JALMOND's preseason top 25

[JALMOND]

I usually do not compile a top 25 until after fall practices and, with most teams starting play next week, we have finally reached that point. Therefore, here is my preseason top 25. Due to the time it is, this top 25 is not affiliated with any publication or website, it is just an indication of where I think the teams are at this moment. I will update this every week based on the successes or not of the FCS teams. This season is shaping up to be a great one with a lot of parity involved with most teams. Anyway, here it is, all open for discussion as usual.

1. Villanova
2. Southern Illinois
3. Appalachian State
4. Richmond
5. Elon
6. Montana
7. South Dakota State
8. James Madison
9. Montana State
10. New Hampshire
11. South Carolina State
12. Stephen F Austin
13. Samford
14. Illinois State
15. Eastern Washington
16. William & Mary
17. Prairie View
18. McNeese State
19. Liberty
20. Cal Poly
21. Delaware
22. Eastern Kentucky
23. Holy Cross
24. Northern Iowa
25. Penn

My Big Sky power rankings will come out Sunday and my Big Sky predictions will be out on Monday this week, due to both EWU and NAU playing on Thursday. Let's play some football!

[grizzaholic]

Cannot wait Jalmond! Finally the season is back and rearing to go!

[Tribe4SF]

Flip Richmond and William & Mary, and JMU and Delaware. The rest looks pretty reasonable.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Looks pretty good J, I have a slightly higher opinion of W&M also but it looks pretty logical to me.

[Skjellyfetti]

Why Samford at 13? Seems awfully high to me.

Their defense will be damn good again... but, their offense is a pretty big question mark right now. I'd put Furman, Wofford, and Chattanooga above them at this point.

[JALMOND]

Why Samford at 13? Seems awfully high to me.

Their defense will be damn good again... but, their offense is a pretty big question mark right now. I'd put Furman, Wofford, and Chattanooga above them at this point.

I tried a couple times to move them down. I guess I'm putting a lot of stock on RB Evans and them having both Furman and Wofford at home (and ASU). Interesting to see how it all plays out as Samford is not the typical SoCon pick, that's for sure.

As far as W&M, there seems to always be one or two Colonial teams that I start lower than I probably should (last year was New Hampshire). The opener at UMass should be a good barometer for the Tribe.

[AZGrizFan]

1. Villanova
2. Southern Illinois -- too high
3. Appalachian State
4. Richmond
5. Elon -- way too high
6. Montana -- too high
7. South Dakota State
8. James Madison -- too low
9. Montana State --- too high
10. New Hampshire
11. South Carolina State --- WAY too high
12. Stephen F Austin ---- too high
13. Samford -- too high
14. Illinois State --- too high
15. Eastern Washington --- too low
16. William & Mary --- too low
17. Prairie View
18. McNeese State
19. Liberty
20. Cal Poly --- too low
21. Delaware --- too low
22. Eastern Kentucky
23. Holy Cross
24. Northern Iowa --- too low
25. Penn --- WTF?

[WyomingGrizFan]

I think NAU is rated way, way too low, even at this point. They have a tough game 11 Sept vs. Arizona State, granted, but like last year when they started out 5 -2 they can do the same this year until they host MSU 16 Oct. That may be a deciding game covering the rest of the season. They barely lost to EWU last year 45 - 49 and they had no business losing to Weber St., losing their last four games for some reason or another. They really had a good chance last year in making the Playoffs and making some noise.

I say that because of all the games last year, with fellow BSC opponents that is, NAU gave the Griz the biggest defensive problems insofar as pregame scouting and how it all turned out, going into overtime against a supposedly depleted squad.The defensive line was a surprise since they were said to have a whole bunch of injuries, etc. Maybe that was but propaganda, vanilla or whatever but they got about the same load of characters back for this year: #99 Brandon Vance, #98 Dan Pela, #96 Isaac Bond, #71 Dwight Boyd, #94 Jarret Bilbrey, #91 Zack Ku'ahanui with Safety Matt Estrada. I may be wrong but NAU may pose a bigger threat than anyone else out of the BSC this year for the Griz, over and above anyone else mentioned so far.

MSU @ No. #9? Who do they have running the ball?..who do they have catching the passes?..as far as that goes, who do they even have throwing the damn thing?