At any rate, let’s get right to it as we cross the halfway mark threshold of the season.

THE PRESTIGIOUS TOP 8

NOTE: These are the schools that would receive a first-round playoff bye and host a second-round game. Also, in parenthesis after the ranked team () is what I had them ranked last week.

NO. 1 – MONTANA STATE (1^ST)

LAST WEEK NO. 1 TEAM: Montana State  

WHY?: Montana State’s schedule strength, according to Massey, is weaker than all four of the Dakota schools – this much is a fact. But the Bobcats have knocked off an FBS team (New Mexico) and have easily handled all six FCS teams it has beaten. There have been few challenges, a testament to how strong this program is – and the recent blowout win over a dangerous Idaho backs it up. Let’s face it, there’s a decent chance MSU finishes undefeated going into the postseason. 

NO. 2 – NORTH DAKOTA STATE (2^ND)

LAST WEEK NO. 2 TEAM: North Dakota State

WHY?: Understatement department: This weekend’s annual slugfest against South Dakota State is going to go a long way in telling us who this NDSU team is. Will it be the team that survived ETSU down in Tennessee earlier this year, or will it be the team that truly out-hit P4 Colorado before succumbing to future NFL millionaire talent Travis Hunter? The Bison have pummeled what is a tough Illinois State team, too. The Dakota Marker battle this weekend will be on national television (ESPN2) and will be in Fargo – and it’s been a while since NDSU has won this rivalry game. 

NO. 3 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (3^rd)

LAST WEEK NO. 3 TEAM: South Dakota State

WHY?: How much do we know about this SDSU team? Obviously, quarterback play isn’t an issue with two-time national champion signal-caller Mark Gronowski at the helm en route to a 6-1 start, but where is that quality win? Right now, it looks like the 21-point win over Incarnate Word. But this weekend, that could all change as SDSU faces a team it has owned of late – rival NDSU. Be prepared for a big move on this ballot if the Jackrabbits handle this decisively on the road, which they’re capable of.

NO. 4 – SOUTH DAKOTA (4^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 4 TEAM: South Dakota

WHY?: The Coyotes are a fascinating team, steamrolling the past four FCS teams it has played – allowing only 33 points in the four wins (and if they’d not been canceled against Portland State, it’d be even more impressive). We will learn a lot about this dangerous USD team between now and Thanksgiving when it faces NDSU, SDSU, and North Dakota.

NO. 5 – VILLANOVA (5^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 5 TEAM: Villanova

WHY?: There’s no way I can elevate Villanova past this spot, and if there are stronger performances by other teams coming up? I have no problem moving teams ahead. The Wildcats are solid and look like the class of a massive CAA, but the best win so far is against a 4-2 Stony Brook team – and the 7-point win over Youngstown State looks less and less impressive due to the Penguins’ struggles. Nova needs to take it up a notch and win out, while also capturing the CAA, or there’s a chance other teams could surpass them in the battle for a seeding – even with Villanova continuing to win.

NO. 6 –UC DAVIS (6^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 6 TEAM: UC Davis

WHY?: Right now, the signature win is against Idaho, and the win over Southern Utah was against a team that has an FBS win (UTEP). But the near loss to Portland State is also on this resume. Like Villanova, the Aggies will need to impress as things progress to hold on to this lofty spot on my ballot.

NO. 7 – TARLETON STATE (8^TH)

LAST WEEK NO. 7 TEAM: Idaho

WHY?: RB Kayvon Britten has been fantastic this year. His last game’s efforts put him over 1,000 yards in a season for the third straight year. He’s been the biggest reason that this recent team addition to the FCS level has been so effective, as his running has been pivotal in tight wins over McNeese, Southeastern Louisiana, and Southern Utah.

NO. 8 – MERCER (10^TH)

LAST WEEK NO. 8 TEAM: Tarleton State

WHY?: Some people may not be as impressed as I was with Mercer’s big win over Princeton this past week. I felt that was key for the Bears. That coupled with a 10-3 win over Chattanooga earlier this year – which looks better and better on paper each week – gives Mercer some serious street cred. This is clearly the best Mercer team in the second stint of football, which began just a bit over a decade ago after about 70 years without the game.

FROM NO. 9 TO NO. 16

NOTE: This is the tier that would be seeded (if they participate in the playoffs) but would still have to play in the first round.

9 North Dakota
10 SEMO
11 Idaho
12 Abilene Christian
13 Cent. Arkansas
14 Incarnate Word
15 Montana
16 Chattanooga

WHY?: Idaho is clearly the best 4-3 team in the FCS, is dangerous, and possesses the No. 1 toughest schedule in the country according to Massey. SEMO is two minutes away from a 7-0 record (and a win over FBS New Mexico State), and the Redhawks should be watched closely. North Dakota is one of the Dakota quartet – and this year? Nothing else needs to be said. Lastly? The rest of this season, Chattanooga may snake its way up through this list like the Tennessee River snakes through town.

FROM NO. 17 TO NO. 25

NOTE: This is the tier that would not be seeded, but would be battling for a spot in the playoffs (if they aren’t conference champions)

17 Dartmouth
18 Rhode Island
19 Duquesne
20 UT Martin
21 Harvard 
22 Illinois State
23 Stony Brook
24 Southeastern Louisiana
25 Drake

WHY?: Sometimes? I wish voting on this poll was easier in the 15ish to 25ish range – but it never is simple. There are so many dynamics to consider, but the truth is, the teams listed below in my “also considered” area? They could easily be in this 17^th to 25^th range – the area which contains the kind of teams (if they choose to compete in it) that will play in the FCS postseason. I did drop some idle teams who made my ballot last week, based on how some of their earlier opponents performed this past weekend.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 25 AND READY TO MOVE IN

Teams like Richmond, William & Mary, McNeese, Western Carolina, and ETSU will be teams I pay close attention to this week.

The post FCS Top 25: Brian McLaughlin’s Poll Vote After Week 7 appeared first on HERO Sports.

This past weekend was crazy, and we saw some programs that looked like world-beaters back in August fall by the wayside, while others we didn’t expect anything from made a serious case to be Top 25 material.

Here are some of the FCS highlights of the Week 7 schedule.

