1 Three-Peat.
You have to watch to see if NDSU can win three straight times. They are returning enough starters and in key positions that this looks likely. Brock Jensen, Crockett, and a host of other players including a very tough defense. It is going to be a good season.
2. Can Sam Houston State get over the hump?
A related question to the first is Sam Houston State. They have had the best offense in the country the last two years, and they have dropped the national title game the last two years. Two years ago they were favored, and lost. Last year they were the underdog and they lost. Is the third time the charm?
3. Wild wild Southern Conference.
The SoCon is strange this year. Georgia Southern and Appalachin State are not eligible for the Conference automatic bid because in preparation for their jump up next year they have given away more than the FCS scholarship limit. However, they are still going to play this year and losses to them count in the SoCon standings. Can someone step up and beat them? Wofford has tied them the past couple of years for SoCon Titles, so maybe. But who else will step up? Will the SoCon drop from a three bid league to a one bid league?
4. Which Conference will be best?
The battle for the best conference is always entertaining. The three usual suspects are the SoCon, Colonial Athletic Association, and the Big Sky. Last year the Missouri Valley laid claim to be the best, and looks to be a permanent part of that equation. However, the Big Sky looks reloaded with an improved Montana, and the CAA is as good as ever too.
5. Who will win the first ever automatic bid from the Pioneer Conference?
The automatic bid will be given out to the Pioneer league for the first time. It should be a highly competitive league to boot. San Diego probably has the inside track, but it will be something to keep your eye upon all year. Then we can see how they do in the Playoffs as well.
6. South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
If I am a school president and was supposed to have a list of names for athletic director in my drawer just in case something happens, my list includes only one name. That names is the athletic director of South Dakota State University. In just a few short years of Division I competition he has the Jackrabbits good in many places. They made the FCS playoffs last year and won a game. They are in the top 10 this year. They have made the field of 64 in both mens and women's basketball, and I think they have made the tournament in women's volleyball too. Seeing how they continue to improve is a feel good story no one should over look.
7. Post Season Awards.
It is always fun to see who is going to win the Walter Payton Award and the Buck Buchanan and Jerry Rice Awards. This year there is a host of new candidates. These award winners can come from anywhere, so they are hard to predict.
8. NFL prospects.
Yes this is a completely different question than the pervious question. J.C. Sheritt was Buck Buchanan Award winner a few years ago and did not get drafted (he since has set the single season tackle record in the CFL). 2011 saw Bo Levi Mitchell win the Walter Payton, but not get drafted and Brian Quick be the first pick in the 2nd round. So, watching pro-prospects is different altogether than Award winners. Some of the states with no FBS school always seem to have prospects. See Billy Turner, OL, and Marcus Williams, DB, of NDSU and Jordan Tripp, LB, along with Danny Kistler, OL, of Montana. Delaware always seems to get transfers from FBS schools that end up as prospects, and this year is no exception with Zach Kerr a transfer from Maryland. App State always seems to put people in the NFL, so just watch their games and take their best player. They put as many people in the NFL draft last year as Nebraska, so scouts know about the program. It seems every year there are more and more. Keep an eye out.
9. Beating the FBS.
We know now that this has already happened a few times. NDSU beat K-State, and Southern Utah defeated South Alabama. More are sure to follow, and these games make a lot of fun. It does not always translate into FCS success, but it is fun to try and predict. And it is always a big moment for that program. (7 in week one)
10. Great Rivalries.
There is always discussion about the greatest rivalries in sports every year, and the FCS is overlooked in those conversations. "The Game" between Harvard and Yale has to be in that discussion. And "The Bayou Classic" between Grambling and Southern is not to be missed for more than just the battle of the bands. This year we also get to see Delaware and Delaware St. face off, and the history behind that one is amazing. Add in Montana vs Montana State, which seems to have title implications every year, and NDSU vs. SDSU which is starting to have the same implications and you have several big games to watch.
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