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CS: FCS Top 25 Football Poll Week 9 (11/3/09)

Week 9 (11/3/2009)
1. Richmond Spiders
2. Montana Grizzlies
3. Southern Illinois Salukis
4. Villanova Wildcats
5. William & Mary Tribe
6. Elon Phoenix
7. Appalachian State Mountaineers
8. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
9. New Hampshire Wildcats
10. South Carolina State Bulldogs
11. McNeese State Cowboys
12. Northern Iowa Panthers
13. Eastern Illinois Panthers
14. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
15. Eastern Washington Eagles
16. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
17. Central Arkansas Bears
18. Liberty Flames
19. Weber State Wildcats
20. Holy Cross Crusaders
21. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
22. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
23. Florida A&M Rattlers
24. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
25. Colgate Raiders

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Playoff Predictions: 11/2

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

Things are really confused this week. What on earth happened in the SLC?

Autobids:

Big Sky: Montana – This seems obvious to me            CAA: Richmond – Two tough games left, but they are in control          MEAC: South Carolina State – Not sure anyone in the MEAC can touch them this year          MVFC: South Dakota State – Home field this weekend to decide the conference       OVC: Eastern Illinois  – I didn’t think they were in the Top 2 in the OVC, but it’s theirs to win        Patriot: Holy Cross – A couple teams in the mix, but I like HC       SoCon: Appalachian State – The Mountaineers look like the championship teams again       Southland: Stephen F. Austin – This could be debated, but I feel like they are still in control

At-large bids:

New Hampshire(2nd CAA), Villanova(3rd CAA), William and Mary(4th CAA), Delaware (5th CAA)Elon(2nd SoCon), Southern Illinois(2nd MVFC), Northern Iowa (3rd MVFC), McNeese State(2nd Southland),

Last Four In:

 Elon, McNeese State, Northern Iowa, Delaware

Last Four out:

Massachusetts, Weber State, Northern Arizona, Eastern Washington

Bracket:

South Carolina State @ (1)Richmond
William and Mary @ Appalachian State 

Holy Cross @ Delaware     
McNeese State @ (4)South Dakota State

New Hampshire @Northern Iowa
Stephen F Austin @ (2)Montana

Eastern Illinois @ Southern Illinois
Elon @ (3)Villanova

6

Top 25 Summary

FCS Update, Rob Weiss

What a crazy weekend around the FCS world?! I thought that we would see a lot of bubble teams fighting to keep their seasonalive, but instead we saw a lot of them losing to inferior teams.

1. Richmond Spiders at Towson Tigers

My Prediction: Richmond Spiders 49  Towson Tigers 7

Reality: Richmond Spiders 42  Towson Tigers 14

Richmond looks likely to lock up the #1 Seed, but they still have to go through Villanova and William and Mary.

 

2. Montana Grizzlies vs. 16. Weber State Wildcats

My Prediction: Montana Grizzlies 45  Weber State Wildcats 35

Reality: Montana Grizzlies 31  Weber State Wildcats 10

Much lower scoring and lopsided than I expected. Griz D had a big day and Montana continues their undefeated romp through the Big Sky. 

 

3. Southern Illinois Salukis at Indiana State Sycamores

My Prediction: Southern Illinois Salukis 49  Indiana State Sycamores 10

Reality: Southern Illinois Salukis 33  Indiana State Sycamores 0

The Salukis take care of business. They head to South Dakota State on Saturday. Should be epic.

4. Villanova Wildcats

Bye Week

 

5. William & Mary Tribe at Rhode Island Rams

My Prediction: William & Mary Tribe 38   Rhode Island Rams 3

Reality: William & Mary Tribe 39   Rhode Island Rams 14

Business as planned for the Tribe. Still in control of their playoff destiny. Season ending match-up with Richmond should be huge.

 

6. Elon Phoenix at Wofford Terriers

My Prediction: Elon Phoenix 45  Wofford Terriers 17

Reality: Elon Phoenix 34 Wofford Terriers 6

Elon continues to win setting up a great game with App St in 2 weeks.

 

7. South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Youngstown State Penguins

My Prediction: South Dakota State Jackrabbits 27  Youngstown State Penguins 21

Reality: South Dakota State Jackrabbits 17  Youngstown State Penguins 3

Jacks have a slow day, but keep focused on the task at hand. Now they can look to SIU.