THE HEADLINE

There is such a serious and clear hierarchy here FCS folks. I hate to say that some schools outside of the “big two” of the Big Sky and Missouri Valley Football Conference are going to crack that Top 4 seeding situation, but it’s hard to visualize it.

In the top four stratosphere, we have the Dakota and Montana-type programs, which clearly are head and shoulders above the rest in the FCS. If any of these top four programs lose to a non “Big Two” program it will be considered an upset.

Are we ready to finally get more first-place votes for Montana State and stop clinging to 2023? I mean, come on folks, Montana State is undefeated, has beaten an FBS team, and has been a machine ever since. By hanging more than a four-touchdown win over a very good Idaho team this past weekend, the Bobcats have clearly proven that when healthy? They’re the class of the FCS.

Yes, NDSU and SDSU are good – and in a couple of days, they’ll have a chance to prove who is best. But many of the voters have chosen to put the Dakota schools ahead of MSU. To me? That’s wrong, that’s why I’ve voted this way since early in the season and haven’t deviated.

TALKING POINTS

**The UAC, the newest FCS conference, is making quite an argument for how strong it is. That much is for certain. Tarleton State wasn’t even an FCS team a few years ago and so far? It clearly has a Top 10 resume, falling only to P4 Baylor this year. Along with Tarleton, Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas have proven they are legit – and it is clear we will have some impressive battles within this league going forward. Abilene did trip up this past weekend against North Alabama, but it took P4 Texas Tech to OT and fell only by three to a strong Idaho team. Could this supplant the CAA as the No. 3 league in the FCS? We shall see.

**In the Ivy League, Dartmouth has clearly emerged being the only 4-0 team, but Harvard is legit and let’s not forget – Harvard’s lone loss was to Brown (by 3). The truth is, the Ivy League looks like it is as competitive as it has been in years, with some new blood. Don’t forget Columbia, either. One other worthy mention is that Princeton fell by a ton against the SoCon’s top team so far, Mercer. That was a signature win for the Georgia school, knocking off an Ivy League blueblood.

**The HBCU picture isn’t very clear so far, but North Carolina Central is 5-2 overall and looks like the clearcut favorite in the MEAC. The SWAC picture is still forming, so the whole idea of who might win the Celebration Bowl and the HBCU national title is a bit premature to project. At this point, it’s hard to rank any of the HBCUs, but we’ll be checking each week.

**The SoCon usually appears to be unable to break away from eating its own. Is this the year that changes and one or two monsters emerge on the national scene?  I’m beginning to think yes, though beyond Mercer, I’m not 100 percent sure who would be No. 2. ETSU, Chattanooga, Western Carolina and even rebounding Wofford seem to have some special qualities – and if one of them really punches out of that second level? They might be interesting to watch in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Mercer is having its best season since its first stint of football back in the leather-helmet days.

POLL EFFECT

As mentioned above, the Top 10-ish window isn’t going to budge much until we hit the real meat of the conference schedule. But once that begins to happen? You can be sure it’ll shake (and shape) things up. 

I hate to repeat something said a few weeks back, but when you venture outside of the top 10? It gets hairier to figure out. Way, way, way hairier, but that’s pretty common with that realm in the FCS. It tends to chop itself up all the way to Thanksgiving Week when the seedings are released. That No. 11 to No. 25 vote space? Well, that’ll be the focus of my poll vote piece coming out Tuesday and pinned to the top of my Twitter account (@BrianMacWriter).

FINAL THOUGHTS

We are definitely in the final stretch with how this level is going to size up, playoff-wise. We are mostly done with the FBS/payoff matchups, we’re done with the D2 games, and we’re done with the non-conference games that in many cases really weren’t indicative of how strong a program is – now it’s time to hunker down and figure this out. 

Translation? Mid-October to mid-November has always been my favorite time to write about the FCS level. We learn a ton from now until Thanksgiving.

Here we go, folks!

The post Brian McLaughlin’s Week 7 Five-Minute Recap appeared first on HERO Sports.

After that? Oh man. You could argue so many angles.

But this is how I submitted it for the media poll. I spent many hours on my Excel spreadsheet debating the logic behind it, and this is how it came out.

THE PRESTIGIOUS TOP 8

NOTE: These are the schools that would receive a first-round playoff bye and host a second-round game. Also, in parenthesis after the ranked team () is what I had them ranked last week.

NO. 1 – MONTANA STATE (1^ST)

LAST WEEK NO. 1 TEAM: Montana State  

WHY?: Montana State is now one of two 5-0 teams in the FCS (Mercer being the only other). The Bobcats disposed of the lone FBS team on the schedule in Week 0 (New Mexico on the road). They haven’t exactly faced the most brutal schedule so far, but they’ve had no problems handling any of the teams that have been scheduled. Tougher games are about to come within the Big Sky in October and November, but it’s hard to deny that with this offensive line and quarterback? This will be a tough team to beat. Impossible? No. Tough? Yes. 

NO. 2 – NORTH DAKOTA STATE (2^ND)

LAST WEEK NO. 2 TEAM: North Dakota State

WHY?: NDSU seems to be “back”, by its own definition. When you consider that Colorado hammered UCF this past weekend, but barely escaped NDSU on its own field? Does that tell you anything? I thought hard about swapping No. 1 and No. 2 this week, moving NDSU to No. 1 and Montana State to No. 2 – but I’m not quite ready to do that. 

NO. 3 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (3^rd)

LAST WEEK NO. 3 TEAM: South Dakota State

WHY?: The two-time defending national champions were idle this weekend, but everybody who follows the FCS knows the Jackrabbits are as good as any team in the level. They’re just warming up, falling to P5 Oklahoma State, and handling a lower-division Augustana, as well as non-conference FCS foes SE Louisiana by a ton, and a Top 25 candidate Incarnate Word by 21 points.

NO. 4 – SOUTH DAKOTA (5^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 4 TEAM: Idaho

WHY?: Finally, we got to see what this powerful South Dakota program has in it – with a blowout win over a challenging Southern Illinois team. Before that, we had a lower-division win, a win over Pioneer League Drake (though Drake did knock off Eastern Washington), and a loss to P5 Wisconsin. But overall? It was tough to gauge this team before this week. USD gets the one-spot bump based on the SIU win.

