Split Zone Duo’s conference previews for 2025 keep rolling along with a two-parter: the Pac-12 and the FBS independents, whose ranks have thinned.

* Oregon State might finally (finally!) be poised for stability and growth

* Washington State faces a similar crisis to the one OSU faced last year, although the Cougs have a few reasons for optimism as they prepare to take a big chunk of the best program in FCS and import it to FBS

* Jim Mora has the UConn Huskies in just about the best place possible

* Why this one feels like a “win the national title or bust” year for Notre Dame—or at least get back to the semifinals

Cool stuff from Split Zone Duo’s partners

* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.

* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.

Godfrey joins Alex and Richard for the third installment in our offseason series, “Why You’re Always Bad.” This episode is about ULM, formerly known as Northeast Louisiana State. The Warhawks are perhaps the most consistently bad team in the top division of college football, which raises the question of why they’re at that level in the first place. It turns out there’s an answer. In this episode, the Split Zone Duo crew discusses:

* ULM’s struggle to define its identity, literally

* The program’s rise from junior colleague to I-AA to the big time

* The fatal error in ULM’s move to FBS, and how a series of predictable (and some unpredictable) events made things worse

* The rare good times and why ULM hasn’t been able to capitalize on them

* The lesson for others in the Warhawks’ struggles

SCROLL DOWN IN YOUR PODCAST FEED to find our similar subscriber episodes in this series on Rice (published May 12) and Kent State (published February 26).

This episode of Split Zone Duo is for our paid subscribers, without whom the podcast wouldn’t exist. We thank you! And if you’re interested in becoming a paid subscriber, now’s a great time. It costs $10 a month and we are currently offering free trials, as well as a free preview snippet of this episode. You can join us at www.splitzoneduo.com

Season previews are back! Richard and Alex go alphabetically through the whole Sun Belt, picking out one rose, one bud, and one thorn for all 14 schools, from Appalachian State to Troy. In this episode:

* App State hits the reset button

* Coastal Carolina should be feeling some urgency

* Georgia Southern extended Clay Helton and kept its roster together, so why aren’t we feeling so good about the Eagles?

* Georgia State’s recruiting growth under Dell McGee is in bloom

* JMU has every chance to contend for the G5 playoff spot

* Marshall follows a Sun Belt championship with a whole lot of uncertainty, but at least one thing about the Herd should be cool

* ODU gets back its star linebacker after a lost season

* Arkansas State has one of the G5’s best receivers … and a date with the Hogs

* Louisiana appears most of the way back, three years after Billy Napier left

* ULM has immense challenges but a reason or two for belief

* South Alabama loses a star running back and its starting QB but gains a Major League ballplayer, among others

* Southern Miss, which went 1-11, is sort of the defending champ

* Texas State has the opportunity to put it all together

* Troy looks at some regression to the mean, but how much more than that?

Then we pick some preseason superlatives to close out the first preview of 2025.

Cool stuff from Split Zone Duo’s partners:

* Use SZD20 for 20% off your first order at Homefield.

* Enter your favorite CFB road trip at our Nokian Tyres landing page, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win free tires.

Producer: Anthony Vito