NEW ORLEANS – Coming off its fifth bowl appearance in the past six years, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team was picked to finish fifth overall as the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Poll was released by the league office on Thursday.
Louisiana, which finished 6-7 overall and 5-3 in SBC play, received one first-place vote and 95 points in a poll by the league's 12 head coaches.
Defending SBC co-champion Appalachian State was picked to finish first for the second consecutive year after earning seven first-place votes and 136 points. Troy, which earned two first-place votes, was picked second with 127 points with defending co-champion Arkansas State picked third with 122 points and a first-place vote.