FCS Selection Show

[ClingingMars]

The selection show for the Football Championship Subdivision is tonight. Here is the list of autobids:


With Saturday's games closing the regular season and next weekend's arrival opening the postseason for 16 teams (eight conference champions and eight teams landing at-large berths), here's a look at the races in the leagues that receive automatic bids to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Big Sky Conference - Weber State has clinched the league's automatic bid. Weber State can earn its first outright league title with a victory against Eastern Washington or a Montana loss to Montana State.

Colonial Athletic Association - James Madison, ranked No. 1 in the FCS, has secured the league's automatic bid. A victory at Towson or a Villanova loss at Delaware gives James Madison the outright league title.

Missouri Valley Football Conference - Northern Iowa has clinched at least a share of the league crown. But if Southern Illinois beats Illinois State, then Southern Illinois takes the league's automatic bid, based on its victory against Northern Iowa in September.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference - South Carolina State has secured the league's automatic bid and outright title after a 26-year playoff absence. South Carolina State finishes at North Carolina A&T.

Ohio Valley Conference - Eastern Kentucky visits Tennessee-Martin in a head-to-head matchup that will determine the outright league champion. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid.

Patriot League - Colgate plays host to Holy Cross in a head-to-head matchup that will settle the outright league title. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid.

Southern Conference - Appalachian State has wrapped up the league's automatic bid and a share of its fourth straight conference championship. Appalachian State can earn the outright league title with a victory at Western Carolina or a Wofford loss to Furman.

Southland Conference - Three teams are in the hunt for a share of the conference championship and the league's automatic bid. Texas State and McNeese State are the frontrunners tied atop the league standings. By virtue of its head-to-head victory last month, Texas State holds the tiebreaker edge on McNeese State. Northwestern State can factor in the mix if Texas State loses at Sam Houston State and McNeese State losses at Central Arkansas.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/league_20067___article.html/state_automatic.html

-Mars

[tonylongoriafan]

my head hurts

[ClingingMars]

my head hurts

it works a lot like college basketball

-Mars

[ClingingMars]

November 29 at Harrisburg, Virginia
Wofford (9-2) at No. 1 James Madison (10-1)

November 29 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Colgate (9-2) at Villanova (9-2)

November 29 at Missoula, Montana
Texas St. (8-4) at No. 4 Montana (11-1)

November 29 at San Luis Obispo, California
Weber St. (9-3) at Cal Poly (8-2)

November 29 at Boone, North Carolina (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)
South Carolina St. (10-2) at No. 2 Appalachian St. (10-2)

November 29 at Richmond, Virginia
Eastern Ky. (8-3) at Richmond (9-3)

November 29 at Cedar Falls, Iowa
Maine (8-4) at No. 3 UNI (10-2)

November 29 at Carbondale, Illinois
New Hampshire (9-2) at Southern Ill. (9-2)

[chrisattsu]

I would love to go to Missoula. It is one the best places in the country to see FCS football, and my team gets to play them.

That being said, It is nearly impossible to find a flight this late in the game under $700.

That is my real problem with the FCS. At least with bowls, you have a month to decide where you are going and find a reasonably priced ticket. I could drop over a grand to see my team this week, then have to do it all over again next week.

I think it is a little easier for the the Eastern schools because there are so many within a few hours. Even if the Dukes had to drive to Wofford, it is only 300 miles away. You could drive to that game.

[tonylongoriafan]

no way this would work for fbs

[chrisattsu]

no way this would work for fbs

The system or the excessive travel?

The system that has 16 spots, which gives 8 Conference Champions an Automatic Qualifier for the playoffs, and fills in the rest of the table with the best non-AQ-teams in the country.

or

The travel? FBS teams travel all over the country in pre-conference schedule week after week.

Travel is a problem for D2 and FCS schools because there are only a few schools in the Western USA.

There are a total of 125 FCS schools, only 33 FCS are west of the Mississippi.
Compare that with FBS, 120 schools, and 55 west of the Mississippi

[tonylongoriafan]

The system or the excessive travel?

The system that has 16 spots, which gives 8 Conference Champions an Automatic Qualifier for the playoffs, and fills in the rest of the table with the best non-AQ-teams in the country.

or

The travel? FBS teams travel all over the country in pre-conference schedule week after week.

Travel is a problem for D2 and FCS schools because there are only a few schools in the Western USA.

There are a total of 125 FCS schools, only 33 FCS are west of the Mississippi.
Compare that with FBS, 120 schools, and 55 west of the Mississippi

i would say both but mainly the travel...the big schools have the budget to not worry about it. but what about their fans...we went to the UT Colorado game but planned that trip 6 months in advance and still paid crazy $$$ for the airline tickets. and aren't most of the non-conference schedules planned so many years (at least 1) in advance?...anyhow, now as a hardcore fan who would want to go to all the "playoff" games, your asking me to travel multiple times...i think there are too many schools, too many conferences, and not enough spots to represent everyone fairly and accurately with PROPER home field advantage given to the higher ranked team...plus, what about the bowl games?

[johngateswhiteley]

I would love to go to Missoula. It is one the best places in the country to see FCS football, and my team gets to play them.

That being said, It is nearly impossible to find a flight this late in the game under $700.

That is my real problem with the FCS. At least with bowls, you have a month to decide where you are going and find a reasonably priced ticket. I could drop over a grand to see my team this week, then have to do it all over again next week.

I think it is a little easier for the the Eastern schools because there are so many within a few hours. Even if the Dukes had to drive to Wofford, it is only 300 miles away. You could drive to that game.

thats cool, course i live in Missoula...maybe i should try and go to the game. you are right sir...Missoula is bad ass.