 

8. New Hampshire Wildcats vs. Northeastern Huskies

My prediction: New Hampshire Wildcats 35  Northeastern Huskies  7

Reality: New Hampshire Wildcats 48 Northeastern Huskies  21

Not much more intersting than predicted.

 

9. Appalachian State Mountaineers at Furman Paladins

My Prediction: Appalachian State Mountaineers  49  Furman Paladins 24

Reality: Appalachian State Mountaineers  52  Furman Paladins 27

Nailed the spread. App State is playing high quality football and Furman continues to struggle.

 

10. Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks at Texas State Bobcats

My Prediction: Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks 45  Texas State Bobcats 27

Reality: Texas State Bobcats 28 Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks 7

The Bobcats shut down the SFA offense and throw the SLC race into chaos.

 

11. Northern Iowa Panthers

Bye Week

 

12. South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Delaware State Hornets

My Prediction: South Carolina State Bulldogs 35   Delaware State Hornets 10

Reality: South Carolina State Bulldogs 52   Delaware State Hornets 10

We’re getting to the point where we know the Bulldogs are the best in the MEAC. The question now is how high should they be ranked? We won’t find any answers until Thanksgiving weekend.

 

13. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens vs. James Madison Dukes

My Prediction: James Madison Dukes 31  Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 28

Reality: James Madison Dukes 20  Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 8

James Madison finally makes me look good. Delaware is skating on thin ice.

 

14. Central Arkansas Bears at Southeast Louisiana Lions

My Prediction: Central Arkansas Bears 35  Southeast Louisiana Lions 14

Reality: Southeast Louisiana Lions 25 Central Arkansas Bears 21  

Another game that turns the SLC upside down. Not that UCA could take the autobid, but they seemed to be a player again.

 

15. McNeese State Cowboys at Nicholls State Colonels

My Prediction: McNeese State Cowboys 27  Nicholls State Colonels 7

Reality: McNeese State Cowboys 38 Nicholls State Colonels 17

McNeese is the only favorite to win their game in the SLC.

 

16. Weber State Wildcats at 2. Montana Grizzlies

See No. 2 Montana Grizzlies

17. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Sacramento State Hornets

My Prediction: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 28  Sacramento State Hornets 10

Reality: Sacramento State Hornets 27 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 24

The Lumberjacks fell apart in the second half and opened the door for the Hornets to effectively end their playoff hopes.

 

18. Cal Poly Mustangs at North Dakota Fighting Sioux

My Prediction: Cal Poly Mustangs 27  North Dakota Fighting Sioux 14

Reality: North Dakota Fighting Sioux 31 Cal Poly Mustangs 17

What on earth? I haven’t been very high on Cal Poly all season. They were always higher in the poll than I had them. But even I had no idea they would lose to a team that just lost at home to a NAIA school 2 weeks ago.

19. Massachusetts Minutemen at Maine Black Bears

My Prediction: Massachusetts Minutemen 14  Maine Black Bears 13

Reality: Maine Black Bears 19 Massachusetts Minutemen 9

After getting off to a great start to the 2009 season, the middle teams in the CAA are throwing away their playoff chances.

 

20. Eastern Illinois Panthers at Murray State Racers

My Prediction: Eastern Illinois Panthers 24  Murray State Racers 7

Reality: Eastern Illinois Panthers 16  Murray State Racers 10

EIU keeps the OVC autobid in their corner.

21. Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Austin Peay Governors

My Prediction: Jacksonville State Gamecocks 35  Austin Peay Governors 10

Reality: Jacksonville State Gamecocks 28 Austin Peay Governors 10

About as predicted. Neither team has anything to play for.

22. Eastern Washington Eagles vs. Portland State Vikings

My Preditction: Eastern Washington Eagles 42  Portland State Vikings 24

Reality: Eastern Washington Eagles 47  Portland State Vikings 10

Blowout win for the Eagles as expected. EWU looks like the front runner for a 2nd bid from the Big Sky.

