5 Games I'm Keeping An Eye On--9/8/2007

[BigApp]

By far, this has been one of the toughest weeks since I've been compiling this list. The App/UM game along brought enough distractions, but taking a look at the national schedule (especially out West--Ft Lewis?)...it was doubly tough. To top it off, for the 2nd week in a row, I step away from my own set of guidelines (actually 2 this week-a SoCon game and a Top 25 game). Nonetheless, here we go:

• 1. #5 New Hampshire (0-0) @ #10 James Madison (0-1) --the only storyline needed to pique my interest in this matchup is this: UNH backup QB Hank Hendricks has been charged with Murder. This is a distraction of sad proportions, right as the team would be leaving NH for Harrisburg. Plus, it's the home opener for JMU and they already have a game under their belts, this is the opener for UNH. And, it's on the road.
  2. #2 UMass (1-0) @ #44 Colgate (1-0) --For UMass, this is a classic "sandwich" game for the Minutemen. After their tough opener against Holy Cross, there's this game, then 2 CAA games and the Boston College tilt. Both are coming off difficult openers, I'm certain the Raiders have had this one circled for a loooong time. This is a statement game for Colgate. We'll see if that statement is punctuated with a period or an exclamation point.
  3. #9 Furman (1-0) @ Hofstra (0-0) --This game looks like a mismatch. But let's take a stroll through recent history, shall we? Hofstra went down to Greenville, SC and defeated Furman 31-24 in the 1st Round of the 2000 playoffs. In 2005, they travelled again to Greenville and lost to FU in 2OT's 44-41. Hofstra returns 17 starters (2 all-CAA LB's and an All-American placekicker) from a team that did finish 2-9 last season, but their 8 FCS losses were by a combined 50 points (only 2 losses were by more than 7 points). Since 1983, Hofstra is 22-2 in season openers, and 20-4 in home openers. The Paladins may very well win this game, but they'll have earned it if they do.
  4. #15 Hampton (0-0) @ Howard (0-0) --Season opener for both teams. But looking through the MEAC preseason guides, I can't quite figure something out: Howard places 4 on the all-MEAC defense, and 2 on offense (6 total all-conference selections), yet are picked to finish 8th in the MEAC? Only one team placed more on the all-MEAC squads: Hampton, with 7 selections.
  5.I haven't done this before, but due to lack of compelling games, I'm wrapping all these up into one, I look for the sum of these games to be upsets: #8 Northern Iowa @ Iowa St, #11 Southern Illinois @ Northern Illinois, #22 Cal-Poly @ Idaho .

[skinny_uncle]

# 5 there has my attention.

FBS upsets usually come from top 25 FCS teams, so that is the list where I expect to see something happen.

[BigApp]

3-2 (with a close call) not too shabby!

#5 New Hampshire-24 @ #10 James Madison-41
#2 UMass35 @ #44 Colgate-17
#9 Furman-17 @ Hofstra-32
#15 Hampton-31 @ Howard-24 ooohhh so close!
#8 Northern Iowa-24 @ Iowa St-13, #11 Southern Illinois-34 @ Northern Illinois-31, #22 Cal-Poly-13 @ Idaho-20 (hey 2 outta 3 here!)