NO. 5 – UC DAVIS (8^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 5 TEAM: South Dakota

WHY?: The Aggies got a clutch win over a very, very good Idaho team this past weekend. They also own a win over a decent Southern Utah program that has beaten an FBS (UTEP). Along with that is a road trip to P5 California (loss) and a road win at Texas A&M-Commerce.

NO. 6 –VILLANOVA (6^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 6 TEAM: Villanova

WHY?: We’re still looking for that signature win from Villanova. Everything has gone as expected so far. The teams the Wildcats have played so far? They should be wins. The game at P4 Maryland? Nobody would expect Villanova to have been favored and they did lose by 18. There are some good tests ahead, starting this weekend at a rankable Stony Brook team. One strike against Villanova? It may have the weakest schedule among the top 10 rankable teams, so I’ll be cautious in moving it up too much.

NO. 7 – NORTH DAKOTA (11^TH)

LAST WEEK NO. 7 TEAM: Montana

WHY?: Finally, I feel good about slipping North Dakota ahead of Montana after the Fighting Hawks’ 3-point win over the Griz a few weeks back. I just wasn’t ready to do it, but I am now. The Griz nearly lost to 1-4 Eastern Washington on the red turf in Cheney, escaping with a 3-point win over the Eagles this past weekend. Yep, for now? We have all four Dakota schools as seeds. Obviously, that won’t hold up by November because they have to play one another and somebody will drop – but right now? It’s warranted.

NO. 8 – CENTRAL ARKANSAS (9^TH)

LAST WEEK NO. 8 TEAM: UC Davis

WHY?: To be honest? Central Arkansas has a better resume than Villanova at No. 6 – and I thought long and hard about that when the Bears knocked off one of the strongest Lamar teams in memory by 20+ points. Keep in mind, UCA had FBS Arkansas State beaten with just seconds remaining before a last-second TD gave the Red Wolves a 3-point win. If UCA was 5-0 right now? They’d be a tad higher on this list and they’re clearly the best FCS team in the south right now (yes, Mercer).

Week 5 Top 25 FCS Scoreboard

FROM NO. 9 TO NO. 16

NOTE: This is the tier that would be seeded (if they participate in the playoffs) but would still have to play in the first round.

9 Montana
10 Idaho
11 Mercer
12 William & Mary
13 SEMO
14 Tarleton St
15 McNeese
16 Incarnate Word

WHY?: Regardless of the loss at UC Davis this past weekend, Idaho is a program to be reckoned with when it comes to the FCS big picture. That’s why I refuse to let the Vandals leave my top 10, even with the UCD loss. Keep in mind, Idaho has beaten FBS Wyoming, beat one of the top Abilene Christian FCS teams ever, and hammered what has in recent history been a typically strong UAlbany team. Mercer is one of only two 5-0 teams in the FCS, William & Mary has hammered the teams it should beat, and only has a loss to FBS Coastal Carolina. The SEMO-Tarleton-McNeese-UIW traffic jam is in this order based on results so far, but that could all loosen up and subside soon enough.

FROM NO. 17 TO NO. 25

NOTE: This is the tier that would not be seeded, but would be battling for a spot in the playoffs (if they aren’t conference champions)

17 Northern Arizona
18 So. Illinois
19 Stony Brook
20 Sacramento St
21 Northern Iowa
22 Abilene Chr.
23 Lafayette
24 Monmouth
25 New Hampshire

WHY?: This (as usual) is where it got really tricky. I mean, how do you put this in order? Northern Arizona came up with a big win against Sacramento State this past weekend. But the Lumberjacks recently lost by a ton to Incarnate Word. We could go on and on about this, but with this gaggle in the No. 17 to No. 25 range? It’s not easy. Southern Illinois beat Incarnate Word but lost to SEMO (head spinning) – and the Salukis have lost two games in a row now. Anyway, as usual? This area of the vote will always be confusing and hard to put into any kind of order.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 25 AND READY TO MOVE IN

Rhode Island
Brown
ETSU
Illinois State 

The post FCS Top 25: Brian McLaughlin’s Poll Vote After Week 5 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Six teams from my top 25 ballot last week lost, with three of them being to other teams on my ballot. Translation? There were some pretty good matchups this weekend – and it’s only going to get crazier as we head into the October “meat of the schedule”.

By the time we hit one month from now, we’re going to know a lot more about this level, but we’ll probably have a lot of critical questions too, won’t we?

Here are some of the FCS highlights of the week five schedule.

THE HEADLINE:

I’ve written this many times before and said it on radio shows: Being somebody from Florida, where there’s a plethora of football talent that would feed many programs, it continues to astound me that the Dakotas have four programs that are clearly in the upper echelon of FCS football. 

I realize there’s the “only show in town” dealio going on there, and that the community will stick up for its team. But the Dakotas are hardly the only part of the country that has that dynamic. But this year? All four FCS teams in the Dakotas are good. This weekend? Two-time defending FCS champion SDSU was off, but NDSU and South Dakota beat ranked MVFC teams, and North Dakota hung 70+ on Murray State.

Honestly? I think it’s a testament to the people who live there. They embrace these programs and show up. Do I think they’d be consistent Top 25 teams in the FBS? No, honestly, I don’t. People will argue that NDSU and SDSU might fit in consistently but try out-recruiting Big Ten and Big 12 teams when you’re in the Dakotas (that’s one reason they’re still in the FCS). But can Dakota schools knock one of them off in a “payoff game”? Hell yeah (with the exception of the Michigan and Ohio State types).

What the Dakota programs do (and the Montana duo too, obviously) is seriously impressive. They attract good coaches and attract enough out-of-state talent to go along with the homegrown grit that the Dakotas produce. It’s obviously a good formula – and once against we saw that this weekend.

BIGGEST SURPRISES

**I think one of the biggest shocks of the first two weeks of the Ivy League has been Brown and Cornell being 1-0 in the league and Harvard and Yale being 0-1. Brown is 2-0 overall, the only Ivy League team to survive the first two weeks without a loss. 

Brown’s two wins have been against Harvard and Georgetown – who has beaten a very good Columbia team already. Keep in mind, the Bears do have a stud QB in Jake Willcox, but I doubt anybody had Brown atop the league. We’ll see if it holds. It was the Bears’ first win in a while over Harvard – ending a 12-game losing streak against the Crimson.

