After a 10-0 mark last week and finally nailing an upset pick, we’ll see if that continues into this weekend. Let’s predict some scores.

Predictions Record:
2024 Record: 47-15
2023 Record: 96-42

Week 8 Top 5 Games

Week 8 Viewing Guide

No. 1 South Dakota State at No. 2 North Dakota State

I tipped my hand earlier this week in my FCS Bracketology story when I projected NDSU to be the No. 2 playoff seed and SDSU No. 3. I’ve had a gut feeling about this game since August, thinking NDSU is going to get the Dakota Marker back after a long drought. The Bison bring back so many seniors, the front seven is playing well, quarterback play is elite, receivers and running backs have stepped up, and it’s in the Fargodome. An SDSU 5-game winning streak was unthinkable a decade ago. The streak has to end at some point. And if not this year? Then when?

But that doesn’t mean my prediction has to be locked in.

I started second-guessing earlier this week when the NDSU injury report came out.

Cam Miller, playing at a Walter Payton Award level, is nursing an ankle injury. He didn’t look like himself last weekend at Southern Illinois. And if he can’t make plays with his legs, whether it’s running downfield on designs or broken plays, or he can’t extend plays and maneuver inside and outside the pocket, that could be a legit difference-maker on Saturday. Plus, All-American DE Dylan Hendricks will miss this game and potentially the rest of the season with a knee injury. And starting middle linebacker Nick Kubitz is questionable as he recovers from a head injury. MLB has been a point of contention for NDSU’s defense the last couple of years, but Kubitz has really played well as of late.

Those are three major players either not playing or playing at less than 100 percent.

Meanwhile, if SDSU showed any chinks in the armor during non-conference, the Jackrabbits have appeared to iron most of it out. They look like the two-time defending champs and have rolled in conference play. The defense is perhaps the best in the FCS. The o-line is playing strong for a loaded running back room, while the passing game with Mark Gronowski and his receivers/tight ends is still coming along as they are starting to connect more consistently.

And it’s not like SDSU is fully healthy either. The Jacks have had some starting offensive linemen in and out. The d-line has suffered some injuries. And their two standout safeties have missed time. Cale Reeder is out for the year with a shoulder injury. All-American safety/returner Tucker Large hasn’t played since mid-September. Large was shown wearing a protective boot on the sidelines during the game last week, although he is now listed on this week’s depth chart as an “or” starter with Matthew Durrance.

So much is on the line in this one — rankings, seed positions, program trajectory, recruiting, Gronowski chasing Easton Stick’s FCS record for QB wins, Miller trying to beat SDSU for the first time, etc.

The Fargodome home-field advantage isn’t what it used to be compared to the peak in the early to mid-2010s. And that’s somewhat understandable as the Bison and their fans have accomplished all there is to accomplish in the FCS while watching several like-minded football programs move up to the FBS. While the Dome may not reach 2012 Georgia Southern again, Saturday could come pretty close. The Fargo faithful are thirsting for a win over a team they very much dislike. Keep an eye on how SDSU’s new offensive tackles handle the noise. The crowd could give an extra boost to an NDSU team already playing with an edge and willing itself, despite injuries, to end the five-game losing streak to its rival.

SDSU may get the last laugh this season (rings instead of rocks, amirite?). But in a competitive rivalry series like this, and with it being in Fargo, NDSU looks poised to get back in the win column on Saturday.

RELATED: FCS Bracketology 1.0

Prediction: NDSU 28-27

No. 16 Rhode Island at No. 24 New Hampshire

A pivotal game for both teams as it may be the winner’s only ranked win on their playoff resume.

UNH is 4-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the FCS, losing to Harvard. The Wildcats edged a struggling Elon team 17-10 last week. They go to No. 5 Villanova in what will be a tough place to get a win. There are no currently-ranked opponents after that.

Rhody is an interesting team because this is the only ranked team on its schedule, although Delaware would be a rankable team if eligible to be voted on.

It’s a blessing and a curse for the CAA to have so many programs. The conference will have a lot of teams with records good enough to make the playoffs. But if those teams have 0 or 1 ranked win, how well does that set them up in the playoffs? It’s an interesting scheduling conundrum and “strategy” for the CAA.

The Rams are 5-1 overall and 5-0 vs. the FCS. A 3-point win over Holy Cross, a 7-point win over LIU, and a 2-point win over Hampton make a voter wonder where exactly this team is at.

UNH is 2-0 at home this year. The Wildcats are getting good quarterback play from Seth Morgan, a former starter at VMI. He has thrown for 1,340 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Josiah Silver is continuing his incredible career at defensive end, totaling 33 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, and 7.5 sacks so far this fall. Watch him take advantage of a Rhody pass-blocking grade that is ranked No. 69 on PFF.

I’ll take UNH at home, a program that would be nice to see back in the postseason after being a playoff staple for so long.

Prediction: UNH 31-24

No. 7 Mercer at Samford

We sang the praises of Central Arkansas. But then it fell into a trap game.

We then sang the praises of Abilene Christian. But then it fell into a trap game.

Does that mean teams like Mercer and SEMO are on the clock?

Mercer is off to a dynamite start, sitting at 6-0 with two ranked wins. The defense has dominated, ranking No. 1 in FCS scoring defense (7.7 PPG), No. 1 in rushing defense (38.8 yards per game), No. 1 in rushing yards allowed per attempt (1.48), No. 2 in total defense (219.3 YPG), No. 8 in TFLs (46), and No. 1 in interceptions (13).

Samford is a dangerous team, though. The Bulldogs are 2-3, but they nearly beat a rankable ETSU squad before losing 31-28 in the final minutes. Quincy Crittendon has thrown for 1,138 yards, 10 touchdowns, and two interceptions.

On the other side, Mercer QB D.J. Smith is expected to return from an ankle injury. The JuCo transfer, who is a junior this year, has thrown for 981 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Defense travels. And the Bears will lean on that unit to go to Samford and get a road win.

Prediction: Mercer 27-14

McNeese at No. 14 UIW

UIW made a statement last week, beating 2023 Southland champs Nicholls 55-10 to improve to 4-2. Zach Calzada had himself a day, throwing for 270 yards and five touchdowns. The UIW defense held the run-heavy Nicholls offense to just 123 yards and 40 carries.

