Humble Steward
November 13th, 2011, 11:05 AM
In the FCS Huddle: So much still to be decided
By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - There's a one-day playoff just to get into the FCS playoffs.
Considering the results get more surprising with each week, we can expect the unexpected next Saturday when the regular season comes to an end. On Sunday, the NCAA selection committee will announce its 20-team playoff field (10 automatic and 10 at-large bids).
This weekend, top-ranked North Dakota State seemingly lost the No. 1 playoff seed and Furman's loss to Elon likely cost the Paladins a playoff bid. Meanwhile, the case for Central Arkansas and others got stronger.
The selection committee has never given an at-large bid to a team with fewer than seven Division I wins. It appears enough teams will reach the benchmark and have strong-enough schedules to dash the hopes of teams like Portland State and, believe it or not, Wofford if it loses at Chattanooga next Saturday.
Following is a conference-by-conference breakdown heading toward Week 12. Ten of the 14 conferences - not the Great West Conference, Ivy League, Pioneer Football League and Southwestern Athletic Conference - have automatic bids for its champion.
Big Sky - Montana (8-2, 6-1) and Montana State (9-1, 7-0) will both be in the playoffs, it's just a matter of which one wins next Saturday's game in Bozeman and claims the automatic bid to the playoffs. Portland State (7-3, 5-2) is on a four-game winning streak, but a win in its finale against Weber State would only be the Vikings' sixth against Division I competition, so they need the selection committee to reverse that stance.
Big South - Liberty goes to Stony Brook next Saturday for a fitting title game between two teams which are 7-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play. The winner gets the automatic bid and the loser gets stuck on six Division I wins.
CAA Football - If co-leaders Towson (8-2, 6-1) and Maine (8-2, 6-1) finish in a tie for first place, the automatic bid will go to Towson because of its 40-30 win over the Black Bears. Old Dominion (9-2, 6-2) should be an at-large selection. New Hampshire (7-3, 5-2) is playoff-eligible already, but could play itself out of a berth with a loss against Maine. Still, it probably rates above James Madison (6-4, 4-3) because of a 28-10 win in the head-to-head meeting.
Great West - There's no automatic bid or at-large bids coming. Cal Poly (5-5, 3-1) will share the title with the winner of South Dakota (6-4, 2-1) at North Dakota (7-3, 2-1).
Ivy - Harvard (8-1, 6-0) has won the title and will close its season at Yale in "The Game". Do you think the Crimson coaches and players feel it's about time the league presidents let the champion go to the playoffs?
Mid-Eastern Athletic - Champion Norfolk State (9-2, 7-1) is playoff-bound with its first-ever FCS bid. Next Saturday's winner between rivals Bethune-Cookman (7-3, 5-2) and Florida A&M (7-3, 5-2) will gain its seventh D-I win, but will sweat out an at-large selection because of its porous strength of schedule.
Missouri Valley - Either Northern Iowa (8-2, 7-1) or freshly upset North Dakota State (9-1, 6-1) will earn the automatic bid, with the other one gaining an at-large bid. North Dakota State won the head-to-head meeting, but must win at Western Illinois to gain a share of the title. Illinois State (7-3, 5-2) has seven D-I wins and hosts Northern Iowa next Saturday. A loss could help Indiana State (6-4, 4-3) or Youngstown State (6-4, 4-3), which host Southern Illinois and Missouri State, respectively.
Northeast - Either Albany (7-3, 6-1) or Duquesne (8-2, 6-1) will represent the NEC in the playoffs. Albany won the head-to-head meeting, so it will gain the bid by beating Sacred Heart or having Duquesne lose to Robert Morris.
Ohio Valley - Tennessee Tech (6-3, 5-2) is back in control of the automatic bid, just needing to beat Austin Peay. The Golden Eagles have wins over Eastern Kentucky (6-4, 5-2) and Jacksonville State (6-4, 5-2). EKU hosts UT Martin and JSU goes to Tennessee State, with each seeking a seventh D-I win. Murray State (6-4, 4-3) doesn't seem to have the strength of schedule to be in the picture, even with a win over Southeast Missouri State.
