Week 11 preview

There are some conference deciding games going on out there Saturday that need to be noticed.

Southern Conference has a great match up that has Wofford hosting Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern wins and they are the SoCon champs alone. Wofford wins and they have clinched a share of the title and with a win next week would have it. However a win this week for Wofford and an upset loss to UTC (who has a bye week) then the title could be shared four ways between Wofford, Georgia Southern, App. St, and Furman.

Ivy League usually only gets attention when it is Havard vs. Yale, but this week's Harvard vs. Penn game will actually decide the conference title. A Harvard victory would all but seal the deal for Harvard as they would have a tie breaker against Brown, who also has only one conference loss. A Penn victory makes a messy three way tie a top the standings between Harvard, Penn, and Brown.

Montana and Montana St each have the week off to prepare for one another. But Eastern Washington will have an interesting game with Cal Poly. The title will be decided next week.

Stony Brook is in control of the Big South. They travel to Gardner Webb. They should win easy.

CAA is always a hot bed of action, but this year it is the teams you usually don't hear about. New Hampshire at Towson is the one to watch. The winner will not have the title outright, but will do serious damage to the other teams chances of sniffing a share of the CAA title. Maine also has only one conference loss and they are hosting UMass. Sad to say that Towson needs to win as they are the lowest ranked team and without a share of the CAA title, they may have trouble finding a spot in the field that will surely take both Maine and New Hampshire and probably a two loss Old Dominion over Towson. ODU tries to win the state of Virginia outright as they go to William and Mary.

Norfolk State looks to take the MEAC. They ought to win this week against Morgan State.

The Missouri Valley ought to send two teams (at least) to the playoffs. North Dakota State just has to avoid a slip up at home against Youngstown State to win the title. They have the tie break over Northern Iowa, who plays Southern Utah out of conference. Southern Utah has had some big wins, so this is one to keep an eye on.

Albany looks to win the NEC as they have the tie breaker against Duquesne. Both are 5-1 in conference and both ought to win this weekend. Duquesne has the better over all record at 7-2 compared to 6-3, but will be on the outside looking in at the title.

The Ohio Valley Conference has been an absolute disaster this year with no one dominating. With all that said, little quite Eastern Kentucky can win it outright with a home victory against Tenn Tech this week and Tenn-Martin next week. They control their own destiny. A loss would make it ugly as Tenn Tech, E Kentucky, Tenn-Martin, and Jacksonville St would all have two losses in conference. A three way tie would seem assured. That would favor Jacksonville St for a playoff birth. This conference might pull two anyway, but Eastern Kentucky needs these last two wins to get in (in my opinion).

Patriot League title is up for grabs with Georgetown taking on Leigh. Georgetown has one conference loss and Leigh has zero, but would lose the tie breaker to Georgetown. Leigh is ranked in everyone's top 10. A win gives them the title outright. Both could make it to the playoffs, but Georgetown is not assured one, especially with a loss.

Pioneer League will probably be a split title. If Drake beats Dayton they are in the club house at 7-1 in conference after last weeks big win over Jacksonville. However, Drake has a loss to San Diego who if they win this week against Marist and next week verses Jacksonville will have the same conference record and the tie breaker. Jacksonville plays Butler, but needs Drake to lose in order to overcome last weeks loss. Campbell sits with two losses and is hoping everyone loses this week.

Southland winner is Sam Houston State if they win this week over Northwestern St. But they are playing for home field for as long as they can in the playoffs. A two seed is within their grasp.

The SWAC is interesting. If Alabama State wins against Southern, then they are done with one loss and will spend the rest of the year cheering against Alabama A&M. Alabama A&M has their biggest challenge Saturday against Jackson St. who has two losses in conference. A&M has one loss, but has the tie breaker against Alabama St. Jackson State ought to put up a good game and it will be one to watch.

Week 9 preview 8 results

Last week the big news was the upset of Wofford College by Furman at Furman. Everything else went pretty much according to plan. Another note worth mentioning was the big win of Sam Houston State over McNeese St. That clears the way for Sam Houston State to win that division and enter into the FCS Top 10 in some polls.

