By Dan McDonald (Special to ESPN1420)

A fourth straight eight-win regular season ... a fourth straight bowl trip, after never having that opportunity in Division I history ... and the chance to make it a four-peat in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Let’s put this in perspective for UL’s football program.

In over 100 years of collegiate football, the Ragin’ Cajuns had a grand total of three nine-win seasons in its history entering the 2011 season. Nobody’s still around from the first one in 1921, the 1970 season is still talked about in reverential tones, and the 1976 campaign was marred by the forced forfeiture of two games.

Now, the Cajuns have done that for three straight seasons, and a fourth nine-win season is a Dec. 20 win in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome away.

Only nine other teams in the country can boast a four-season streak of nine wins, and that roll call sounds like a who’s who in college football. Clemson, Florida State, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Oregon and Alabama are already at that mark this year, and Oklahoma, Cincinnati, LSU and the Cajuns can get there with bowl wins.

That’s heady company.

Bowl games? That was only a dream not that long ago. Some of the teams of the late Nelson Stokley and Rickey Bustle came agonizingly close, so close that players like Brian Mitchell, Orlando Thomas, Jake Delhomme, Brandon Stokley and Charles Tillman could taste it. But as great as that group and many others were, they never played one of those coveted late-December games in the D-I ranks.

The Cajuns of 2011, 2012 and 2013 not only qualified and earned bowl invitations, they legitimized those offers by winning in the post-season. When UL beat San Diego State, East Carolina and Tulane in those last three years, they made themselves 3-0 in all-time bowl appearances.

Any guesses how many teams in NCAA football history are perfect in Division I bowls with at least three appearances? Try one, and that team plays at Cajun Field.

When the Cajuns get the expected New Orleans Bowl bid this week, they’ll be going for four in a row in the Crescent City. Again, any guesses how many teams in NCAA history have won the same bowl game four years in a row? Try none.

Some are still lamenting the early-season losses to Louisiana Tech and Boise State – both of whom are playing in conference championship games this week – and last week’s disappointing performance against Appalachian State. Those pseudo-fans have disgustingly short memories, even in the decade of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately..

It’s easy to forget how it was as recent as 2010, at which point the UL program had a total of two winning seasons in a 15-year span.

Now, no team in the Sun Belt Conference – or, for that matter, no team in peer leagues like Conference USA and at least one other in the Group of Five – can boast what the Cajuns have accomplished in the last four seasons.

BOWL STORY: The New Orleans Bowl invitation will come as soon as the Sun Belt, NCAA and the College Football Playoff committee all give their approval.

When that happens, it will be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the Sun Belt bowl-eligible teams.

The New Orleans Bowl gets the first selection, and after that one is made, the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile gets the second pick and the new Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery picks third. The league has three other bowl-eligible teams in Arkansas State, South Alabama and Texas State, so unless a slot opens up in another bowl – and that potential is still out there – one of those three will be left out.

As of this week, 79 teams nationally are bowl-eligible for the 76 slots, and two others could join that group next Saturday. Temple is favored to beat Tulane to get to six wins, and Oklahoma State is an underdog against Oklahoma.

It stands to reason that one of the three, four or five eligible teams that won’t get a bid will come from the Sun Belt. Which one is the question. The three went 1-1 against each other, and each has compelling arguments for their selection and compelling reasons for their omission.

ASU has tradition, but wasn’t strong down the stretch. Texas State is playing its best now after early-season struggles, but has struggled with fan support. South Alabama has the worst record of that group (6-6) but played the toughest out-of-conference schedule, and also has geography on its side with the two bowl games with Sun Belt ties both located in Alabama.

Those dominoes will fall quickly as soon as the New Orleans Bowl makes the Cajun selection official.

SHAME ON THEM: The Sun Belt had one of its football legends make his final appearance Saturday at the UL-Troy game. It’s a shame that more didn’t care about being there.

Larry Blakeney, far and away the winningest coach in Sun Belt history, coached his final game for the Trojans after announcing his retirement earlier this season. That announcement came when Troy was struggling, and granted it hasn’t been a good year for what was a proud program over the past decade.

But Troy had won two in a row entering Saturday and played well in those games, and the opportunity to honor Blakeney one last time should have brought the Troy faithful out to Veterans Memorial Stadium-Larry Blakeney Field.

Instead, announced attendance was a hugely-generous 12,241, half of which apparently came dressed as empty seats. Good thing Troy’s absolutely sensational “Sound of the South” band didn’t leave early, since they made up at least one-fourth of the crowd in the second half – and that was with the Trojans LEADING at halftime.

Blakeney has been the epitome of class throughout Troy’s time in the Sun Belt, and it’s hard to put a price on what he meant in building the league’s football status. In the past quarter-century, he guided Troy from the Division II ranks into Division I-AA success and to five straight Sun Belt titles or co-championships on the FBS level. Only one guy won more college games in Alabama over the past 75 years ... some guy named Bear Bryant.

Blakeney deserved more on Saturday ... more that should have been there.

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