McNeese comes in after an important bye week. The Cowboys knocked off No. 25 Weber State at the end of September, improving to 4-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the FCS. The following week, though, they lost 43-22 at HCU. Clifton McDowell suffered a finger injury on his throwing hand in that loss. He sat in the second quarter, then returned in the second half, but you could tell the finger was bothering him.

McDowell has played well this fall after transferring in from Montana, leading the team with 370 rushing yards and six touchdowns while throwing for 1,054 yards, six TDs, and three interceptions.

The McNeese defense has also suffered several injuries. We’ll see if the bye week can get the Cowboys healthier. Winning at a hot UIW team will be an uphill battle, though, healthy or not.

RELATED: Resumes For The Top 10 Ranked FCS Teams

Prediction: UIW 41-20

Weber State at Sacramento State

This looks like a de facto playoff elimination game.

Both teams already have four losses and likely need to win out to reach the postseason. A 7-5 record in a 12-game season will be like a 6-5 record in previous years — can sometimes get you into the bracket, but it is rare.

Sac State was preseason No. 8. The Hornets are now 2-4 overall and 2-2 vs. the FCS, losing to consecutive unranked teams — Northern Arizona and EWU. They still need to play ranked Montana State and UC Davis.

Weber State was preseason No. 22. The Wildcats are now 3-4 overall and 3-3 vs. the FCS. They lost to unranked Lamar and McNeese, won at No. 8 Montana, and then gave Northern Colorado its first win since 2022. Weber still needs to play at ranked Idaho.

Both squads are tough to figure out. And both teams will probably end up missing the playoffs anyway. But the loser’s playoff hopes are almost certainly squandered. I’ll side with the home team here. Sac State has too much experience to drop a second straight home game. And Carson Conklin is playing well (1,100 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INT) to get the Hornets back on track.

Prediction: Sac State 28-24

More FCS Predictions

Eastern Kentucky at No. 17 Abilene Christian

EKU suffered its first FCS loss last week at Southern Utah. Abilene Christian looks to rebound from a loss to North Alabama that dropped it out of the Top 10. ACU gets it done behind the arm of Maverick McIvor (2,231 yards, 17 TDs, 3 INT).

Prediction: ACU 35-28

No. 25 Florida A&M at Jackson State

This very well could decide the SWAC East champ. Jackson State is 2-0 in the standings (4-2 overall, 3-1 vs. the FCS) and FAMU is 1-0 in conference play (3-2 overall, 3-0 vs. the FCS). It’s going to be an incredible crowd. But I trust FAMU’s defense a bit more to get a hard-earned road win.

Prediction: FAMU 27-24

Delaware at No. 18 Richmond

Delaware is off to a 6-0 start. The Blue Hens are not eligible to be voted on in the polls as it transitions to the FBS. While it won’t count as a ranked win, it would still be a resume-boosting win for playoff-hopeful Richmond, who has won four straight after a 0-2 start. I’ll lean Delaware here.

Prediction: Delaware 28-21

Northern Iowa at No. 9 North Dakota

This is a crucial game for UND. The Fighting Hawks are coming off a bye week after a humbling 41-17 loss at NDSU. At 4-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the FCS with a ranked win over then-No. 4 Montana, UND has a good shot at hitting eight wins by beating UNI, YSU, Indiana State, and Illinois State. The other two remaining games are hosting Top 5 SDSU and USD. Splitting those would be massive. Losing both would be fine if the Hawks don’t mess around and lose the other games they are favored to win. And that starts this week hosting a UNI team that is at its lowest point in recent memory, sitting at 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the MVFC, losing 41-3 vs. SDSU and 42-17 at USD.

Prediction: North Dakota 28-17

Wofford at No. 19 Chattanooga

Chattanooga is 3-3 overall, 3-1 vs. the FCS, has won three straight, and has one-score losses to FBS Georgia State and Top 10 Mercer. The Mocs are a dangerous team with one ranked win over ETSU on their resume. Wofford is still hanging around in the playoff picture at 3-3 and a ranked win over Richmond. Chattanooga is rolling, though, and I don’t think the Terriers will have the offensive firepower to hang for four quarters.

Prediction: Chattanooga 28-20

The post Week 8 FCS Predictions appeared first on HERO Sports.

We break down three teams for each and where they go from here.

Stock Up

Montana State

The question mark surrounding No. 3 Montana State heading into Saturday’s matchup vs. No. 7 Idaho was it hadn’t been tested yet. Well, that’s still technically true. MSU thrashed the Vandals in a 38-7 win. Yes, Idaho was probably running on fumes due to its schedule and has dealt with multiple quarterback injuries. But Idaho’s front seven is legit, and the Bobcats had their way, rushing for 360 yards. Tommy Mellott has put himself in the conversation for the Walter Payton Award.

Now 7-0 with an FBS win and a ranked win, the Cats are in the driver’s seat to finish 12-0 and earn a Top 2 playoff seed. More ranked opponents are coming, but if MSU plays like this, it’ll be favored to win every game.

For Idaho, a 4-3 record doesn’t look great after once receiving first-place votes in the Top 25 polls. But the Vandals have a good shot at winning their remaining games to finish 9-3 with two FCS losses, three ranked wins, and an FBS win. That could maybe get them a first-round bye, depending on what happens elsewhere.

Chattanooga

The Mocs went off the national radar for a bit. They started 0-3, losing big to FBS No. 15 Tennessee, by three points to FBS Georgia State, and by seven points to Mercer, who is still undefeated and now ranked in the Top 10. Chattanooga has since won three straight to sit at 3-3 overall and 3-1 vs. the FCS, beating Portland State, No. 23 ETSU, and dismantling Furman 41-10 on Saturday.

Furman isn’t close to the same quarterfinal squad it had last year. But it was still an impressive performance by the Mocs and showed why they were the preseason favorites in the SoCon. Chase Artopoeus threw for 232 yards with 168 going to Javin Whatley.

The Mocs have perhaps the two toughest SoCon opponents behind them (Mercer and ETSU), so keep an eye on this team and how it finishes the season as it moves back up the rankings. They are No. 19 in this week’s Media Poll.

Stephen F. Austin

SFA has won three straight, improving to 4-2. On Saturday, the Lumberjacks defeated No. 22 Lamar 27-20 behind Sam Vidlak’s 329 passing yards and Qualan Jones’ 119 rushing yards. Vidlak, a transfer from Montana, has played well this fall. He is completing 66.47% of his passes for 1,565 yards, 17 touchdowns, and two interceptions.

