The team to beat this year in the East WASN'T Marshall App or JMU. It was Covid U. Both the GSUs will return a lot of players and could easily contend in Fall 2023. ODU does as well.
It's the East that has the crossover schedule strength problem. 6 of 7 in east have a reasonable shot to win division. West only has 4 at the most. Until this season it was 1. UL was a near division lock the previous 3 years.
Our schedule strength issue isn't who we play in the east......it's having three 8-9 loss teams in the West.