Week 9:
There are two amazing games this week.
Georgia Southern vs. Appy State.
- This game is huge and how exactly will it look. Appy has revamped their offense by benching DeAndre Presley. Well that was until they needed him to play cornerback. He had 6 tackles and a forced fumble. He may have actually helped himself in the NFL draft. Georgia Southern has run over everyone, and Appy is vulnerable to the run. So we will see what happens.

Northern Iowa vs. North Dakota State
- This is a great match up of #2 vs.#4 (or sometimes #3). The MVC is on the line and North Dakota State avoided their trap game with rival South Dakota State last week. This is big time, and I am jazzed up. Both should still make the playoffs, but this is a colossal match up. Edge to NDST because they are at home.

James Madison vs. Old Dominion
- This is another Top 10 match up in most polls. It should be a nice slug fest, but thanks to other game trip ups, this is not for the CAA title. In fact, there are so many other good CAA teams that a loss here could be dangerous.

Townsen hosts Delaware to stay perfect in the CAA and Maine goes to Villanova.

Montana St hosts Idaho St and Montana hosts Weber St. Leigh also plays a very winnable game at home.

Enjoy what may be the best weekend of college football action all year.

Week 5 - Preview

Big Games abound as conferences start to sort themselves out.

It starts tonight with Texas Southern vs. Jackson St. in the SWAC. Both are 1-1 in conference and this will help set the order for the conference.

I will include Villanova hosting William and Mary simply because I think the losers season is done. They will have two loses in the conference with good teams still to play. A must win for both teams.

Yale at Leigh ought to be an interesting match up. They are not in the same conference, but Leigh should have a shot to win their league and Yale is undefeated in the Ivy right now. So this is big out of conference test of strength for both teams.

Georgetown vs. Bucknell is another winnowing away of contenders to Leigh and the Patriot League title. Georgetown is undefeated, so we will see how this turns out.

Delaware is at Maine so this could be interesting. Maine has played well this year even in some of their losses, and they get to be at home.

Appy St. at Wofford is a premier match up in the Southern Conference. These teams are both in the Top 10 nationally, and both fighting with Georgia Southern for the SoCon Title. All three have real playoff chances. This year they meet at Wofford, so this could be a very entertaining game.

James Madison vs. Richmond. Richmond was surprisingly upset this past week, and this is their chance to get back on the horse. Both are 3-1 overall, but RIchmond is 0-1 in the CAA. It is a big time in-state rivalry, so keep your eye on this game.

Sacramento State travels to Montana State. You never know what you are going to get with Sacramento State, but this is their chance to knock off the leader of the Big Sky. If Montana State wins it, they will have the inside track to the title.

UMass at Old Dominion is another good one. Both have one loss, but UMass is undefeated in CAA play. The winner is still in championship conversation, and will control their own destiny for the playoffs. The loser needs some real help.

Tennessee Tech at Tenn-Martin. An instate, in-conference rivalry, but Tennessee Tech ought to win. I put it on here because you never know with in-state games.

Week 4 keeps us entertained

I think there will be a shake up in the top 10.

Georgia Southern did enough to show us they were still the number 1 pick. A dominating game.

But we did see a few teams falter.
Montana followed up their big win with a dud against Sacramento State. That loss in the Big Sky is going to put them behind the 8-Ball. Especially since . . .

Montana State disposed of Eastern Washington with relative ease. Admittedly E. Washington had a tough stretch of games, but they failed miserably. They are almost out of the running for the Big Sky title, and may end up missing the playoffs if they do not start winning and stopping people on defense.

William and Mary's new quarterback played well, but was not enough as James Madison ran through them for a 20-14 win. William and Mary has not looked good, and this may have been their best game. A bad start to the conference season.

Richmond gave up 28 second quarter points to lose 43-45 to New Hampshire. Richmond has a good team, but losses in the CAA at home are hard to overcome.

Appy State had a bad game, but won. They ended up coming from behind, but their win should be considered a falter. Chattanooga missed a field goal, took a 6-0 late in the third quarter and then gave up a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown on back to back drives. The next drive they took it all the way and scored. It was too late by that point and Appy hung on to win 14-12. Yes, DeAndre Presley did not lead the team to any points on offense. Not a one. That is a bad sign for the Mountaineers.