SFA hosts ranked UIW and Abilene Christian in the final two games of the regular season. The Lumberjacks can position themselves for the playoffs by hitting eight wins before those two games in the next four weeks.

With the MVFC and Big Sky looking like four-bid leagues this year instead of five or sometimes six, and the CAA having so many teams that will lack ranked wins, that will free up more bids for conferences like the SoCon, Southland, UAC, and Big South-OVC. UIW looks like the class of the Southland after dominating Nicholls. The No. 2 team in the league will be a tight race, and SFA is in that conversation.

Related Articles

• FCS Bracketology 1.0
• FCS Week 8 Notable Games And How To Watch
• Week 8 Resumes For The Top 10 Ranked FCS Teams

Stock Down

Abilene Christian

A week after beating No. 5 Central Arkansas, Abilene Christian couldn’t hold on to its Top 10 ranking, losing 47-34 to North Alabama. UNA was 2-5 coming into this game. ACU drops to 4-3 overall and 4-2 vs. the FCS. UNA’s TJ Smith threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

This sets ACU back as it could have kept climbing the rankings to earn a high playoff seed. With limited opportunities at ranked wins, losing to an unranked team really hurts your resume. It’ll be a red flag for the playoff committee if you don’t have several ranked wins to make up for it.

ACU finishes the regular season against two teams currently ranked — at Tarleton State and at SFA. ACU needs to avoid letdown performances before those matchups to position itself for a nice playoff seed. But the UAC is always good for some upsets and crazy finishes.

Sacramento State

After being preseason ranked No. 8, Sac State is now 2-4 overall and 2-2 vs. the FCS, dropping back-to-back games to unranked FCS teams. The Hornets lost 34-16 at Northern Arizona. And on Saturday, No. 18 Sac State lost 35-28 at home to Eastern Washington, who was 1-4 entering the game. Interestingly, it was the run game that Sac State couldn’t stop. EWU rushed for 289 yards and four touchdowns while its explosive passing attack only needed to attempt 17 passes with Kekoa Visperas completing 15 of them for 141 yards.

Sac State probably has to win out and finish 8-4 to make the playoffs. In a 12-game season, the magic number to hit is eight and not seven. A 7-5 record could make the bracket, but it’s like a 6-5 team in previous years getting a postseason bid — possible, but pretty rare. The Hornets still have to play ranked Montana State (on the road) and UC Davis (at home).

Weber State

A week after winning 55-48 in overtime at No. 8 Montana, No. 20 Weber State lost 21-17 to Northern Colorado. UNC snaps an 18-game losing streak with the win.

The Wildcats are now 3-4 overall and 3-3 vs. the FCS, also losing to unranked Lamar and McNeese. Like Sac State, they likely need to win out to reach the playoffs at 8-4. A 7-5 record may not cut it this year on a packed bubble. Weber still needs to play at ranked Idaho and at Northern Arizona, who was ranked last week.

And this weekend, Weber State goes to Sac State in what could be a de facto playoff elimination game.

The post FCS Stock Up, Stock Down After Week 7 appeared first on HERO Sports.

“Notable games” are from a national landscape perspective. Games below include Top 25-ranked teams in the media poll, teams in the playoff picture, intriguing non-conference games, intriguing FCS vs. FBS games, or games involving two teams at the top of their conference. It’s essentially a viewing guide of games to pay attention to that are most important in the FCS national picture.

Week 8

Friday, Oct. 18
All times CT

6 — Brown at Princeton (ESPNU)

Saturday, Oct. 19
All times CT

11 — Lehigh at Yale (ESPN+)

11 — Holy Cross at Harvard (ESPN+)

11:30 — Sacred Heart at Lafayette (LSN)

12 — Drake at Presbyterian (ESPN+)

12 — CCSU at No. 22 Dartmouth (ESPN+)

12 — Dayton at Butler (FloFootball)

12 — No. 5 Villanova at Maine (FloFootball)

12 — Stony Brook at Towson (FloFootball)

12 — No. 16 Rhode Island at No. 24 New Hampshire (FloFootball)

12 — Bryant at Monmouth (FloFootball)

12:30 — The Citadel at VMI (ESPN+)

12:30 — Wofford at No. 19 Chattanooga (ESPN+)

1 — Northern Iowa at No. 9 North Dakota (ESPN+)

1 — Western Carolina at Furman (ESPN+)

2 — No. 7 Mercer at Samford (ESPN+)

2 — No. 21 Illinois State at Murray State (ESPN+)

2 — Indiana State at Missouri State (ESPN+)

2:30 — Tennessee State at Howard (ESPN+)

2:30 — Campbell at No. 15 William & Mary (FloFootball)

2:30 — Delaware at No. 18 Richmond (FloFootball)

2:30 — Elon at UAlbany (FloFootball)

2:30 — No. 25 Florida A&M at Jackson State (ESPNU)

3 — No. 8 SEMO at Charleston Southern (ESPN+)

3 — Eastern Kentucky at No. 17 Abilene Christian (ESPN+)

3 — No. 3 Montana State at Portland State (ESPN+)

3 — Idaho State at Northern Arizona (ESPN+)

3 — Cal Poly at No. 13 Idaho (ESPN+)

3:30 — Lamar at Texas A&M-Commerce (ESPN+)

4 — McNeese at No. 14 UIW (ESPN+)

4 — Stephen F. Austin at Southeastern Louisiana (ESPN+)

5 — No. 4 South Dakota at Youngstown State (ESPN+)

6 — No. 6 UC Davis at Eastern Washington (ESPN+)

6 — Alcorn State at Southern (ESPN+)

7 — No. 1 South Dakota State at No. 2 North Dakota State (ESPN2)

8 — Weber State at Sacramento State (ESPN+)

The post FCS Week 8 Notable Games And How To Watch appeared first on HERO Sports.

The resumes paint the picture of what the playoff committee looks at before Selection Sunday (although watching the games gives the clearest picture). Resumes include overall record, record against FCS opponents, Division 1 wins, Non-D1 wins, FBS wins and losses, ranked wins at the time of the game, wins against teams currently ranked in the Top 25, strength of schedule, and past opponents’ record against other teams.

Resumes For Top 10 Teams

Teams 1-10 are via this week’s Stats Perform Media Poll

“Then-Ranked Wins” are wins against ranked teams at the time of the game using the media poll

“Now-Ranked Wins” are wins against teams currently ranked in the media poll

Strength of schedule (SOS) is via Massey and is through current games played only and doesn’t factor in future games

“Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams” is the combined record of your previous opponents without including your own record. As an example, if a 3-0 team has beaten three teams that are now 0-3, the past opponents’ record vs *other* teams is 0-6 (three teams that are 0-2 vs. other opponents).