**The Big Sky sure held up as a conference that will be nuts this year. But what’s new? UC Davis put an exclamation point on the day, holding off a very good Idaho team well into Sunday morning hours (at least on the Eastern side of the country). Star do-everything guy Lan Larison smothered Idaho’s onside kick to secure a 2-point win.

And Northern Arizona won arguably its biggest game since knocking off FBS Arizona a few years back, manhandling a typically strong Sacramento State team by 18 points. Montana survived the red turf in Cheney when it escaped with a 3-point win on the road. 

**It has been a while since Bucknell got a win like this. Lehigh was playing really well this year, but the Bison (not the Dakota version) won in overtime.

**Monmouth hit the 60+ mark in scoring against Fordham this weekend, just one week after the first FBS victory in school history down in Miami against Florida International. The Hawks continue to impress.

**The FCS 5-0 Club is exclusive and only has two members now – Montana State and Mercer. That’s an impressive place to be right now, particularly for the Bears.

POLL EFFECT: 

Honestly? I can only speak for my ballot. I had UC Davis at No. 8 before Saturday, and Idaho at No. 4. Obviously, the Aggies won. Idaho is the only team that fell Saturday that was in my top 10 last week, and I’m not going to drop the Vandals out of my top 10 this week because of a failed 2-point conversion. 

When you venture outside of the top 10? It gets hairier. That No. 11 to No. 25 vote space? Well, that’ll be the focus of my poll vote piece coming out later Sunday or early Monday and pinned to the top of my Twitter account (@BrianMacWriter).

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

This was a fun weekend, but the FCS upper echelon hasn’t gone anywhere. By the way … to the voters out there … if you drop Idaho too far, you’re doing a disservice to the poll. The Vandals lost by two to a very good UC Davis team, has beaten an FBS in Wyoming, beat a Top 25 team (in my opinion) in Abilene Christian, blew out a 2023 FCS playoff team in UAlbany, and fell by 10 to a really good P4 in Oregon. If you drop Idaho out of the top 10? You should be suspended from being a voter. 

Just saying. Sorry for the rant.

Truth is, this was an awesome weekend, and this won’t end.

The post Brian McLaughlin’s Week 5 Five-Minute Recap appeared first on HERO Sports.

Lots of pivotal games await, so let’s not waste any time and get to breaking down the best 10 games of the weekend and why.

10 GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

(all games Saturday unless noted, all times Eastern)

NO. 1 – Idaho (3-1) at UC Davis (3-1), 10 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: Who are we kidding? Idaho is once again … well … Idaho. The Vandals played Oregon tough (fell by 10), then followed up with an FBS win over Wyoming. After that? How about a blowout win against last year’s big FCS story, UAlbany, and then a tough win over Abilene Christian this past weekend – a team that took Texas Tech to overtime earlier this year. Nobody can accuse Idaho of scheduling weak non-Big Sky competition, right? Now, they hit conference play and UC Davis is hardly a slouch – and certainly not when the Aggies are at home. This one may be a tad late for some of the East Coast diehards … but drink some coffee and tune in for this one. It’ll be pivotal.

BMAC’S PICK: Idaho by 3

NO. 2 – Southern Illinois (2-2) at South Dakota (2-1), 2 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: I think we know more about Southern Illinois going into this one than we know about South Dakota. The Coyotes are more highly ranked and highly regarded based on last year and what they have back. And they did go to toe-to-toe with a decent Wisconsin team, trailing only by four points late in the third quarter. But SIU you could argue is more battle-tested after going 2-1 against three good FCS programs in a row (Austin Peay, Incarnate Word, SEMO), while USD has a lower-division win, had a game canceled vs. Portland State, and knocked around a non-scholarship FCS program (Drake). But hey, this is still South Dakota – and it’s in Vermillion. 

BMAC’S PICK: South Dakota by 9

NO. 3 – North Dakota State (3-1) at Illinois State (3-1), 3 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: This is a very, very interesting matchup. NDSU went toe-to-toe with Deion’s team down in Boulder, Colorado, coming out with a late loss. They’ve also survived a trip to East Tennessee where it honestly escaped ETSU. Illinois State took it on the chin against Iowa but then has had a pretty easy road coming into this game. The reason this game is near the top of this list is simple: It’s in Normal, Illinois, not Fargo, North Dakota. The Redbirds don’t back down from challenges, and history proves it – especially when at home.

BMAC’S PICK: NDSU by 7

NO. 4 – Lamar (3-1) at Central Arkansas (3-1), 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: Lamar in a game that is considered “top five” nationally? You better darn well believe it – the Cardinals of Beaumont, Texas have some sizzle to their game. These former Southland Conference rivals have a lot in common, even though UCA left for the UAC conglomerate a few years back. Lamar and Central Arkansas both had near wins versus FBS teams (Lamar with Texas State, Central Arkansas vs. Arkansas State). They both have one signature FCS win apiece (Lamar with Weber State and UCA vs. Austin Peay) and then two FCS wins that they were heavy favorites to win. There are lots of similarities here, but UCA is at home in Conway. That’s the difference.

BMAC’S PICK: UCA by 7

NO. 5 – Mercer (4-0) at Wofford (2-1), 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: Mercer is already 2-0 in the Southern Conference, and Wofford is looking better than it has been in years. Neither team has an FBS loss either, which is big. Look for a brawl in this one, since it’s in Spartanburg, S.C. – which admittedly may be recovering some from the effects of Hurricane Helene. This could ultimately hold up as pivotal in the always-tight SoCon race.

BMAC’S PICK: Mercer by 10

NO. 6 – Sacramento State (2-2) at Northern Arizona (2-2), 4 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: Both of these programs are looking for more national respect, but come at that goal from slightly different angles. Sacramento State has been a national power for several years and is 2-2 but both losses are to FBS teams (San Jose State and Fresno State), and the Hornets weren’t exactly blown out of the water by either. NAU is trying to claw its way into national prominence and is at home. This is a good opportunity for the Lumberjacks.

BMAC’S PICK: Sacramento State by 7

NO. 7 – Bucknell (2-2) at Lehigh (3-1), 12 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: Lehigh has won three in a row, including an impressive win over a good Princeton program last week. Bucknell wants to climb into the upper echelon of the Patriot League picture for the first time in recent memory. This is the Bison’s big chance.

BMAC’S PICK: Lehigh by 13.