Jacksonville State, Wofford, McNeese State, and South Carolina State all had important, but expected wins. Northern Iowa played well and won too.

Delaware won the big show down with Old Dominion in what was a great game that was still in doubt late in the 4th. Delaware did it mostly with passing and Pierce was held in check and did not lead the team in rushing. Nijha White was found again and caught a 7 yard TD pass as part of his 117 yard game. He had been missing from their attack often this year, but not in this game.

North Dakota State beat Minnesota just like I called. Perhaps more impressive was Southern Utah taking down UNLV. Big wins for both those schools. Southern Utah should get some real good looks at high rankings this week.

Although the team that is a sleeper right now is Georgetown. They obliterated Marist and are now 3-1 in a weak Patriot league. Darby (QB) had a 200 yard game, and they almost had two 100 yard rushers. Durham had 103 and a TD on 8 touches including a 67 yarded. Campanella had 82 on 18 touches. He too had a TD. Darby had an even 50 and a rushing TD as well. Their lone loss was on the road at Yale, which is nothing to be ashamed of. They have some big games including next week at 3-1 Bucknell, but they could be playing the last week of the season for a playoff spot as they travel to Leigh.

I hope you all enjoyed the FCS this week as much as I did. Looking forward to the new rankings coming out.

Last week and this week 24th of Sept

I know, I know I missed last week updating everyone. But I think I am still getting over what happened to Eastern Washington in losing to Montana. Wow. Eastern Washington is looking really really bad. And I would be remiss if I did not mention Delaware beating Delaware St. Those guys never play, and Delaware looks justified in not scheduling those guys much.

This week conference play gets underway big time. The CAA has Old Dominion versus Delaware in what would usually be the match up of the week, but James Madison is playing William and Mary too. And of course Richmond is in first and they are taking on New Hampshire. Worth watching.

The Southern Conference has a big game too with Chatanooga taking on App. St. Wofford, who has looked good too, ought to beat Samford. Georgia Southern also ought to beat Western Carolina.

The Big Sky continues to entertain. Montana ought to take down Sacramento State, but they are out in Sacramento. Montana State takes on a very much in trouble Eastern Washington.

The MEAC has already had a big game when Hampton was unable to take down Behune-Cookman in a close game. South Carolina State is now the clear cut favorite. They play Delaware State today.

The Missouri Valley is also very competitive. Youngstown State takes on Indiana State. Both teams are 2-1. Also of interest is Northern Iowa hosting Western Illinois. And in what could be another big upset, North Dakota State takes on Minnesota. North Dakota state has beaten Minnesota at least twice in the last 6 years or so. Don't count them out.

There are other interesting games, like the OVC. The question there is how good is Jacksonville State? Last year the big game was SE Missouri State, who is not good this year. Tennessee State looks good, and if they knock of SE Missouri they may be the big contender to the OVC crown.

Keep your eyes on the TV guys. It should be a great week.

Upcoming week

This is a great week in FCS football. There are some really good games. While some teams are still taking on BCS schools (Wofford v Clemson), most are returning to FCS action.

Game of the Week is South Carolina St. vs. Bethune-Cookman. Both teams are ranked and this one looks to have implications well beyond week one. A nice test for both teams early on in the season.

Runner Up should be Northern Iowa vs. SF Austin. Northern Iowa was impressive last week in a close loss. SF Austin won their FCS game, and are primed for a run back to the playoffs. Just how for real is Northern Iowa? This game, which is on the road, ought to go a long way to telling us.

Revenge GameCaly Poly vs. Montana. Last year Montana's season took a nose dive as they lost to Cal Poly. This year Cal Poly comes to Montana. It should be a good game, and a chance for Montana to show it is a better team than last year.