1. South Dakota State

Record: 5-1

FCS Record: 4-0

Non-D1 Wins: 1 (Augustana)

D1 Wins: 4 (UIW, SLU, UNI, YSU)

FCS Losses: 0 

FBS Losses: 1 (Oklahoma State)

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 12 UIW)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 14 UIW)

Massey SOS: 5th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 17-15

2. North Dakota State

Record: 6-1

FCS Record: 6-0

D1 Wins: 6 (TN State, ETSU, Towson, Illinois State, UND, SIU)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (Colorado)

Then-Ranked Wins: 2 (No. 18 Illinois State, No. 7 UND)

Now-Ranked Wins: 3 (No. 23 ETSU, No. 21 Illinois State, No. 9 UND)

Massey SOS: 11th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 25-14

3. Montana State

Record: 7-0

FCS Record: 7-0 

FBS Wins: 1 (New Mexico) 

D1 Wins: 7 (New Mexico, Utah Tech, Maine, Mercyhurst, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Idaho)

FCS Losses: 0

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 7 Idaho)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 13 Idaho)

Massey SOS: 58th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 15-25

4. South Dakota

Record: 5-1

FCS Record: 4-0 

Non-D1 Wins: 1 (Northern State)

D1 Wins: 4 (Drake, SIU, Murray State, UNI)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (Wisconsin)

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 17 SIU)

Now-Ranked Wins: 0

Massey SOS: 33rd

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 15-16

5. Villanova

Record: 5-1

FCS Record: 5-0 

D1 Wins: 5 (YSU, Colgate, Towson, LIU, Stony Brook)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (Maryland)

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 25 YSU) 

Now-Ranked Wins: 0

Massey SOS: 47th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 13-19

6. UC Davis

Record: 6-1

FCS Record: 6-0 

D1 Wins: 6 (Texas A&M-Commerce, SUU, Utah Tech, Idaho, Portland State, Cal Poly)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (Cal) 

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 4 Idaho)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 13 Idaho)

Massey SOS: 40th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 13-25

7. Mercer

Record: 6-0

FCS Record: 6-0 

D1 Wins: 6 (Presbyterian, Bethune-Cookman, Chattanooga, The Citadel, Wofford, Princeton)

FCS Losses: 0

Then-Ranked Wins: 2 (No. 13 Chattanooga, No. 23 Wofford)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 19 Chattanooga)

Massey SOS: 102nd

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 11-19

8. SEMO

Record: 6-1

FCS Record: 6-0

D1 Wins: 6 (North Alabama, UT Martin, SIU, Northwestern State, EIU, TN Tech)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (NMSU)

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 7 SIU)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 25 UT Martin)

Massey SOS: 59th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 12-29

9. North Dakota

Record: 4-2

FCS Record: 4-1 

D1 Wins: 4 (Montana, Idaho State, San Diego, Murray State)

FCS Losses: 1 (No. 2 NDSU)

FBS Losses: 1 (Iowa State)

Then-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 4 Montana)

Now-Ranked Wins: 1 (No. 11 Montana)

Massey SOS: 6th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 22-10

10. Tarleton State

Record: 6-1

FCS Record: 6-0 

D1 Wins: 6 (McNeese, HCU, North Alabama, SLU, SUU, Utah Tech)

FCS Losses: 0

FBS Losses: 1 (Baylor) 

Then-Ranked Wins: 0

Now-Ranked Wins: 0

Massey SOS: 49th

Past opponents’ record vs *other* teams: 17-25

The post 2024 Week 8 Resumes For The Top 10 Ranked FCS Teams appeared first on HERO Sports.

How the playoff field changes and takes shape every week is fascinating. So after every weekend of games moving forward, I will predict what the bracket will look like.

Below are predictions for the seeds, auto-bids, at-large bids, the bracket, and which teams are on the bubble.

Notes

These predictions take current playoff resumes and all future scheduled games into consideration. 

This is through the eyes of the playoff committee and what I think they will do.

The seeds associated with teams won’t be the same as my Top 25 rankings. My poll ballot is ranking teams based on performances/resumes so far. This bracketology is projecting ahead.

The Field

2021-2023 Final Bracketology Accuracy: 22/24 seeds correct, 69/72 teams in the field correct

Seeds
1. Montana State
2. North Dakota State
3. South Dakota State
4. Mercer
5. Villanova
6. South Dakota
7. SEMO
8. UC Davis
9. UIW
10. Idaho
11. Chattanooga
12. Central Arkansas
13. Montana
14. William & Mary
15. Tarleton State
16. Abilene Christian

Auto-Bids
Big Sky – Montana State
Big South-OVC – SEMO
CAA – Villanova
MVFC – North Dakota State
NEC – Duquesne
Patriot – Holy Cross
Pioneer – Drake
SoCon – Mercer
Southland – UIW
UAC – Central Arkansas

At-Large Bids 
Ordered from most likely to least likely to get in. Seeded teams who are not their conference’s auto-bid will be at the top.

South Dakota State (seed)
South Dakota (seed)
UC Davis (seed)
Idaho (seed)
Chattanooga (seed)
Montana (seed)
William & Mary (seed)
Tarleton State (seed)
Abilene Christian (seed)
Rhode Island
Last 4 In
North Dakota
ETSU
Western Carolina
Stephen F. Austin

Bubble Teams Left Out
Ordered from the best chance to make the bracket out of this group to the worst chance.

25. UT Martin
26. Richmond
27. McNeese
28. Northern Arizona
29. Lamar

The Bracket

The FCS playoff bracket increased its number of seeded teams from 8 to 16 this year. Seeds 1-8 get a first-round bye, and seeds 9-16 will host first-round games. First-round matchups will still be paired up based on geography. But the second round will no longer be based on regionalization. The No. 16 seed will feed into the No. 1 seed, the No. 15 seed into the No. 2 seed, and so on.

The first round is still regionalized to save on travel costs. The committee tries to utilize as many bus trips (400 miles or less) as possible while avoiding regular-season rematches.

The committee avoids conference matchups in the first round if the two teams played each other in the regular season. However, if two conference teams did not play each other during the regular season, they may be paired up in the first round. Regular-season non-conference rematches should be avoided in the first round.

