? When Florida Atlantic joined the Sun Belt Conference three years ago, coach Howard Schnellenberger envisioned a time when his Owls would win league titles regularly.
That dream could be happening more quickly than expected. FAU, which broke through a year ahead of Schnellenberger's target by winning the conference title in 2007, is the favorite to win it again this season.
In the Sun Belt pre-season poll released Monday, coaches predicted the Owls would repeat as league champions.
"This is the year I was pointing to," Schnellenberger said. "(Winning it last year) has some value, and it's very important value, but it's hard to quantify."
Schnellenberger, though, wasn't too excited with the pre-season prediction, especially after the Owls were picked to finish sixth last season in the 2007 poll before winning the right to represent the Sun Belt in the New Orleans Bowl.
"People will prepare differently for you," Schnellenberger said. "We'll be one of those teams that teams really want to beat."
Rising up
FAU's fast ascent isn't a surprise to those who followed Schnellenberger before his arrival at the Boca Raton school.
In December 2003, Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters invited the Owls to join the conference, knowing that Schnellenberger could develop the program from a I-AA playoff team to a Division I contender.
"I've known Howard for an awful long time, and I knew he was going to be successful," Waters said. "With the resources they have in South Florida ... the reality is it wasn't too much of a stretch to say they were going to be successful."
Waters' confidence paid off when FAU defeated Memphis 44-27 in the New Orleans Bowl, giving the Sun Belt Conference back-to-back bowl victories against Conference USA.
"Getting to that bowl game wasn't nearly as significant as winning it," Waters said.
Sun Belt coaches also said they are not stunned by FAU's surge to the top.
"Their rise to be successful in our league is no surprise at all," Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said. "Even when they weren't winning a championship, they were talented, and you could see them playing with freshmen and redshirt freshmen getting better and better."
Louisiana-Monroe coach Charlie Weatherbie added: "We knew they were in hotbed of recruiting and were going to get some talented players. They were very talented when they joined the league. They don't surprise me at all."
High praise for Schnellenberger
While discussing the job Schnellenberger has done in building FAU's program, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was asked at the 2008 ACC Kickoff how many national championships Schnellenberger would have won if he had stayed at Miami.
"He would have won more national championships than anybody ever," Bowden said.
"I really believe it. He's one of the best ever."
Noteworthy: FAU junior quarterback Rusty Smith was named the pre-season conference offensive player of the year, and senior linebacker Frantz Joseph was named pre-season defensive player of the year.
Sun Belt pre-season poll
As voted on by the leagues eight head coaches:
Florida Atlantic: 62 points, six first-place votes
Troy: 51 points, one first-place vote
Louisiana-Monroe: 46 points, one first-place vote
Arkansas State: 39 points
Middle Tennessee: 32 points
Louisiana-Lafayette: 26 points
North Texas: 19 points
Florida International: 13 points
That dream could be happening more quickly than expected. FAU, which broke through a year ahead of Schnellenberger's target by winning the conference title in 2007, is the favorite to win it again this season.
In the Sun Belt pre-season poll released Monday, coaches predicted the Owls would repeat as league champions.
"This is the year I was pointing to," Schnellenberger said. "(Winning it last year) has some value, and it's very important value, but it's hard to quantify."
Schnellenberger, though, wasn't too excited with the pre-season prediction, especially after the Owls were picked to finish sixth last season in the 2007 poll before winning the right to represent the Sun Belt in the New Orleans Bowl.
"People will prepare differently for you," Schnellenberger said. "We'll be one of those teams that teams really want to beat."
Rising up
FAU's fast ascent isn't a surprise to those who followed Schnellenberger before his arrival at the Boca Raton school.
In December 2003, Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters invited the Owls to join the conference, knowing that Schnellenberger could develop the program from a I-AA playoff team to a Division I contender.
"I've known Howard for an awful long time, and I knew he was going to be successful," Waters said. "With the resources they have in South Florida ... the reality is it wasn't too much of a stretch to say they were going to be successful."
Waters' confidence paid off when FAU defeated Memphis 44-27 in the New Orleans Bowl, giving the Sun Belt Conference back-to-back bowl victories against Conference USA.
"Getting to that bowl game wasn't nearly as significant as winning it," Waters said.
Sun Belt coaches also said they are not stunned by FAU's surge to the top.
"Their rise to be successful in our league is no surprise at all," Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts said. "Even when they weren't winning a championship, they were talented, and you could see them playing with freshmen and redshirt freshmen getting better and better."
Louisiana-Monroe coach Charlie Weatherbie added: "We knew they were in hotbed of recruiting and were going to get some talented players. They were very talented when they joined the league. They don't surprise me at all."
High praise for Schnellenberger
While discussing the job Schnellenberger has done in building FAU's program, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was asked at the 2008 ACC Kickoff how many national championships Schnellenberger would have won if he had stayed at Miami.
"He would have won more national championships than anybody ever," Bowden said.
"I really believe it. He's one of the best ever."
Noteworthy: FAU junior quarterback Rusty Smith was named the pre-season conference offensive player of the year, and senior linebacker Frantz Joseph was named pre-season defensive player of the year.
Sun Belt pre-season poll
As voted on by the leagues eight head coaches:
Florida Atlantic: 62 points, six first-place votes
Troy: 51 points, one first-place vote
Louisiana-Monroe: 46 points, one first-place vote
Arkansas State: 39 points
Middle Tennessee: 32 points
Louisiana-Lafayette: 26 points
North Texas: 19 points
Florida International: 13 points