NO. 8 – Grambling State (3-1) vs Prairie View A&M (1-3), Cotton Bowl, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: No matter what the records, the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl is always a big game. Grambling has rattled off three straight wins since a season-opening loss to FBS Louisiana. Prairie View has had a rougher start to the year – but when it comes to the big HBCU Classics, you never know what’s going to happen.

BMAC’S PICK: Grambling by 14

NO. 9 – McNeese (3-2) at Weber State (2-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN+)

WHY?: McNeese is 3-0 versus the FCS since a tight Week 0 loss to a good Tarleton team. This is a vast improvement over last year’s one-win finish. Weber State has consistently been one of the top teams in the nation over the past near decade and wants to climb back into prominence after a so-so beginning to 2024. Both teams need this one for different reasons.

BMAC’S PICK: Weber State by 3

NO. 10 – Maine (2-2) at UAlbany (1-2), 3:30 p.m. (FloSports)

WHY?: Both of these CAA teams have faced tough non-conference schedules to open the 2024 season, suffering losses. Now that we shift into conference play, it’s very important for them both to get back on track after being challenged. A win this weekend would be a good way to go about it.

BMAC’S PICK: UAlbany by 6

The post Brian McLaughlin’s FCS Week 5 Games To Watch & Predictions appeared first on HERO Sports.

The truth is, nothing happens on offense if your offensive line sucks. And it’s well known among those linemen and their coach that you can’t just have one star and four duds … you have to have five studs. If you don’t? Your quarterback will spend more time on his back than upright, and your running back’s dreams of sprinting down the sidelines will be squashed in a flood of reality.

The o-line is a massive deal.

So, we here at HERO Sports decided to recognize special o-line efforts in big game situations within the FCS. 

Here are this past week’s impressive efforts.

Top 5 OL Performances In Week 4

NO. 1 GAME: Monmouth 45, FBS FIU 42

STARTING O-LINE: J.T. Cornelius, Ed Gatling, Shalik Hubbard, David Dutra/Logan Bednar, Chris Moreno

O-LINE COORDINATOR: Brian Gabriel

TIME OF POSSESSION: 34:24

RUSHING YARDS: 179 yards (4 TDs)

RUSHING YPC: 5.1 yards per carry

SACKS GIVEN UP: 1

FINAL WORD: I think to understand how big a win an FCS team like Monmouth got over an FBS team, you have to understand that it’s commonly known that an FCS team’s biggest weakness when it faces an FBS is usually up front, on the line of scrimmage. There’s the depth issue, and there’s the line of scrimmage. There are plenty of talented receivers and DBs out there … but it’s tough to own an FBS team up front, where finding good tackles, guards, and centers isn’t quite as easy. But own the time of possession and the line of scrimmage is what the Hawks did on offense. Did they rush for 900 yards? Of course not. Did they completely own the clock (34+ minutes of 60 mins of possession) and score TDs via the run game? Absolutely. Just look at the stats above. Sure, skill studs like QB Derek Robertson and RB Rodney Nelson did a great job for Monmouth offensively, but both of them would easily give this o-line a ton of credit for the school’s first win over an FBS program.

NO. 2 GAME: Montana 46, Western Carolina 35

STARTING O-LINE: Liam Brown, Brandon Casey, Journey Grimsrud, Case Klimczak, Cannon Panfiloff

O-LINE COORDINATOR: Joe Pawlak

TIME OF POSSESSION: 32:30

RUSHING YARDS: 349 yards (6 TDs)

RUSHING YPC: 7.3 yards per carry

SACKS GIVEN UP: 1

FINAL WORD: Setting the tone up front was incredibly important in Montana’s matchup because Western Carolina came in as a dangerous team this past weekend. The Catamounts weren’t going to lie down, and that was evident in this matchup. Look, WCU’s talented QB Cole Gonzales is going to move his team down the field, but Montana’s o-line helped occupy the clock for five minutes more than the Griz allowed, not allowing Gonzales to do as much of his magic. Montana stud RB Eli Gillman did his part behind a very talented Montana O-line. This was an FCS ranked team win over another ranked team.

NO. 3 GAME: ETSU 34, Elon 14

STARTING O-LINE: JaQuan Adams, Derrell Bailey Jr., Will McCraw, Luke Smith, Gabe Thompson

O-LINE COORDINATOR: Joe Scelfo

TIME OF POSSESSION: 32:29

RUSHING YARDS: 256 yards (4 TDs)

RUSHING YPC: 6.6 yards per carry

SACKS GIVEN UP: 1

FINAL WORD: ETSU proved last week that it could go toe-to-toe with North Dakota State, the FCS program that clearly has had the top offensive line at this level (and truly, better than many FBS teams) for more than a decade. The Bucs didn’t tuck their tails between their legs and walk away, outrushing NDSU 280-260 behind this O-line and Bryson Irby’s stellar efforts (3 rush TDs). The challenge may not have been quite as tough against a very good FCS program, Elon. The Bucs’ O-line helped the offense control the clock for five minutes more than the Phoenix and rushed well.

NO. 4 GAME: William & Mary 34, Furman 24

STARTING O-LINE: Charles Grant, Greg Klingensmith, Kadin Lynch, Ryan McKenna, Hayden Raley

O-LINE COORDINATOR: Mario Acitelli 

TIME OF POSSESSION: 34:58

RUSHING YARDS: 384 yards (2 TDs)

RUSHING YPC: 7.1 yards per carry

SACKS GIVEN UP: 3

FINAL WORD: Keep in mind, Furman is no slouch FCS program. The Paladins also like to grind down the clock and win games on the ground. They’re well-coached and have used this method well for several years. That’s what makes what William & Mary did this past week so impressive. The Tribe ended up with an eye-popping 10 more minutes of possession than Furman, rushing for 384 yards and 7.1 yards per carry. 

NO. 5 GAME: Stony Brook 24, Campbell 17

STARTING O-LINE: Charles Allen III, Hunter Barlow, Kollin Melendez, Niko Papic, Damion Powell

O-LINE COORDINATOR: Chris Bache 

TIME OF POSSESSION: 36:39

RUSHING YARDS: 227 yards (3 TDs)

RUSHING YPC: 4.1 yards per carry

SACKS GIVEN UP: 1

FINAL WORD: Talk about a squeeze job for Stony Brook. I mean, who owns the clock for 36:39 like the Seawolves did? Campbell has a talented program, but the Camels hardly got to touch the ball. The O-line undoubtedly did a large part in helping that effort out.