23. Holy Cross Crusaders at Fordham Rams

My Prediction: Holy Cross Crusaders 42   Fordham Rams 14

Reality: Holy Cross Crusaders 41  Fordham Rams 27

Holy Cross keeps moving towards the Patriot autobid.

24. Liberty Flames vs. Presbyterian Blue Hose

My Prediction: Liberty Flames 24  Presbyterian Blue Hose 9

Reality: Liberty Flames 55 Presbyterian Blue Hose 19

The Liberty offense goes nuts for 55 points. Still fighting for a playoff bid.

25. Albany Great Danes at Central Connecticut State

My Prediction: Central Connecticut State  35   Albany Great Danes  27

Reality: Central Connecticut State  31  Albany Great Danes  29

CCSU gets the big win, and should be ranked this week.

 

This week: 17-5

On the season: 58-19

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Top 25 Predictions Halloween Edition

FCS Update, Rob Weiss

1. Richmond Spiders at Towson Tigers

Richmond continues their undefeated romp towards the playoffs. CAA gets 4 bids easily, maybe 5 or 6. They should win this game easily, which should lock them into the playoffs with 8 D-I wins.

Richmond Spiders 49  Towson Tigers 7

2. Montana Grizzlies vs. 16. Weber State Wildcats

Big Sky game of the week. If the Griz get through this one, they should win the Big Sky autobid. With 3 losses, Weber really needs to win out to keep their playoff hopes alive. Weber State wins in Missoula are extremely rare.

Montana Grizzlies 45  Weber State Wildcats 35

 

3. Southern Illinois Salukis at Indiana State Sycamores

Indiana State may have gotten their first win in forever last week, but that won’t change anything tomorrow.

Southern Illinois Salukis 49  Indiana State Sycamores 10

4. Villanova Wildcats

Bye Week

5. William & Mary Tribe at Rhode Island Rams

The Tribe sits in a good spot with just a few weeks left in the season. Only loss on the road to 4. Villanova. Rhode Island’s struggles continue.

William & Mary Tribe 38   Rhode Island Rams 3

6. Elon Phoenix at Wofford Terriers

Rough year for Wofford. This game could get ugly.

Elon Phoenix 45  Wofford Terriers 17

7. South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Youngstown State Penguins

The Jacks are riding high. Undefeated in MVFC play. Something tells me I should think about the upset, but I’ve seen a few SDSU games and can’t pull the trigger.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits 27  Youngstown State Penguins 21

8. New Hampshire Wildcats vs. Northeastern Huskies

Another snoozer in the CAA. So many big games in the CAA that we tend to forget the bottom dwellers. UNH continues to roll.

New Hampshire Wildcats 35  Northeastern Huskies  7

9. Appalachian State Mountaineers at Furman Paladins

Big game in the SoCon. App State looks to stay perfect in the league, while Furman hope to stay in playoff contention. This game could be like the time the guy fell off the horse.

 Appalachian State Mountaineers  49  Furman Paladins 24

10. Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks at Texas State Bobcats

Game of the Week in the Southland. SFA looks to knock another contender down while TxSU looks for their piece of the pie. The Jacks are almost there.

Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks 45  Texas State Bobcats 27

 

11. Northern Iowa Panthers

Bye Week

12. South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Delaware State Hornets

The Bulldogs continue their run to repeat as MEAC champs. The Hornets don’t slow them down.

South Carolina State Bulldogs 35   Delaware State Hornets 10

13. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens vs. James Madison Dukes

Based on names alone, you would normally think this would be a good game. Unfortunately JMU has gone winless in the CAA to this point. This is a game that Delaware needs to watch themselves in. JMU has burned me on a few picks, but I still feel like they have something left.

James Madison Dukes 31  Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 28

14. Central Arkansas Bears at Southeast Louisiana Lions

The Bears continue to be a program to deal with in the SLC.

Central Arkansas Bears 35  Southeast Louisiana Lions 14

15. McNeese State Cowboys at Nicholls State Colonels

Another rough year for the Colonels. Cowboys should have a nice trip home.

McNeese State Cowboys 27  Nicholls State Colonels 7

16. Weber State Wildcats at 2. Montana Grizzlies

See No. 2 Montana Grizzlies

17. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Sacramento State Hornets

The Lumberjacks are looking for an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs. One game at a time, Jacks. NAU wins easy as long as they are focused.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 28  Sacramento State Hornets 10

18. Cal Poly Mustangs at North Dakota Fighting Sioux

Cal Poly needs to win out to make the playoffs. They get the win this weekend.