If a conference has four or more teams in the bracket, the committee can add an extra flight to avoid having all teams on one side of the bracket as long as it doesn’t impact or change the seeding.

The order of seeds is not determined by regionalization.

The Explanation

This section will typically have between 1,000-2,000 words breaking down each team, their current resume, and their future games and why it has a pathway to a seed, an at-large bid, etc.

Keep in mind that this bracketology factors in future games as well. So in this instance, I’m projecting Montana State will go 12-0 to earn the No. 1 seed. And I’m projecting NDSU to win the MVFC. Just to use those two as examples.

We obviously have a lot of games left, so this is going to be fluid and move around each week. Some will say doing a bracketology in October is pointless. Those people also probably aren’t fun to hang out with in social settings. It’s an entertaining exercise to see how each week of results shapes the playoff picture. And it also gives fan bases an idea of “This is where we’re at now, this is where other teams are at to keep an eye on, this is our remaining schedule, and if we win out or lose just one more game we can get a seed in this range.”

If a team is on the bubble, this will give those fans an idea of what teams to keep an eye on and where their resume is at. Same with Top 2 seeds, Top 4 seeds, Top 8, etc.

As we get closer to Selection Sunday, I’ll dive more into details on resumes, ranked wins, strength of schedule, upcoming games, etc. to explain why I think Team A will be the No. 1 seed, Team B will be the No. 8 seed, Team C is left on the bubble, and so on.

Here’s a look at what future bracketology story breakdowns will look like.

The post 2024 FCS Bracketology 1.0 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Notes at the bottom.

Delaware and Missouri State, FCS-to-FBS transitioning teams, are not eligible to be voted on in the Media Poll.

Week 7 Top 25 FCS Scoreboard

FCS Top 25

1. South Dakota State
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana State
4. South Dakota
5. Villanova
6. UC Davis
7. Mercer
8. Idaho
9. SEMO
10. UIW
11. Chattanooga
12. Abilene Christian
13. Central Arkansas
14. ETSU
15. North Dakota
16. Montana
17. William & Mary
18. Tarleton State
19. NC Central
20. Rhode Island
21. Western Carolina
22. Northern Arizona
23. Richmond
24. McNeese
25. Stephen F. Austin

Leaving: Sacramento State, Illinois State, Lamar, Weber State

Entering: NC Central, Rhode Island, Richmond, Stephen F. Austin

I kept my Top 3 the same as last week, even after No. 3 Montana State beat No. 7 Idaho 38-7 in a statement performance. You can make a strong argument for South Dakota State, North Dakota State, or MSU to be ranked No. 1, No. 2, etc.

SDSU might have the best defense in the FCS while its offense continues to get more explosive. MSU might have the best offense in the FCS while its defense looks stronger than last year’s. NDSU might have the most complete team in the FCS.

MSU has the best win of the three with its Idaho victory. NDSU has the most ranked wins of the three. SDSU is the two-time defending champs with several familiar names back, has mostly dominated its FCS opponents, and has the strongest Massey strength of schedule of the three — SDSU has the 5th-strongest SOS through games played, NDSU 11th, and MSU 58th.

So you can argue in circles why each team should be No. 1, who should be No. 2, and who should be No. 3.

It’ll get sorted out better this week, voting-wise, when SDSU visits NDSU. The winner will likely get the No. 1 spot and the loser goes to No. 3, while MSU (assuming it doesn’t lose at Portland State) moves to No. 2.

South Dakota has asserted itself as a strong No. 4, dominating its FCS opponents and sitting at 5-1 overall and 4-0 vs. the FCS with one ranked win. Villanova stays at No. 5 and UC Davis stays at No. 6. Both squads are undefeated vs. the FCS with one ranked win. Mercer rises to No. 7 at 6-0 vs. the FCS and two ranked wins.

Leaving my ballot are Sacramento State, Illinois State, Lamar, and Weber State.

Sac State lost 35-28 to unranked EWU and is now 2-4 overall and 2-2 vs. the FCS. It’s the second straight loss to an unranked opponent for the Hornets. Illinois State lost 41-7 to Missouri State, who is ranked in the Coaches Poll. ISU is now 4-3 overall and 4-2 vs. the FCS with two blowout home losses in the last three weeks.

Lamar lost 27-20 to unranked SFA, dropping to 3-3 overall and 3-2 vs. the FCS. Its then-ranked win over Weber State hasn’t aged as well … because Weber State lost 21-17 to Northern Colorado, which was UNC’s first win since November of 2022. Weber is now 3-4 overall and 3-3 vs. the FCS.

Moving into my ballot are NC Central, Rhode Island, Richmond, and Stephen F. Austin.

NC Central is 5-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the FCS. Its 41-19 loss to unranked Elon is questionable, but the Eagles have rolled since then, including beating opponents by much wider margins than other ranked teams did for comparative data points. Rhode Island is 5-1 overall and 5-0 vs. the FCS. It hasn’t played a strong schedule and hasn’t exactly dominated inferior opponents, but it keeps on winning.

I preseason ranked Richmond and moved the Spiders back in at 4-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the FCS. No great wins yet, and it does have a loss to Wofford, but Richmond has won four straight. Stephen F. Austin is 4-2 overall, 3-1 vs. the FCS, and just beat No. 22 Lamar. The Lumberjacks have won three straight.

In the 7-13 range, Mercer, SEMO, Chattanooga, and UIW rise as Idaho, Abilene Christian, and Central Arkansas fall back a few spots.

The post FCS Top 25: Sam Herder’s Ballot For The Week Of 10-14-2024 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Every score involving Top 25 teams via the media poll will be published below after the games.

FCS Scoreboard

No. 1 South Dakota State 63
Youngstown State 13

No. 2 North Dakota State 24
Southern Illinois 3

No. 3 Montana State 38
No. 7 Idaho 7

No. 4 South Dakota 42
Northern Iowa 17

No. 6 UC Davis 56
Cal Poly 10

No. 8 Mercer 34
Princeton 7

North Alabama 47
No. 10 Abilene Christian 34

No. 11 SEMO 34
Tennessee Tech 3

No. 12 Central Arkansas 34
West Georgia 33

No. 13 Tarleton State 42
Utah Tech 0

No. 14 Montana 31
No. 24 Northern Arizona 20

No. 15 UIW 55
Nicholls 10

Missouri State 41
No. 16 Illinois State 7

Eastern Washington 35
No. 18 Sacramento State 28

Northern Colorado 21
No. 20 Weber State 17

No. 19 Rhode Island 31
Brown 21

Stephen F. Austin 27
No. 22 Lamar 20

No. 23 Chattanooga 41
Furman 10

No. 25 North Carolina Central 68
Virginia-Lynchburg 0

Bye weeks: No. 5 Villanova, No. 9 North Dakota, No. 17 William & Mary, No. 21 Richmond

The post Week 7 Top 25 FCS Scoreboard appeared first on HERO Sports.