The post Brian McLaughlin’s Week 4 Top FCS Offensive Line Performances appeared first on HERO Sports.

But all-in-all, this is how I voted after four weeks of action.

THE PRESTIGIOUS TOP 8

NOTE: These are the schools that would receive a first-round playoff bye and host a second-round game. Also, in parenthesis after the ranked team () is what I had them ranked last week.

NO. 1 – MONTANA STATE (1^ST)

LAST WEEK NO. 1 TEAM: Montana State  

WHY?: Montana State had a nice warmup for its Big Sky Conference matchup next weekend at Idaho State, knocking off FCS newcomer Mercyhurst by 39 points. The Bobcats have the No. 1 offensive line collective in the FCS, and clearly one of the most dynamic FCS quarterbacks in Tommy Mellott – and let’s face it, that’s just the beginning. MSU is very strong in 2024 – and while there is no guarantee they will knock off the Dakota powers, the ‘Cats certainly are going to be a threat to win the FCS national title as long as everyone stays healthy – a concern that is consistent with this level.

NO. 2 – NORTH DAKOTA STATE (2^ND)

LAST WEEK NO. 2 TEAM: North Dakota State

WHY?: NDSU jumped all over the CAA’s Towson in the first half of their matchup this past weekend, leading 27-3 at halftime. The Tigers rallied in the 4^th quarter and were within one TD of a tie with 10 minutes left before the Bison turned on the heat. When you couple that with the near loss down in Tennessee at ETSU last weekend, you do have to wonder how strong this team is – not in comparison with about 98 percent of the FCS, but with those typically strong Top 5 teams that get first-round byes and get to host playoff games for multiple weeks. But we’ve also seen the Bison warm up greatly late in the year. The program is 3-1 overall and if it had a few plays go its way against Deion’s Colorado team, it could easily be 4-0.

NO. 3 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (3^rd)

LAST WEEK NO. 3 TEAM: South Dakota State

WHY?: It wasn’t that long ago that Southeastern Louisiana was a tough out in the FCS playoffs. Maybe that’s not the case this year, and South Dakota State surely made it seem that way this weekend. The Jackrabbits put away the Lions by 41 points on Saturday and that should give you all the evidence you need to know that SDSU is very well in the hunt to win this all again.

NO. 4 – IDAHO (4^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 4 TEAM: Idaho

WHY?: Idaho probably had the biggest challenge within the Top Five, as Abilene Christian has gone from an afterthought to an FCS team that you’d better pay attention to (note ACU’s overtime game with P4 Texas Tech). The Vandals found that out and came away from their Texas roadtrip with a 3-point win, but hardly had an easy time doing that. It’s probably more of a message about ACU than Idaho – the Vandals took a long trip and played a rankable team and still came home with the “W”, something good playoff teams do.

NO. 5 –SOUTH DAKOTA (5^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 5 TEAM: South Dakota

WHY?: South Dakota is still searching for that big-time win. The Coyotes are clearly very good, but how much do we know about them at this point? Maybe that game at Wisconsin (14-point loss) is the best indicator of who this team is, and I just don’t like budging a team that lost to a P4 by two touchdowns when it easily could be five or more touchdowns. This week’s result with Southern Illinois will help us out. 

NO. 6 –VILLANOVA (6^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 6 TEAM: Villanova

WHY?: In general? I don’t dump teams that lost to P4 programs. They’re payout games. Villanova lost to P4 Maryland by 18 points but to the Terps’ credit, they had ‘Nova knocked around pretty soundly early in the game before ‘Nova scored 20 points in the second half. Anyway, I’ll continue to stand by Villanova as being the top non-MVFC or non-Big Sky team in the FCS as of right now.

NO. 7 – MONTANA (7^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 7 TEAM: Montana

WHY?: It would appear this is the most controversial choice to be above a team it lost to (North Dakota by 3 points). Usually, I’d go with the team that knocked it off, but the Griz have now beaten a very good Western Carolina team (by 11) with a very good QB, and also knocked off a Missouri State team that’s heading to the FBS. The 3-point road loss to North Dakota is noted. Trust me. But at least for now? I’m going with Montana in this spot, and UND just a tad below. And … that can very easily change next week. 

NO. 8 – UC DAVIS (8^th)

LAST WEEK NO. 8 TEAM: UC Davis

WHY?: UCD has arguably the top running back in the FCS with Lan Larison, and is now 3-0 against Utah Tech, Texas A&M Commerce, and Southern Utah – which has an FBS win vs. UTEP. Still, UCD has a lot to prove – and next weekend hosting Idaho will answer a lot of questions. Do the Aggies belong here? Well, so far, they haven’t done anything to say they don’t – that starts this weekend.

NOTE: In the first line above, the parenthesis indicates where Brian McLaughlin voted that team last week.

FROM NO. 9 TO NO. 16

NOTE: This is the tier that would be seeded (if they participate in the playoffs) but would still have to play in the first round.

9. Central Arkansas
10. Sacramento State
11. North Dakota
12. Illinois State
13. William & Mary
14. Mercer
15. SEMO
16. Tarleton State

WHY?: There’s no question that the biggest win among this FCS second tier came when SEMO knocked off a very good Southern Illinois team, beating the Salukis by 17 points in Carbondale. Mercer knocking off one of The Citadel’s top teams in years was another big win. 

FROM NO. 17 TO NO. 25

NOTE: This is the tier that would not be seeded, but would be battling for a spot in the playoffs (if they aren’t conference champions)

17. McNeese
18. Columbia
19. Southern Illinois
20. Stony Brook
21. UAlbany
22. Northern Iowa
23. Abilene Christian
24. Lafayette
25. Monmouth

WHY?: You can argue that McNeese doesn’t deserve to be at the top of this realm, but hey – the Cowboys won one game last year and already have three wins this year, so what have they done wrong so far? The trip to Weber State this week? It’ll tell all of us what McNeese is. Columbia began play this week and beat an impressive Lafayette team, and it’s worth noting that Monmouth picked up its first FBS win in school history when it went down to Miami to play Florida International – but keep in mind, the Hawks have lost to Lafayette and the Big Sky’s Eastern Washington. 

