ATHLON preseason FCS top 25

[BDKJMU]

Like many I feel the first offical polls shouldn't be released until around week 3 or 4, especially when playoff slots are at stake as in FCS. It is much easier to finish in the top 25 if a team starts high and just as difficult to rise when you start unranked. Initial ranking may not keep a team from making the playoffs but it sure could affect seeding. This poll as many other FCS polls know less about the teams that we do on this site, and I'll admit my knowledge of most teams west of the Mississippi is limited because I rarely see any of them play until playoff time.

I have pretty good knowledge of the SoCon and my preseason picks for the conference would be a guess at best.

I'd say after week 6, the midpoint.

[AppStateAlumQC]

There's a number of suspect choices in the list but your always going to get that in preseason polls. A lot of the top choices are based on last season's results. South Carolina State will not be as good this season without Ford, even though his numbers were down last season and they lost Oliver Young (picked up by the Panthers) as well. For their sake, they better hope Long isn't out of shape this season.

[bjtheflamesfan]

I actually disagree with dbackjon and say Liberty is right about where they should be to start the year. St Fran should be an easy win at home to start the year and then three road games, including the two biggest games of the year back to back (Ball State and JMU) followed by a winnable game vs Savannah State on LU Hall of Fame Weekend before diving into conference play on Homecoming weekend. If LU can come out of that stretch with only one loss (to either Ball State or JMU), that may be their only loss of the year going into the Stony Brook game Nov 20, which likely will be for the automatic bid. If LU somehow can beat BOTH JMU and Ball State (long odds on that one) theyll be in the top 10...easy...if they lose to both, they probably stay right around that 15 spot because there wont be a ton of games that will allow for moving up and theyll lack a "signature win" for consideration as an at large (provided they dont get the Big South autobid)

[jstclmet]

The Athlon FCS AA Team is listed on page 56;

OFFENSE
QB: Jeremy Moses, SFA
RB: Taiwan Jones, EWU
RB: Chase Reynolds, MT
WR: Tysson Poots, So Utah
WR: Matt Sczcur, Nova
TE: Stephen Skelton, Fordham
OL: Johnny Culbreath, SCSU
OL: Ben Ijalana, Nova
OL: Mike Person, MT State
OL: David Pickard, S. Ill
OL: Will Rackley, Lehigh

DEFENSE
DL: Christian Anthony, Grambling
DL: Kenrick Elllis, Hampton
DL: Martin Parker, Richmond
LB: Tyler Holmes, UMass
LB: J.C. Sherritt, EWU
LB: D.J. Smith, App State
LB: Terence Thomas, Nova
CB: T.J. Heath, Jacksonville St.
CB: Justin Rogers, Richmond
S: Jason House, Southern
S: Mark LeGree, App State

SPECIALISTS
K: Matt Bevins, Liberty
P: Jonathan Plisco, ODU
KR: Terrence Holt, Austin Peay
PR: Kiare Thompson, Grambling

[ladyflame]

Will CS have a preseason poll? If so then when? And if not then when will the first poll be?

[kuntryboimike]

i never could get an answer to that question. I hope there's a preseason poll. it makes for conversation and for some people a lot of drama ha