The PFF grading system evaluates every player on every play. Each position has its own grading rubric.

Below are the highest-graded FCS players by position after Week 6.

Note: PFF isn’t the gospel or the de facto ranking of who the best players are, it’s just another tool to look at top performers. There is more context beyond film grades, like the quality of opponents, just like there is more context beyond box scores and statistical leaders.

Quarterback

1. Chase Goodwin, Columbia — 91.6

2. Nick Howard, Butler — 91.4

3. Maverick McIvor, Abilene Christian — 90.0

4. Brady Meitz, Stetson — 89.3

5. Cam Miller, NDSU — 89.0

Running Back

1. Charles Pierre Jr., South Dakota — 93.5

2. Targhee Lambson, Southern Utah — 92.6

3. Travis Theis, South Dakota — 92.4

4. Eli Gillman, Montana — 91.1

5. Darius Hale, Central Arkansas — 90.6

Wide Receiver

1. Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington — 89.6

2. Elijah Steward, Lafayette — 87.4

3. Sam Phillips, Chattanooga — 86.9

4. Jimmy Kibble, Georgetown — 84.0

5. Caleb Burke, New Hampshire — 83.0

Tight End

1. Cooper Dawson, Charleston Southern — 84.5

2. Lance Mason, Missouri State — 82.9

3. Nathan Levicki, Presbyterian — 81.3

4. Rylan Schlepp, Montana State — 81.3

5. Marvin Landy, Jackson State — 80.3

Center

1. Reid Williams, Chattanooga — 82.2

2. Tuli Teuhema, Tarleton State — 75.7

3. George Padezanin, Lehigh — 75.0

4. Joey Lombard, South Dakota — 74.8

5. John Ohnegian, Bucknell — 74.7

Guard

1. Kadin Lynch, William & Mary — 81.5

2. Marcus Wehr, Montana State — 79.3

3. Nicholas Hilliard, Princeton — 78.4

t4. Eric Meslin, Stonehill — 78.0

t4. Conner Moore, Montana State — 78.0

Tackle

1. Charles Grant, William & Mary — 91.4

2. Grey Zabel, NDSU — 90.4

3. Jaison Williams, Youngstown State — 90.0

4. Titan Fleischmann, Montana State — 82.5

5. Gavin Ortega, Weber State — 80.0

Cornerback

1. Gavin Shipman, Harvard — 92.4

2. Sammy Anderson Jr., Austin Peay — 89.3

3. Mike Reid, South Dakota — 88.5

4. Cam Cope, Dayton — 86.0

5. Isaiah Wadsworth, Wofford — 85.7

Safety

1. Nick Peltekian, Lehigh — 90.5

2. Colby Huerter, SDSU — 90.1

3. Barry Wagner Jr., Delaware State — 90.0

4. Jake East, Cal Poly — 86.0

5. Nick Bafia, Butler — 85.9

Linebacker

1. Gideon Lampron, Dayton — 91.0

2. Noah Martin, Samford — 90.7

3. Anthony Roussos, Columbia — 88.9

4. Gary Bryant, South Dakota — 88.8

5. Seth Verilus, Robert Morris — 85.5

Edge Defender

1. David Walker, Central Arkansas — 91.5

2. Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho — 90.0

3. Riley Wilson, Montana — 88.6

4. Elijah Williams, Morgan State — 88.4

5. Mi’Quise Grace, South Dakota — 86.9

Interior Defender

1. Taylor Bolesta, Stony Brook — 86.7

2. Elijah St. John, LIU — 86.1

3. Rushawn Lawrence, Stony Brook — 85.5

4. Josh Barker, SC State — 85.1

5. Jalen Bell, Tennessee State — 84.7

The post 2024 PFF Highest-Graded FCS Players By Position (After Week 6) appeared first on HERO Sports.

Let’s predict some scores.

Predictions Record:
2024 Record: 37-15
2023 Record: 96-42

Week 7 Top 5 Games

Week 7 Viewing Guide

No. 7 Idaho at No. 3 Montana State

Montana State has the best rushing attack in the FCS, led by future NFL prospects on the o-line Marcus Wehr and Conner Moore. Julius Davis, MSU’s top running back last year, hasn’t played yet this fall. Neither has All-American center Justus Perkins. But Scottre Humphrey (668 yards, 8 TDs) and Adam Jones (418 yards, 4 TDs) have formed a good 1-2 punch. The Bobcats are averaging 303.3 rushing yards per game, which is No. 2 in the FCS behind the option attack of Davidson.

Tommy Mellott is making good decisions, both with his arm (12 TDs, 0 INT) and his legs by not putting himself in harm’s way. It’ll be interesting to see if that “business decision” mindset (which is what he and MSU need) continues in the heat of the moment during tight games. Does MSU fall in love with the QB run game again when they need a big third-down conversion or a score in the red zone?

Idaho has one of the best defensive front seven in the FCS, led by LB Jaxton Eck (45 tackles), DE Keyshawn James-Newby (8 sacks), and DT Dallas Afalava (3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks). The Vandals own the No. 8 rush defense, allowing 93.3 YPG.

This is now Idaho’s fifth straight ranked FCS opponent after starting the season with back-to-back FBS games. The Vandals have key players sidelined with injuries, while other key players are playing but fighting through injuries. MSU, while also dealing with some injuries, hasn’t been tested against FCS competition and has been able to spread the reps around.

I think Idaho may run into a buzzsaw here. The injuries, the road fatigue, the choppy QB play, the Bobcat Stadium environment, the revenge factor for MSU, and the Cats just being that good will be overwhelming.

Montana State gets a statement victory and wins by three scores.

RELATED: What’s At Stake For MSU vs. Idaho?

Prediction: Montana State 35-17

No. 24 Northern Arizona at No. 14 Montana

A pivotal game for both squads.