Cal Poly Mustangs 27  North Dakota Fighting Sioux 14

19. Massachusetts Minutemen at Maine Black Bears

UMass needs the win to continue their playoff hopes. It’s a tossup in my mind.

Massachusetts Minutemen 14  Maine Black Bears 13

20. Eastern Illinois Panthers at Murray State Racers

Eastern Illinois is in the drivers seat to be the OVC playoff rep. They shouldn’t stumble this week.

Eastern Illinois Panthers 24  Murray State Racers 7

21. Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Austin Peay Governors

I have to admit that I didn’t see JSU losing to Eastern Illinois last week. They should have no problem getting back on track.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks 35  Austin Peay Governors 10

22. Eastern Washington Eagles vs. Portland State Vikings

Fresh off their redemption by the NCAA, EWU is now officially in the playoff hunt. Realistically, they need to win out, especially with NAU and Weber St ahead of them in the polls. Shouldn’t be a problem this week.

Eastern Washington Eagles 42  Portland State Vikings 24

23. Holy Cross Crusaders at Fordham Rams

Holy Cross continues their conquest to the 2009 Playoffs.

Holy Cross Crusaders 42   Fordham Rams 14

24. Liberty Flames vs. Presbyterian Blue Hose

Liberty isn’t really in the playoff discussion this year. Playing for pride and to get on a roll as the Big South autobid starts in 2010.

Liberty Flames 24  Presbyterian Blue Hose 9

25. Albany Great Danes at Central Connecticut State

The Battle For Who Should Be In The Bottom of the Poll. Is their a trophy for this game?

Central Connecticut State  35   Albany Great Danes  27

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Playoff predictions: 10/24 weekend

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

Just a few changes this week. also added a last four out section. A few bubble teams in and a few out. The 3 loss teams could move in and out these last few weeks.

 

Autobids:

Big Sky: Montana    CAA: Richmond   MEAC: South Carolina State   MVFC: South Dakota State    OVC: Eastern Illinois   Patriot: Holy Cross  SoCon: Elon  Southland: Stephen F. Austin

At-large bids:

New Hampshire(2nd CAA), Villanova(3rd CAA), William and Mary(4th CAA), Delaware (5th CAA), Appalachian State(2nd SoCon), Southern Illinois(2nd MVFC), McNeese State(2nd Southland), Northern Arizona (2nd Big Sky)

Last Four out:

Northern Iowa, Weber State, Cal Poly, Eastern Washington

Bracket:

South Carolina State @ (1)Richmond
William and Mary @ Appalachian State  

Holy Cross @ Delaware      
Northern Arizona @ (4)South Dakota State

New Hampshire @ McNeese State
Stephen F austin @ (2)Montana

Eastern Illinois @ Southern Illinois
Elon @ (3)Villanova

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Top 25 Summary 10/24

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

1. Richmond Spiders vs. 12. Massachusetts Minutemen     

 My Prediction: Richmond Spiders 27       Massachusetts Minutemen 21     

Reality:        Richmond Spiders 34      Massachusetts Minutemen 12

Richmond shows up ready to play and starts putting the Minutemen to bed. Another UMass loss will seal their playoff fate. Richmond still has to face William and Mary and Villanova before claiming the #1 seed.

2. Montana Grizzlies at Sacramento State Hornets

My Prediction: Montana Grizzlies 38   Sacramento State Hornets 10

Reality: Montana Grizzlies 45   Sacramento State Hornets 30

Montana offense puts up big numbers, but the defense allowed more than I expected. Montana stays undefeated heading into a big Halloween match-up with Weber State.

 
3. Southern Illinois Salukis vs. Youngstown State Penguins

My Prediction: Southern Illinois Salukis 31  Youngstown State Penguins 20

Reality: Southern Illinois Salukis 27  Youngstown State Penguins 8

Salukis stay undefeated in MVFC play, but lose their starting QB for the season.