OUTSIDE THE TOP 25 AND READY TO MOVE IN

Lamar
Lehigh
New Hampshire
Yale

The post FCS Top 25: Brian McLaughlin’s Poll Vote After Week 4 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Idaho and Abilene Christian battled down in Texas, and it lived up to its billing as two of the better FCS teams matched wits. The Vandals – truly one of the top teams at this level this year, were challenged by the Wildcats. Not too many years ago, ACU didn’t challenge top-half teams in the Southland Conference. Things have changed. It was a three-point win for Idaho. Keep in mind, this is an Abilene Christian team that took P4 Texas Tech to overtime earlier this season. Don’t be deceived by the 2-2 record – it easily could be 4-0.

This game was just one big example of what happened in the FCS universe during Week 4.

Here are some of the FCS highlights of the weekend.

THE HEADLINE:

The elite FCS teams are still pretty well intact. The Montana powers are still doing their thing, though the Griz up in Missoula seem to have a few more problems than the ‘Cats down in Bozeman. But still? Montana would beat more than 95 percent of the FCS. MSU? It might be good enough this year with that QB, that O-line, and many, many other aspects of this team … well, it might be good enough to win it all. Does anyone doubt that?

The Dakota 4? Let’s just label it that way from here on. We’ve had a ton of movement in the FCS over the past several years. Previous FCS powers like James Madison (sorry, Tar Heels), Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Kennesaw, Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, you name it – they’ve all had their moments at the FBS level. Located primarily in the south? They’re gone.

That has left the FCS for schools that reside in the Dakotas and Montana to dominate, and they have. Right now, you can make an argument that all six schools in Montana and the Dakotas are clearly Top 10 programs. So far the results seem to support that. What an interesting dynamic, eh?

BIGGEST SURPRISES

Who are we kidding? This is easy. Monmouth nabbed the FCS’ fifth FBS win of 2024.

Monmouth (2-2) rallied in the second half to pick up a 45-42 FBS win down in Miami on Saturday. The victim? Florida International. Down 14-0 early, then 28-21 at the half, Gavin Nelson caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Derek Robertson early in the third quarter and then Rodney Nelson’s 59-yard scoring run with about 4 minutes remaining in the third knotted things up. 

The game was tied going into the fourth quarter and a 43-yard field goal by Michael Calton with under two minutes remaining broke the tie. It was the school’s first FBS win. The Hawks have been close before, but never pulled it off. 

“Just an awesome, awesome win. First and foremost, I am so happy for the players on our team; they really believed and knew we were going to have to play a full 60 minutes, and it went right down to the last 30 seconds before we pulled it out,” Monmouth coach Kevin Callahan said after the game. 

“There were some times where maybe it didn’t look like we were going to come away with the win as they were driving at the end of the game and we were able to strip the ball at the one-yard line and get it back. It just shows there’s no quit in this team, they are going to play the entire game until there are zeros on the clock and we got a great result tonight.”

POLL EFFECT?

Once again, there won’t be a ton of movement within the top 10. But there will be movement in the No. 11 through No. 25 realm.

SEMO’s win over Southern Illinois will be a mover, but we’ll talk more about that in the Top 25 piece in about a day. Mercer, Illinois State, and William & Mary had quality wins – to name a few.

Now that the Ivy League teams have entered the fray, it’s hard not to be impressed with Columbia’s win over Patriot League power Lafayette. Yale’s win over Holy Cross is another impressive result, while Harvard and Brown also posted wins in their first games. Lehigh’s win over Princeton and Penn’s loss to Delaware were rather profound.

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

We are heading into the conference play realm here soon. The warmup games and pay games will be over and the ones that count most will be on. The weather is changing, and so is the FCS schedule. 

The post Brian McLaughlin’s Week 4 Five-Minute Recap appeared first on HERO Sports.

But all-in-all, this is how I voted this week.

THE PRESTIGIOUS TOP 8

NOTE: These are the schools that would receive a first-round playoff bye and host a second-round game. Also, in parenthesis after the ranked team () is what I had them ranked last week.

NO. 1 – MONTANA STATE (1^ST)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 1: Montana State  

WHY?: My wife accuses me of being stubborn, and many people on Twitter have said the same. You’re all correct, I am. But I’m stubborn because I truly believe that what I’m doing is right, and that’s the only motivation. I don’t believe in voting for the previous year’s champion just because they won it last year (South Dakota State) when 2024 is a completely new season. Any college program can have multiple roster changes. 

Coaches’ polls do that sort of voting, and that’s fine – but we’re the media and I truly believe we should vote who we think IS the top team, not the team who won last year. What if last year’s champion lost 20 starters? Montana State was idle this weekend, but I believe that the data points we’ve had so far puts the Bobcats at No. 1. But I won’t hesitate to make a change if it’s warranted.

NO. 2 – NORTH DAKOTA STATE (2^ND)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 2: North Dakota State

WHY?: NDSU just about dropped out of my top tier this past weekend, and then the Bison rallied late and showed what this program is based on. During the middle of this weekend’s game, East Tennessee State and Bryson Irby challenged the Bison as much as just about anyone has in years from the FCS, but NDSU QB Cam Miller got fired up late and led his team to a win in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee. ETSU is no slouch program. ETSU isn’t that far removed from a SoCon title and a 20-point win over an SEC team (Vandy). The Bucs put up a big fight in a game that nobody thought would be close, but NDSU rallied. That’s the mark of a great program, but what’s new?

NO. 3 – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (3^rd)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 3: South Dakota State

WHY?: SDSU knocked off in-state Division II Augustana over the weekend, 24-3. No doubt the Jackrabbits took it easy on their little brothers. Life will get tougher for the two-time defending national champions, and it will give them every opportunity to reclaim their spot at the top of my poll vote. SDSU has one more non-conference matchup – this weekend at SE Louisiana – before it hits the MVFC gauntlet starting in October.                                                                                                                                          

NO. 4 – IDAHO (4^th)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 4: Idaho

WHY?: The Vandals were clearly the most impressive winners in the Top 8, with a strangulating defensive effort against a playoff team from a year ago, UAlbany. Last week they supplanted Montana for the No. 4 spot on this ballot. This week’s effort solidified that and made me even think twice about the Dakota powers being above it. One more result like this past weekend and, who knows?