Patriot - Lehigh (9-1, 4-0) has clinched its second straight league title and playoff bid. A win over rival Lafayette would significantly strengthen how the selection committee perceives the Mountain Hawks, whose only loss was to New Hampshire in overtime.
Pioneer - No playoff bid here. Next Saturday's winner between Jacksonville (7-3, 6-1) at San Diego (8-2, 6-1) will share the title with Drake (9-2, 7-1).
Southern - Georgia Southern (9-1, 7-1) is the champion and will enter the playoffs with the automatic bid. In a surprise, Wofford (7-3, 5-2) has to win at Chattanooga to secure its seventh D-I win. Appalachian State (7-3, 5-2) already has it and will have an at-large bid. If Furman (6-4, 5-3) or Samford (6-4, 4-4) want a bid, they will have to win at SEC opponents - gulp - next Saturday. That's Florida and Auburn, respectively.
Southland - Champion Sam Houston State (10-0, 7-0) is in and will complete the regular season as the only unbeaten FCS squad by beating Texas State. Some of Saturday's results strengthened the case for an at-large bid for Central Arkansas (8-3, 6-1).
SWAC - The division winners go to the SWAC Championship Game, not the playoffs. Next Saturday's winner between Alabama A&M (7-3, 6-2) at Prairie View A&M (5-5, 5-3) will make it to Birmingham, Ala. The team that slips up would open the door for either Alabama State (7-3, 7-2) in the East Division or Grambling State (6-4, 5-3) or Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-5, 4-4) in the West Division. Grambling doesn't play again until it meets Southern on Nov. 26. If Prairie View and Grambling stumble, Arkansas-Pine Bluff could beat Texas Southern and then represent the West in the title game.
Consider these 12 teams to be locks for the playoff field: Montana State, Montana, Towson, Maine, Old Dominion, Norfolk State, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Lehigh, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Sam Houston State.
Consider everybody else in scramble mood. As expected in the wacky FCS.
This is going to be a wild and crazy weekend. Good luck everyonexthumbsupx. With a "W" I think my Wildcats are "IN".
By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - There's a one-day playoff just to get into the FCS playoffs.
Considering the results get more surprising with each week, we can expect the unexpected next Saturday when the regular season comes to an end. On Sunday, the NCAA selection committee will announce its 20-team playoff field (10 automatic and 10 at-large bids).
This weekend, top-ranked North Dakota State seemingly lost the No. 1 playoff seed and Furman's loss to Elon likely cost the Paladins a playoff bid. Meanwhile, the case for Central Arkansas and others got stronger.
The selection committee has never given an at-large bid to a team with fewer than seven Division I wins. It appears enough teams will reach the benchmark and have strong-enough schedules to dash the hopes of teams like Portland State and, believe it or not, Wofford if it loses at Chattanooga next Saturday.
Following is a conference-by-conference breakdown heading toward Week 12. Ten of the 14 conferences - not the Great West Conference, Ivy League, Pioneer Football League and Southwestern Athletic Conference - have automatic bids for its champion.
Big Sky - Montana (8-2, 6-1) and Montana State (9-1, 7-0) will both be in the playoffs, it's just a matter of which one wins next Saturday's game in Bozeman and claims the automatic bid to the playoffs. Portland State (7-3, 5-2) is on a four-game winning streak, but a win in its finale against Weber State would only be the Vikings' sixth against Division I competition, so they need the selection committee to reverse that stance.
Big South - Liberty goes to Stony Brook next Saturday for a fitting title game between two teams which are 7-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play. The winner gets the automatic bid and the loser gets stuck on six Division I wins.
CAA Football - If co-leaders Towson (8-2, 6-1) and Maine (8-2, 6-1) finish in a tie for first place, the automatic bid will go to Towson because of its 40-30 win over the Black Bears. Old Dominion (9-2, 6-2) should be an at-large selection. New Hampshire (7-3, 5-2) is playoff-eligible already, but could play itself out of a berth with a loss against Maine. Still, it probably rates above James Madison (6-4, 4-3) because of a 28-10 win in the head-to-head meeting.
