 32nd century.

New Mexico State vs #9 Texas A&M, October 29th, 6:30 PM CST, ESPNU

Chance for winning (ESPN FPI): 0.5%

Don’t let the fact that ESPN gives New Mexico State a half-a-percent chance to leave Kyle Field with a victory. Aggie-on-Aggie violence is the best kind of violence, so you can bet that ESPNU subscribers will be getting their monthly dues-worth this Saturday. New Mexico State plays from behind a lot (surrendering a 125th best 41.6 points per game) so Doug Martin’s boys gain most of its yards through the air (298 per contest, a solid 22nd best in the nation). That means preseason SBC Offensive Player of the Year Larry Rose III is a secret weapon for New Mexico State, who faces a Texas A&M team defense that gives up 4.08 yards per carry and 177 yards per game. If the Aggies (Land of Enchantment version) can exploit the other Aggies’ 79th ranked run defense, Martin could give these fancy-pants Aggies a reason never to schedule New Mexico State again.

Sun Belt Heat Index: 100% because ESPN FPI can eat it

Adjusted Chance for Winning: 100.5%