The Red Wolves will be seeking a school and conference record 8th consecutive bowl appearance in 2018.

A bowl bid would make Blake Anderson, the first Arkansas State coach to produce a post-season team five times at A-State.

The pre-season magazines are making their insanely early bowl predictions. The Sun Belt in 2018 will have five bowl ties. In order of selection:

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (ESPN)

Dollar General Mobile Bowl (ESPN)

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (ESPN)

AutoNation Cure Bowl (CBSSN)

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl (CBSSN)

The top Group of 5 conference champion will go to one of the New Year's Six, most likely the Fiesta Bowl.

There is always the possibility that television will work a deal to move teams around outside of the established bowl ties.

The predictions

ATHLON

The Red Wolves are tabbed to return to Mobile. No longer the GoDaddy Bowl, the game is now sponsored by Dollar General. The game will be December 22nd, the Saturday before Christmas at 6pm. The projected opponent is the Ohio Bobcats of the MAC. Ohio is coached by former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich. They went 9-4 (5-3 MAC) in 2017 and routed UAB in the Bahamas Bowl. Ohio is Athlon's pick to win the MAC in 2018. They lost three conference games last year by a combined 13 points and return one of the league's best RB's in R.J. Ouellette and are predicted to have the best offensive line in the MAC. They are tabbed to win their first conference title since 1968.

SPORTING NEWS

Like Athlon, The Sporting News picks A-State to travel to Mobile again. The projected opponent is Miami of Ohio. The Red Hawks return 8 starters on defense. Miami is coached by Chuck Martin who went 74-7 in six seasons at Division II Grand Valley State. He was promoted to the job there when Brian Kelly, now head coach at Notre Dame, took the head coach position at Central Michigan. Martin served as OC at Notre Dame before becoming head coach at Miami. The Red Hawks were 5-7 in 2017.

SB NATION

The Red Wolves are picked to go to New Orleans to face Louisiana Tech. The New Orleans Bowl will be December 15th, the traditional third Saturday in December date for the game with a 7pm kickoff. Skip Holtz will be in his sixth season as head coach at Louisiana Tech following an unsuccessful stint at South Florida and success at East Carolina and then FCS UConn. Holtz has taken the Bulldogs to four straight bowl games winning all four. The Bulldogs are expected to contend for the CUSA West title though most give the edge to North Texas. The Bulldogs are expected to have one of the best defense in CUSA and to be among the league's better offensive lines.