NO. 5 –SOUTH DAKOTA (5^th)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 5: South Dakota

WHY?: The Coyotes’ game at Portland State in the old-school Big Sky-MVFC Challenge was canceled. The reason? An outbreak of the whooping cough. No reason to budge USD. 

NO. 6 –VILLANOVA (6^th)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 6: Villanova

WHY?: Villanova is the highest-ranked non-Big Sky or MVFC team, and rightfully so. The Wildcats have taken care of business so far through three weeks and sports a 3-0 record vs. FCS competition, but the scores haven’t been by much. The defense though has been impressive. Wins over Colgate, Youngstown State, and this past week by Towson have been with an average of only 11 points per game being given up.

NO. 7 – MONTANA (7^th)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 7: Montana

WHY?: Montana won big over Pioneer League foe Morehead State, but I’ll still be keeping a close eye on the Griz because of the North Dakota loss last week. Yes, the UND loss was by 3 on the road, but UND is playing pretty good ball right now and who knows, maybe they deserve to be swapped? I’ll make that call if it needs to be.

NO. 8 – UC DAVIS (8^th)

LAST WEEK AT NO. 8: UC Davis

WHY?: UCD is 2-0 against FCS so far, but we’ll know a whole lot more about the Aggies when they play host to Idaho on Sept. 28. They will face Utah Tech this upcoming weekend and then things will get busy in Big Sky play.

NOTE: In the first line above, the parenthesis indicates what Brian McLaughlin voted that team last week.

FROM NO. 9 TO NO. 16

NOTE: This is the tier that would be seeded (if they participate in the playoffs) but would still have to play in the first round.

9. Central Arkansas
10. Southern Illinois
11. Sacramento State
12. Illinois State
13. William & Mary
14. North Dakota
15. Mercer
16. Lafayette

WHY?: To be honest? The Central Arkansas-Southern Illinois dynamic is probably interchangeable. But the bottom line is? Both are good FCS programs this year. Clearly the biggest move into this prized second realm of the FCS poll is that of Mercer – a 3-0 program that did a great job on defense against Chattanooga this past weekend.

FROM NO. 17 TO NO. 25

NOTE: This is the tier that would not be seeded, but would be battling for a spot in the playoffs (if they aren’t conference champions)

17. UAlbany
18. Northern Iowa
19. Eastern Illinois
20. Stony Brook
21. SEMO
22. Abilene Christian
23. Tarleton
24. McNeese
25. Western Carolina

WHY?: This is obviously the realm where the most transition takes place. The new arrivals in my vote are Northern Iowa, Stony Brook, Tarleton, and McNeese. But there are several programs who deserve a look in this realm, and there are several programs that may need another week to cook. It’s that time of year, folks. 

The post FCS Top 25: Brian McLaughlin’s Poll Vote After Week 3 appeared first on HERO Sports.

Yes, that pretty much summed up Saturday, though I doubt there will be massive movement in the upper echelon of the FCS national poll among media voters.

There weren’t a whole lot of results that would positively stun anybody. North Dakota State fans were probably stunned to find themselves wondering if the Bison would escape the eastern hills of Tennessee with a win over the Southern Conference’s East Tennessee State. 

The Bucs made it a nail-biter, to their credit. Starting next week, we have the Ivy League cranking up its 10-game schedule. Most of those payoff games with FBS teams are over – and yes, most of them ended up as losses.

Let’s give credit to Gardner-Webb, which had a coaching transition and a mass exodus of transfers but still took FBS Charlotte to the wire before falling by a point on Saturday. If it had held up, it would have been GWU’s first (and only) FBS win since its 2010 win in overtime against Akron.

Here are some of the FCS highlights of the weekend.

THE HEADLINE:

Again, it’s hard to ignore the NDSU-ETSU game. The Bucs were at home in Johnson City, Tennessee, and were winning by a comfortable margin coming into the later stages of the game. ETSU running back Bryson Irby rushed for nearly 150 yards and scored 3 TDs on the ground to get to the point where this was a contentious matchup. 

But true to form, NDSU doesn’t freak out when it is behind. Playing like a composed program with good leadership, the Bison what would have been a stunning upset by chiseling away at the deficit in the final eight minutes. Experienced QB Cam Miller had a ton to do with it.

BIGGEST SURPRISES:

Three jump off the page to me. If you had told me that Weber State would take on Lamar anywhere and lose, I would have thought you were crazy. That’s as big a Lamar win as I’ve seen over the past decade. The Cardinals played hard-nosed, old-school football to get the 17-16 home win in Beaumont, Texas. They played timely defense and ran the ball effectively, owning the time of possession with nearly five more minutes than Weber State did.

Next up: I don’t know about you all, but Idaho’s 41-13 manhandling of UAlbany was a bit surprising considering the Great Danes had such a great postseason run last year. The game was effectively over by halftime, with the lead standing at 27-3. UAlbany did lose some talent after last season, but was well-regarded coming in. This solidifies Idaho’s perch high atop the national polls, in my eyes.

Finally, kudos to Duquesne on its big win over Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Youngstown State. There are three Northeast Conference programs in the greater Pittsburgh area – Duquesne, Robert Morris, and St. Francis (PA). One of their closest fellow FCS teams is Youngstown State, and you know these three programs salivate at the idea of beating the Penguins.

It was especially sweet for the Dukes on Saturday when they avenged their playoff loss from a year ago, traveling the short span to Ohio to knock off YSU. That’s one of the bigger upsets in the FCS this year.

POLL EFFECT: 

The top part of the poll shouldn’t move too much – at least it won’t be moving much on my ballot, which I’ll submit by late Sunday and will write about in my next piece with HERO Sports. The middle of the pack will shuffle a bit on my poll, as UAlbany, Weber State, Elon, and Youngstown State all dropped games. Sacramento State’s big win over Nicholls will also have an effect. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

There weren’t too many results this weekend that will have a vast effect on the playoff picture when November rolls around. We’ve had results in the first two weeks that will, but few from this weekend will matter.

But make no mistake, those all-important conference matchups are almost here (and some of the larger conferences have already begun playing time). Most of the warmup games and payout games are out of the way, and the real fun begins soon.

The post Brian McLaughlin’s Week 3 Five-Minute Read appeared first on HERO Sports.