NAU wants to prove it is for real after beating then-No. 10 Sac State and losing to No. 10 Idaho by just one score despite losing starting quarterback Ty Pennington in the first half due to injury.

It can also be a turning point for Montana. While having an elite offense, the Grizzlies have allowed 35, 49, and 55 points in the last three games, jarring numbers for this program. Last week saw a 55-48 loss to unranked Weber State. At 4-2, another loss this week puts a serious question mark next to Montana’s playoff hopes. A win sets up the Griz for a likely 7-2 record heading into the final three games of the regular season.

The status of Pennington is unknown as of this writing. He is listed on this week’s depth chart, for whatever that is worth. Regardless, a motivated Montana defense with perhaps a simpler game plan looks to take a step in the right direction. They don’t have to be dominant like last year, just show signs of improvement as the offense is one of the best in the country.

Simply put, it’s hard to see Montana losing in consecutive weeks at home.

Prediction: Montana 38-27

No. 2 North Dakota State at Southern Illinois

Quarterback health is a storyline going into this one.

SIU is down to its third-string QB. Starter DJ Williams has been sidelined with a hand injury. And last week, Hunter Simmons suffered a broken leg. True freshman Jake Curry will make his starting debut on Saturday.

For NDSU, Walter Payton Award frontrunner Cam Miller exited last week’s game and it didn’t look good as he went back to the locker room with an ankle injury. But the x-ray was clean. It appears he’ll give it a go this week. At least that’s what he and head coach Tim Polasek are saying publicly. A sprained ankle could linger, and does NDSU really want to put their franchise QB out there at less than 100 percent with No. 1 SDSU coming up next week? Or do you fall into a trap game if you do sit Miller more out of precaution than necessity?

The Bison are clicking on all fronts right now, coming off of back-to-back dominant wins over ranked opponents. And SIU is sliding the other way, getting bitten by so many injuries across the 2-deep. We’ll see if the Salukis can put together a spirited effort in front of their Homecoming crowd. But NDSU will be too much and pull away in the second half.

Prediction: NDSU 34-14

Nicholls at No. 15 UIW

Last year, Nicholls made a statement in its 45-32 win over UIW, a game it led 45-19 early in the fourth quarter. UIW couldn’t stop the run, allowing 331 yards.

UIW looks improved against the run this year, and it’ll have to contend with Collin Guggenheim again, who is up to 456 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Cardinals are on a two-game winning streak after losing to No. 1 SDSU and a healthy/ranked SIU team. They dominated Northern Arizona (which has aged well with NAU now ranked) and Prairie View A&M.

Nicholls also rides a two-game winning streak, beating Mississippi Valley State and Southern by a combined score of 117-7. This is after an 0-3 start with two FBS losses and a loss to ranked Sac State.

If UIW wants to keep climbing the rankings, it needs a win here. Zach Calzada and his two stud targets Jalen Walthall and Roy Alexander hit on some explosive plays to win a nail-biter in the final minute.

RELATED: Resumes For The Top 10 Ranked FCS Teams

Prediction: UIW 31-28

Princeton at No. 8 Mercer

A fun Ivy League vs. SoCon matchup.

Princeton is currently 1-2, beating Howard and losing to Lehigh and Columbia.

Mercer is 5-0 with two then-ranked wins over Chattanooga and Wofford. The Bears are elite defensively. They rank No. 1 in FCS rushing defense, allowing an incredible 29.2 yards per game and 1.17 yards per attempt. Their 7.8 points allowed per game is No. 2, trailing Butler’s 6.0.

Veterans Isaac Dowling (28 tackles) and Ken Standley (24 tackles, 3.5 TFLs) lead the defense at linebacker while LB Marques Thomas (24 tackles, 6 TFLs) has also played at a high level.

The offense has been solid as well, scoring 32.8 points per game. Mercer is too complete of a team to drop this one.

Prediction: Mercer 28-10

More FCS Predictions

No. 23 Chattanooga at Furman

Chattanooga came back on the national radar after beating ranked ETSU last week. The Mocs are now 2-3 overall after a 0-3 start, although two losses were to FBS opponents and the third a one-score loss to Mercer, who is now ranked in the Top 10. Furman has fallen off some after its quarterfinal run last year. The Paladins are 2-3, but they’ll be a tough out for any SoCon team in the competitive league. Chattanooga wins, but it’ll be a battle.

Prediction: Chattanooga 24-17

Tennessee Tech at No. 11 SEMO

Tennessee Tech is 2-3 overall, but it is 2-1 vs. FCS competition and 2-0 in the Big South-OVC standings, beating TN State and Gardner-Webb. SEMO will be too much, though. The Redhawks are 5-1 overall with a near FBS win. Veteran QB Paxton DeLaurent is playing at an All-American level, throwing for 1,669 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Dorian Anderson is already up to 572 receiving yards and six scores.

Prediction: SEMO 35-21

Stephen F. Austin at No. 22 Lamar

Lamar is 3-2 overall and 3-1 vs. the FCS, climbing into the rankings after it beat then-No. 20 Weber State 17-16. But it hasn’t looked great since, beating Texas Southern 20-17 and losing to then-No. 7 Central Arkansas 34-14. TSU is currently 2-3 with only one D1 win. SFA has looked solid in recent weeks, improving to 3-2 with two dominant wins over Northern Colorado and Northwestern State. The two losses were competitive games at FBS North Texas and at McNeese, who has been ranked this year. My upset picks haven’t hit at a great rate this year, but let’s go with SFA knocking off ranked Lamar.

Prediction: SFA 28-24

Brown at No. 19 Rhode Island

Brown is out to a 2-1 start, beating Georgetown and Harvard before losing to Bryant. Rhody is off to a strong start record-wise, sitting at 4-1 overall and 4-0 vs. the FCS. Rhody is definitely a rankable team, but you can poke at its close wins — beating Holy Cross (2-4) by three points, Campbell (2-4) by 12, LIU (0-6) by seven, and needing two overtimes to beat Hampton (3-3) by two. Rhody keeps the winning going this week. This could be a playoff team this year, but there are currently no ranked teams on the schedule (although at FBS-transitioning Delaware will be a good test).

The CAA being such a big league can be a blessing for the league. Unbalanced scheduling will lead to several teams with playoff-worthy records. But it could be a curse, too. How does the playoff committee view an 8-win CAA team that didn’t play any ranked opponents? It’ll be fascinating to see play out in what could be a packed bubble with the 12-game season.