Great West - There's no automatic bid or at-large bids coming. Cal Poly (5-5, 3-1) will share the title with the winner of South Dakota (6-4, 2-1) at North Dakota (7-3, 2-1).
Ivy - Harvard (8-1, 6-0) has won the title and will close its season at Yale in "The Game". Do you think the Crimson coaches and players feel it's about time the league presidents let the champion go to the playoffs?
Mid-Eastern Athletic - Champion Norfolk State (9-2, 7-1) is playoff-bound with its first-ever FCS bid. Next Saturday's winner between rivals Bethune-Cookman (7-3, 5-2) and Florida A&M (7-3, 5-2) will gain its seventh D-I win, but will sweat out an at-large selection because of its porous strength of schedule.
Missouri Valley - Either Northern Iowa (8-2, 7-1) or freshly upset North Dakota State (9-1, 6-1) will earn the automatic bid, with the other one gaining an at-large bid. North Dakota State won the head-to-head meeting, but must win at Western Illinois to gain a share of the title. Illinois State (7-3, 5-2) has seven D-I wins and hosts Northern Iowa next Saturday. A loss could help Indiana State (6-4, 4-3) or Youngstown State (6-4, 4-3), which host Southern Illinois and Missouri State, respectively.
Northeast - Either Albany (7-3, 6-1) or Duquesne (8-2, 6-1) will represent the NEC in the playoffs. Albany won the head-to-head meeting, so it will gain the bid by beating Sacred Heart or having Duquesne lose to Robert Morris.
Ohio Valley - Tennessee Tech (6-3, 5-2) is back in control of the automatic bid, just needing to beat Austin Peay. The Golden Eagles have wins over Eastern Kentucky (6-4, 5-2) and Jacksonville State (6-4, 5-2). EKU hosts UT Martin and JSU goes to Tennessee State, with each seeking a seventh D-I win. Murray State (6-4, 4-3) doesn't seem to have the strength of schedule to be in the picture, even with a win over Southeast Missouri State.
Patriot - Lehigh (9-1, 4-0) has clinched its second straight league title and playoff bid. A win over rival Lafayette would significantly strengthen how the selection committee perceives the Mountain Hawks, whose only loss was to New Hampshire in overtime.
Pioneer - No playoff bid here. Next Saturday's winner between Jacksonville (7-3, 6-1) at San Diego (8-2, 6-1) will share the title with Drake (9-2, 7-1).
Southern - Georgia Southern (9-1, 7-1) is the champion and will enter the playoffs with the automatic bid. In a surprise, Wofford (7-3, 5-2) has to win at Chattanooga to secure its seventh D-I win. Appalachian State (7-3, 5-2) already has it and will have an at-large bid. If Furman (6-4, 5-3) or Samford (6-4, 4-4) want a bid, they will have to win at SEC opponents - gulp - next Saturday. That's Florida and Auburn, respectively.
Southland - Champion Sam Houston State (10-0, 7-0) is in and will complete the regular season as the only unbeaten FCS squad by beating Texas State. Some of Saturday's results strengthened the case for an at-large bid for Central Arkansas (8-3, 6-1).
SWAC - The division winners go to the SWAC Championship Game, not the playoffs. Next Saturday's winner between Alabama A&M (7-3, 6-2) at Prairie View A&M (5-5, 5-3) will make it to Birmingham, Ala. The team that slips up would open the door for either Alabama State (7-3, 7-2) in the East Division or Grambling State (6-4, 5-3) or Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-5, 4-4) in the West Division. Grambling doesn't play again until it meets Southern on Nov. 26. If Prairie View and Grambling stumble, Arkansas-Pine Bluff could beat Texas Southern and then represent the West in the title game.
Consider these 12 teams to be locks for the playoff field: Montana State, Montana, Towson, Maine, Old Dominion, Norfolk State, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Lehigh, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Sam Houston State.
Consider everybody else in scramble mood. As expected in the wacky FCS.
This is going to be a wild and crazy weekend. Good luck everyonexthumbsupx. With a "W" I think my Wildcats are "IN".