 
4. VillanovaWildcats vs. Rhode Island Rams

My Prediction: Villanova Wildcats 35  Rhode Island Rams 3

Reality: Villanova Wildcats 36  Rhode Island Rams 7

A good prediction score wise. Not sure anyone thought the Rams would compete. Wildcats are almost locked into a playoff spot.

 
5. Northern Iowa Panthers at 11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

My Prediction: Northern Iowa Panthers 34  South Dakota State Jackrabbits 24

Reality: South Dakota State Jackrabbits 24 Northern Iowa Panthers 14

Panther offense is shut down, and the Jackrabbits get their biggest win to date. Barring a meltdown we should see the Jacks in the playoffs. UNI is now looking for a lot of help.

 
6. William & Mary Tribe vs. James Madison Dukes

My Prediction: William & Mary Tribe 28  James Madison Dukes 10

Reality: William & Mary Tribe 24  James Madison Dukes 3

Rough year for the Dukes. Reminds me of their 2005 season coming off of their championship.  Tribe looks like they are ready for a playoff run after being left out last year.
7. Elon Phoenix at Chattanooga Mocs

My Prediction: Elon Phoenix 35  Chattanooga Mocs 14

Reality: Elon Phoenix 45  Chattanooga Mocs 10

Elon continues the march towards it’s first FCS playoff bid. Barring a meltdown, their game with App st should decide the SoCon.

 
8. New Hampshire Wildcats at Hofsta Pride

My Prediction: New Hampshire Wildcats 38  Hofsta Pride 7

Reality: New Hampshire Wildcats 18 Hofsta Pride 10

New Hampshire gets a little scare from Hofstra. UNH looks like they will continue their playoff streak.

 
9. Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Georgia Southern Eagles

Prediction: Appalachian State Mountaineers 38 Georgia Southern Eagles  24

Reality: Appalachian State Mountaineers 52 Georgia Southern Eagles  16

A little more lopsided than I expected. Rough year for GSU. App St-Elon for SoCon title.

10. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats

My Prediction: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 45  Sam Houston State Bearkats 21

Reality: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 42  Sam Houston State Bearkats 3

Wow. Not exactly what I predicted. SFA is looking like they are playoff bound.

 
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. 5. Northern Iowa Panthers

See 5. Northern Iowa Panthers
12. Massachusetts Minutemen at 1. Richmond Spiders

See 1. Richmond Spiders
13. Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers

My Prediction: Jacksonville State Gamecocks 31   Eastern Illinois Panthers  14

Reality:  Eastern Illinois Panthers  28  Jacksonville State Gamecocks 20

Eastern Illinois takes a big step towards the OVC autobid.

14. South Carolina State Bulldogs at Hampton Pirates

My Prediction: South Carolina State Bulldogs 35  Hampton Pirates 21

Reality: South Carolina State Bulldogs 21  Hampton Pirates 9

The Bulldogs win a lower scoring game than I expected. SCSU is undefeated in FCS play and may have an outside shot at a seed.

 
15. McNeese State Cowboys vs Southeast Louisiana Lions

My Prediction: McNeese State Cowboys 24  Southeast Louisiana Lions 10

Reality: McNeese State Cowboys 36  Southeast Louisiana Lions 35

A 4th quarter comeback keeps the Cowboys playoff plans on track.

 
16. Central Arkansas Bears vs. Nicholls State Colonels

My Prediction: Central Arkansas Bears 38  Nicholls State Colonels 7

Reality: Central Arkansas Bears 42 Nicholls State Colonels 13

About as predicted. The Bears look like they will be a power to be reckoned with once they are playoff eligible.


17. Weber State Wildcats at Northern Colorado Bears

My Prediction: Weber State Wildcats 35  Northern Colorado Bears 7

Reality: Weber State Wildcats 28  Northern Colorado Bears 20

A Win is a win, but those of you who predicted a much better game out of Northern Colorado were right on.  I knew UNC was improved, but didn’t think they’d make a game of it.
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens  BYE


19. Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Dixie State (D-II)

My Prediction: Cal Poly Mustangs 28  Dixie State 7

Reality: Cal Poly Mustangs 44 Dixie State 14

Cal Poly picks up the D-II win. The Mustangs need to win out and get a lot of help in order to make the playoffs.

20. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs Idaho State Bengals

My Prediction: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 45  Idaho State Bengals 10

Reality: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 40  Idaho State Bengals 12

Another game where I was almost right on.  Northern Arizona’s playoff hopes look better and better each week, although they do face a tough 3 game stretch at the end of the season. They go to Ole Miss, then to Weber State, and then finish with Eastern Washington at home.


21. Colgate Raiders at Holy Cross Crusaders

My Prediction: Holy Cross Crusaders 35  Colgate Raiders 17

Reality: Holy Cross Crusaders 42  Colgate Raiders 28

Holy Cross establishes themselves as the leader for the Patriot autobid.

 
22. Furman Paladins at The Citadel Bulldogs

My Prediction: Furman Paladins 24  The Citadel Bulldogs 17

Reality: The Citadel Bulldogs 38 Furman Paladins 28 

Furman is on the edge of elimination. It’s not looking good for the Paladins. Big win for the Bulldogs.


23. Eastern Washington Eagles vs. Montana State Bobcats

My Prediction: Eastern Washington Eagles 38 Montana State Bobcats 21

Reality: Eastern Washington Eagles 35 Montana State Bobcats 24

About as close as you can get on the predictions. Keeps EWU’s playoff hopes alive (if they can win their appeal with the NCAA). MSU looks to play spoiler to Montana and NAU.

24. Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Austin Peay Governors

My Prediction: Eastern Kentucky Colonels 35  Austin Peay Governors 7

Reality: Austin Peay Governors 24 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 20

Austin Peay pulls the upset and may have knocked EKU out of the playoffs.
25. Liberty Flames at Charleston Southern Buccaneers

My Prediction: Liberty Flames 28  Charleston Southern Buccaneers 10

Reality: Liberty Flames 20  Charleston Southern Buccaneers 13

 

My record this week: 18-4

On the season: 41-14

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CS: FCS Top 25 Football Poll Week 8 (10/26/09)

Ok, we went to the earlier release of the poll and it seemed to work pretty good.  The calculation system is working very smoothly.  It was another great weekend of football!  Enjoy

Week 8 (10/26/2009)
1. Richmond Spiders
2. Montana Grizzlies
3. Southern Illinois Salukis
4. Villanova Wildcats
5. William & Mary Tribe
6. Elon Phoenix
7. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
8. New Hampshire Wildcats
9. Appalachian State Mountaineers
10. Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks
11. Northern Iowa Panthers
12. South Carolina State Bulldogs
13. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
14. Central Arkansas Bears
15. McNeese State Cowboys
16. Weber State Wildcats
17. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
18. Cal Poly Mustangs
19. Massachusetts Minutemen
20. Eastern Illinois Panthers
21. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
22. Eastern Washington Eagles
23. Holy Cross Crusaders
24. Liberty Flames
25. Albany Great Danes

0

Top 25 Predictions for 10/24

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

1. Richmond Spiders vs. 12. Massachusetts Minutemen     

 Richmond has played quite a few close games this season.  This should be another one. Massachusetts is looking for a big win to guarantee a playoff spot. Close, but no cigar.

Richmond Spiders 27       Massachusetts Minutemen 21            

2. Montana Grizzlies at Sacramento State Hornets

Montana is still undefeated on the season. No reason this should change on Saturday unless The Griz are too busy thinking about their Halloween match-up with Weber State.

Montana Grizzlies 38   Sacramento State Hornets 10
3. Southern Illinois Salukis vs. Youngstown State Penguins

Southern Illinois is riding high from last weeks’ win over UNI. The MVFC is theirs for the taking. SIU stays focused and wins without much of a scare.

Southern Illinois Salukis 31  Youngstown State Penguins 20
4. VillanovaWildcats vs. Rhode Island Rams

Villanova posted a shutout on James Madison last week. I could see a second shutout in a row this weekend.

VillanovaWildcats 35  Rhode Island Rams 3
5. Northern Iowa Panthers at 11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

The Panthers are reeling after last weeks loss to Southern Illinois. If the Panthers play like they did last week they will lose. I think they right the ship.

Northern Iowa Panthers 34  South Dakota State Jackrabbits 24
6. William & Mary Tribe vs. James Madison Dukes

The Tribe looks to keep the season going in the right direction. The Dukes are looking for anything at this point. The season outlooked changed for James Madison very quickly. William and Mary is too much for the Dukes to handle.