Prediction: Rhody 31-17

Youngstown State at No. 1 South Dakota State

Hobo Day and a week before going to No. 2 NDSU? A trap game for the Jackrabbits? Maybe a fair thought in the preseason, but YSU has underwhelmed this year at 2-4. SDSU made a statement last week at UNI and should roll again this weekend.

Prediction: SDSU 35-10

The post Week 7 FCS Predictions appeared first on HERO Sports.

No. 7 Idaho visits No. 3 Montana State with a 9:15 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN2.

Montana State is 6-0, featuring an FBS win over New Mexico. The Bobcats don’t have any ranked FCS wins yet and their Massey strength of schedule is currently 76th in the FCS.

Idaho is 4-2 overall with an FBS loss to Oregon and an FCS loss to No. 6 UC Davis. The Vandals have three then-ranked wins (No. 17 UAlbany, No. 19 ACU, No. 25 NAU) and two now-ranked wins (No. 10 ACU, No. 24 NAU), plus an FBS win over Wyoming. Their current Massey strength of schedule is ranked 2nd in the FCS.

What does this weekend’s result mean for both teams for playoff positioning? Let’s start with if the home team wins.

If Montana State Wins…

For Montana State

Montana State has passed the eyeball test so far, but this would be its first statement win of the season. New Mexico, the FBS opponent MSU defeated, is currently just 1-4.

A win would set the Bobcats up for a run at a Top 2 playoff seed and coveted home-field advantage. MSU’s remaining schedule is:

at Portland State
at Eastern Washington
vs. No. 18 Sacramento State
at No. 6 UC Davis
vs. No. 14 Montana

Road trips to Portland State and EWU can’t be taken lightly, as UC Davis and Montana found out. However, a veteran MSU team should handle business there. Then, the last three games are where MSU can make its money. Two of the three ranked opponents are at home. Those two, Sac State and Montana, have fallen in the rankings. A trip to UC Davis before the Brawl of the Wild will be a challenge.

If the Cats beat Idaho this weekend, they’ll likely be favored to win the rest of their games. A 12-0 finish secures a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The other Top 2 seed could come down to if SDSU, NDSU, or USD finish undefeated vs. FCS opponents. No. 5 Villanova has a chance to go undefeated vs. the FCS, but it may lack ranked wins to get a look as a Top 2 seed. Keep an eye on No. 8 Mercer as well, who is currently undefeated vs. the FCS with two ranked wins.

If MSU wins this weekend but drops one game in the remaining slate, an 11-1 MSU squad will be in contention for a Top 4 seed with SDSU, NDSU, Villanova, Mercer, USD, and possibly UC Davis if that MSU loss comes in California.

For Idaho

The Vandals would drop to 4-3 overall. Yet, its resume would still be pretty solid at 4-3. One loss at Oregon is thrown out, and the other two losses were to highly-ranked UC Davis (by one score) and Montana State (how Idaho loses could help shape the narrative — blow-out vs. competitive loss).

The Vandals would carry three then-ranked wins and an FBS win into the lighter portion of their schedule. This week is their fifth straight game vs. a ranked FCS opponent after back-to-back FBS games to open the season. Idaho is beat up right now, but things will ease up after this weekend.

Idaho’s remaining schedule is:

vs. Cal Poly
vs. Eastern Washington
at Portland State
vs. No. 22 Weber State
at Idaho State

That’s a favorable schedule for the most part, especially if you compare it to the first half of the season.

If the Vandals lose this weekend and then win out, they will be 9-3 with two FCS losses, four ranked wins (if Weber is still ranked), and an FBS win. It’s hard to pinpoint right now where in the Top 8 seeds that would land Idaho, as it depends on where other teams finish. But that resume should be good for a first-round bye. If Idaho loses this weekend and drops another game, an 8-4 Idaho team is probably in the 9-16 seed range and hosting a game in the first round.

Related Articles

• 2024 FCS Playoff Committee Members
• FCS Playoff Seeds Increases From 8 To 16
• Resumes For The Top 10 Ranked FCS Teams

If Idaho Wins…

For Idaho

The Vandals add to their already-stacked resume.

Idaho would improve to 5-2 overall with one FCS loss to UC Davis, add its fourth ranked win, plus its FBS win over Wyoming. A victory on Saturday could potentially get the Vandals to jump UC Davis in the rankings, despite the head-to-head loss, due to their overall body of work.

All of a sudden, Idaho is back in contention for a Top 4 seed. The remaining schedule is:

vs. Cal Poly
vs. Eastern Washington
at Portland State
vs. No. 22 Weber State
at Idaho State

If the Vandals avoid upsets in this remaining slate, that’s a 10-2 record with five ranked wins (if Weber is still ranked), an FBS win, and just one FCS loss. Depending on how Montana State, SDSU, NDSU, USD, UC Davis, and Villanova finish, Idaho could climb into a Top 2 seed discussion if it finished 10-2.

A 9-3 finish with a win over Montana State could still get them a Top 5 seed, depending on what happens elsewhere.

For Montana State

The narrative around MSU could shift, from a team that’s being put in the same conversation as SDSU and NDSU to a team that was just beating up on bad competition and lost to its first good opponent of the year.

The Cats could also recover just fine if it were to lose this weekend. The remaining schedule is:

at Portland State
at Eastern Washington
vs. No. 18 Sacramento State
at No. 6 UC Davis
vs. No. 14 Montana

At PSU and EWU aren’t games you can just roll your helmets out and win, but MSU will be heavily favored. Two of the final three games vs. ranked opponents are at home, and Sac State and Montana have both dropped in the rankings. At UC Davis will be a tough one.

If MSU loses to Idaho and then wins out, an 11-1 record with an FBS win and potentially three ranked wins could be anywhere in the Top 4 seeds, just depending on how Idaho, SDSU, NDSU, USD, Mercer, and Villanova finish. Another loss, let’s say to UC Davis, could push MSU to the 5-8 seed range at 10-2 with two ranked wins and an FBS win. If MSU were to finish 9-3, it could sneak into the Top 8 seeds with a first-round bye, depending on what happens elsewhere. But the Cats could be pushed to a seeded team that hosts in the first round.

It’s only Week 7, but the result of No. 7 Idaho at No. 3 Montana State will be heavily weighed the night before Selection Sunday.

The post FCS: What’s At Stake For No. 3 Montana State vs. No. 7 Idaho? appeared first on HERO Sports.