OP/ED
Texas State is entering new territory that has not been seen since 2005 or even 1982 following the completion of Sun Belt Medias last week.
The Bobcats were voted the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt West Division earning nine first place votes. It was the first time Texas State has been picked to win the Sun Belt West Divison and the highest the Bobcats have been in the preseason polls since joining the conference in 2013. It also marks the first time the Bobcats were picked to finish first in a preseason poll since 2009.
Texas State also had seven players earning preseason all conference honors with six making the firstteam all conference team.
The media wasn’t the only one picking the Bobcats to be the favorite in the West.
Athlon Sports, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football and other media outlets have picked Texas State to win the Sun Belt West Division.
With eight returning starters on both offense and defense, retaining the majority of the coaching staff and the addition of the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year in Jordan McCloud, it is not surprising to see why the Bobcats are the favorite to win the division.
With Texas State Fall Camp starting up this Wednesday, the Bobcats will enter the 2024 season now under immense pressure to not only win the program’s first conferent title since 2008, but also clinch a bid in the first FBS 12-team playoff.
No pressure right? Unfortunately for Bobcat fans, they have seen what happens when high expectations are put upon an athletics team only to fall flat.
As the pessimistic saying goes, Bobcats are going to Bobcat.
For Texas State, the path will not be easy.
In order to reach the goals Texas State has set for themselves, the Bobcats needed to pull off some historic firsts.
1) Beat UTSA at home for the first time in program history.
2) Beat Arizona State at home for the program’s second win over a P4 team.
3) Beat Sam Houston State in NRG.
4) Beat the defending two-time Sun Belt West Division Champions, the Troy Trojans on the road.
5) Beat Louisiana for the first time in program history 6) Win the Sun Belt West Division title 7) Beat either the Sun Belt East Division winner in the conference championship that will either be App State or James Madison.
Since beating Rice in the First Responders Bowl, the expectations for Texas State football have risen exponentially to levels similar to the late 70s and early 80s teams that dominated the Lone Star Conferences and brought home two national championships.
Not bad for a team that was previously 23-73 over the past eight seasons.
But with a glimpse of what Texas State could be, fans want that success now rather than later.
That is the pressure of the Bobcat football is under.
With football being the front porch sport that feeds everyone else, both from a financial standpoint and giving the university a spotlight in the mainstream, everything is lining up for Texas State to run the table.
In fact, the season is set up perfectly for the Bobcats to exorcise the demons that have haunted the program since joining FBS, mainly the UTSAs, Sam Houstons, Louisianas and Troys.
Come Wednesday, the talk is over. It’s officially the time to put up or shut up.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