William & Mary Tribe 28  James Madison Dukes 10

7. Elon Phoenix at Chattanooga Mocs

Elon heads to Chatty coming off of a bye week. The Mocs are much better than expected in 2009.  We’ll see how improved Chattanooga is this week.

Elon Phoenix 35  Chattanooga Mocs 14
8. New Hampshire Wildcats at Hofsta Pride

New Hampshire suffered its first loss last week. Won’t be two in a row.

New Hampshire Wildcats 38  Hofsta Pride 7
9. Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Georgia Southern Eagles

Who knows what to expect in this rivalry?

Appalachian State Mountaineers 38 Georgia Southern Eagles  24

10. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats

Lumberjacks are coming off of a huge win at Central Arkansas. They keep their SLC streak going in this one.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 45  Sam Houston State Bearkats 21

 
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. 5. Northern Iowa Panthers

See 5. Northern Iowa Panthers
12. Massachusetts Minutemen at 1. Richmond Spiders

See 1. Richmond Spiders
13. Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers

The Gamecocks aim to prove they are the best OVC team in 2009. I think they do. Unfortunately they are ineligible for the playoffs.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks 31   Eastern Illinois Panthers  14

14. South Carolina State Bulldogs at Hampton Pirates

Current MEAC leader takes on the historical MEAC leader. Should make for a decent game.

South Carolina State Bulldogs 35  Hampton Pirates 21
15. McNeese State Cowboys vs Southeast Louisiana Lions

McNeese looks to improve their resume on the way to a playoff birth.

McNeese State Cowboys 24  Southeast Louisiana Lions 10
16. Central Arkansas Bears vs. Nicholls State Colonels

Nicholls State is having a rough year. It only gets worse as Central Arkansas gets back in a groove after their close loss to SFA.

Central Arkansas Bears 38  Nicholls State Colonels 7
17. Weber State Wildcats at Northern Colorado Bears

The Bears will be lucky to keep it within 3 scores.

Weber State Wildcats 35  Northern Colorado Bears 7
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens  BYE
19. Cal Poly Mustangs vs. Dixie State (D-II)

Cal Poly Mustangs 28  Dixie State 7
20. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs Idaho State Bengals

NAU is fighting for a playoff spot. Could get ugly.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 45  Idaho State Bengals 10
21. Colgate Raiders at Holy Cross Crusaders

Patriot playoff bid on the line. Colgate is exposed.

Holy Cross Crusaders 35  Colgate Raiders 17
22. Furman Paladins at The Citadel Bulldogs

Furman needs a win to stay in the playoff hunt.

Furman Paladins 24  The Citadel Bulldogs 17
23. Eastern Washington Eagles vs. Montana State Bobcats

Should be a battle for 2nd place in the Big Sky. This game is part of the battle.

Eastern Washington Eagles 38 Montana State Bobcats 21
24. Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Austin Peay Governors

The Colonels keep fighting for the OVC autobid.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels 35  Austin Peay Governors 7
25. Liberty Flames at Charleston Southern Buccaneers

Liberty Flames 28  Charleston Southern Buccaneers10

2

Playoff Predictions 10/21

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

Quite a few upsets this last weekend.

Autobids:

Big Sky: Montana    CAA: Richmond   MEAC: South Carolina State   MVFC: Southern Illinois   OVC: Eastern Kentucky   Patriot: Holy Cross  SoCon: Elon  Southland: Stephen F. Austin

At-large bids:

New Hampshire(2nd CAA), Villanova(3rd CAA), William and Mary(4th CAA), Appalachian State(2nd SoCon), Northern Iowa(2nd MVFC), South Dakota State(3rd MVFC), McNeese State(2nd Southland), Northern Arizona (2nd Big Sky)

Bracket:

 South Carolina State @ (1)Richmond
Eastern Kentucky@ Appalachian State

Northern Arizona  @ Northern Iowa
 Holy Cross @ (4)Southern Illinois

Stephen F. Austin @ (2)Montana
New Hampshire @ McNeese State

William and Mary  @ South Dakota State
 Elon @ (3)Villanova

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