Testing Game should be Jacksonville State vs. UT Chattanooga. Jacksonville State last year was ousted from the playoffs by a lower ranked SoCon school. The champs of the Ohio Valley take on 23rd ranked UTC from the SoCon. Jacksonville State has the talent, but they play in a weak conference. UTC is probably not as talented, but they play in the SoCon, a top 3 conference. Jacksonville State wants to be considered a national title contender, they have to beat teams like UTC even on the road.

We ought to watch William and Mary versus VMI as well because Paulus looked real bad last game. WIlliam and Mary ought to get back on track, but VMI has to have a little hope. If Paulus is more than rusty, this could be a down year and a potential upset.

Appy State and Eastern Washington ought to get on track as they both take on beatable opponents.

Some movement in the polls

I expected a few changes in the polls such as a jump for former number 24 Sacramento State, but this is a bit more than I thought.

The New FCS Coaches' Poll jumps George Southern over Appy State for second and keeps Eastern Washington #1.

It appears App St. (dropped from 2 to 3), William and Mary (from 3 to 5), Delaware (from 5 to 8), and New Hampshire (from 10 to 13) were really punished for sub-par outings against BCS schools. Interestingly enough Montana was not dropped much at all (12 to 15). Montana's fall is more explained by teams jumping them like Richmond and Sacramento State. Richmond (up from 16 to 9) and Sacramento State (24 to 12) jump quite a bit and each has 3 first place votes.

Bethune-Cookman, who had a great year last year, joins the Top 25 this week and is the only new team on the poll.

Not much to learn from week 1

You cannot learn a lot from watching the FCS teams lose to BCS teams. Although it deserves mention the CAA continues to be a thorn in the side of the ACC. Richmond downed Duke. However, that means little. William and Mary lost to Virginia. That game would have been closer had Paulus been okay. He was off with his passes all day. He started off way to high. Then he over corrected in the second half and threw a few too low. As a result they had no offense and the D would eventually fold.

Montana did not look so good against Tenn. Joe Montana's son did not play. They had some rushing ability, but not much else.

Delaware got abused by Navy in a big surprise. Maybe their defense needs some work. They may be overrated.

Appy got killed by VaTech. This was a revenge game for VaTech. Appy can no longer sneak up on anyone, and VaTech lost to James Madison last year. No real hope there, but I was surprised at how bad it looked.

Sacramento State beat Oregon State. That was the big upset, but I don't think it says much about Sacramento State's future. Just how bad Oregon State is.

Northern Iowa looked real good against Iowa St. They lost on a late TD pass. They kicked field goals, which is a nice sign. I think they may win the Missouri Valley this year.

Eastern Washington should be number 1. They looked real good, but ultimately lost. They pass a lot more than last year, but it works. It is going to be a fun Big Sky year.

The two games to take something away from was Wofford vs. Presbyterian. Wofford was in real control, and then they seemed to quit. They gave up 21 straight points. They did manage to score one last time to win the game 34-28.

Coastal Carolina beat Furman in a bit of a surprise. This is a bad sign for Furman in the highly competitive SoCon. It is going to be a down year for Furman, but this is a real bad sign. With Appy, Georgia Southern, Wofford, and even UTC ranked the Paladins are going to need wins out of conference. They failed at that here.

I know its late, but it is football time!

I don't care much about pre-season rankings, but Eastern Washington is number 1 with Appy getting a few votes and coming in at number 2.

Games to watch this week:
I really think that William and Mary has a chance to upset Virginia. They have done it before.

Delaware can beat Navy. This is my pick for the upset of the week.

And the CAA has a chance to go 3-0 against top ranked schools with James Madison against UNC. Now, I think that UNC will prevail, but people have JMU ranked pretty well this year. They were disappointing last year, but they did take down VaTech.

The other game of great interest is Montana v. Tennessee. Could this be an upset. I am not convinced new UT coach is any good and the team is still pretty young. They had a tumultuous offseason down in Knoxville, so there is a chance. Small, but real.

Of course you need to watch Wofford v. Presbyterian because that is an old rivalry, and it is at Presbyterian. Appy is getting killed by VaTech, shut out in fact. That is disturbing and a bad sign for them.

Jacksonville State who had a great season last year started off good last night with a big win.

Will report back after the games are done. Welcome to real college football.