[ClingingMars]

I would love to go to Missoula. It is one the best places in the country to see FCS football, and my team gets to play them.

That being said, It is nearly impossible to find a flight this late in the game under $700.

That is my real problem with the FCS. At least with bowls, you have a month to decide where you are going and find a reasonably priced ticket. I could drop over a grand to see my team this week, then have to do it all over again next week.

I think it is a little easier for the the Eastern schools because there are so many within a few hours. Even if the Dukes had to drive to Wofford, it is only 300 miles away. You could drive to that game.

I would argue that it may be one of the best, but that Harrisonburg, Virginia, is THE best place to go to for an FCS game environment wise, hands down.

Also, it's not really a problem when you're the #1 seed, lol. But I feel your pain. JMU won their championship entirely on the road.

-Mars

[chrisattsu]

i would say both but mainly the travel...the big schools have the budget to not worry about it. but what about their fans...we went to the UT Colorado game but planned that trip 6 months in advance and still paid crazy $$$ for the airline tickets. and aren't most of the non-conference schedules planned so many years (at least 1) in advance?...anyhow, now as a hardcore fan who would want to go to all the "playoff" games, your asking me to travel multiple times...i think there are too many schools, too many conferences, and not enough spots to represent everyone fairly and accurately with PROPER home field advantage given to the higher ranked team...plus, what about the bowl games?

Let me take this a little bit at a time--

1. What about the fans? This is part of the reason why winning every game is important. The teams with best records are most likely going to get homefield advantage through the playoffs.

2. What if you are a road team? As I stated above, you can travel if it is close enough. If WAC(Boise) some how drew MWC(Utah) in the first round, people could travel. If Big XII(UT) drew CUSA(Houston), its doable.

The fact is that you are not always going to be able to follow your team. Even during the regular season, you can't go to every road game, you have to pick and chose which one you go to.

Most FBS schools are close / have access to major airports. This is one advantage d2 and fcs schools don't always have.

3. Too many conferences? 11 + independents. You could still do 16 teams, 11 AQs and 5 at larges.

4. What to do with the bowls? Not really sure. I know the Ivy League and the SWAC do not participate in the playoffs. I guess you could use bowls for a Post-season honor

I know there are some D2 bowls, the Mineral Water bowl takes the top team from the MIAA (who doesn't make the playoffs) and pits them against against another conference.

[ClingingMars]

Let me take this a little bit at a time--

1. What about the fans? This is part of the reason why winning every game is important. The teams with best records are most likely going to get homefield advantage through the playoffs.

2. What if you are a road team? As I stated above, you can travel if it is close enough. If WAC(Boise) some how drew MWC(Utah) in the first round, people could travel. If Big XII(UT) drew CUSA(Houston), its doable.

The fact is that you are not always going to be able to follow your team. Even during the regular season, you can't go to every road game, you have to pick and chose which one you go to.

Most FBS schools are close / have access to major airports. This is one advantage d2 and fcs schools don't always have.

3. Too many conferences? 11 + independents. You could still do 16 teams, 11 AQs and 5 at larges.

4. What to do with the bowls? Not really sure. I know the Ivy League and the SWAC do not participate in the playoffs. I guess you could use bowls for a Post-season honor

I know there are some D2 bowls, the Mineral Water bowl takes the top team from the MIAA (who doesn't make the playoffs) and pits them against against another conference.

The travel problem is why the FCS seeds using the 400 mile rule. it's why JMU drew Wofford.

-Mars

[Girasuck]

Great. Weber State drew a horrible first round opponent for them. Looks like it's one and done for the Wildcats.

[tlongII]

Looks like D-1AA to me. I don't why they changed it to FCS?

[chrisattsu]

Great. Weber State drew a horrible first round opponent for them. Looks like it's one and done for the Wildcats.

Unfortunately, the only other western teams were Texas State and Montana.
I don't know if there was an easy road in the playoffs. Poly is good, REALLY good. Montana has a rich playoff history and a ridiculous homefield advantage, and Texas State is 5-1 on the road this season, has the leader rusher in the nation, and has the 4th most-potent offense in the nation.

[ClingingMars]

Looks like D-1AA to me. I don't why they changed it to FCS?

something about the championship game and the name conflicting with the BCS. at least that's my understanding

-Mars

[johngateswhiteley]

heading to the texas st. vs. montana game, should be fun. not really sure who to pull for. i know its going to be really really hard for texas state to win here...

[J.T.]

Anyone in San Marcos know if the TSU-Montana game is televised on local TV? Really don't want to have to listen to the Cats roll some Grizzly ass all day on the fucking radio.

[robino2001]

The game is on time warner in San Marcos, Austin and Dallas.

I'm watching the game on www.bigskytv.org

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

heading to the texas st. vs. montana game, should be fun. not really sure who to pull for. i know its going to be really really hard for texas state to win here...

Give that crowd credit. The stands weren't totally full, but they really came alive again in the third quarter and caused a lot of disruptions.

That Chase Reynolds is a damn good runner and the O-Line did very well against the Bobcats. I'm pulling for the Grizzlies to win it all now.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Oh, and one more time for the football team and a heads-up to Davalos' and Fox's squads.

ajWKIMV2r08

[ClingingMars]

JMU escaped with a win over Wofford 38-35.

Let's just say it was hard to breathe until the clock ticked 0:00 in this game.

-Mars

[johngateswhiteley]

Give that crowd credit. The stands weren't totally full, but they really came alive again in the third quarter and caused a lot of disruptions.

That Chase Reynolds is a damn good runner and the O-Line did very well against the Bobcats. I'm pulling for the Grizzlies to win it all now.

the only reason it wasn't a full sellout was b/c of thanksgiving...though the weather was not fun to sit through.

funny thing about Chase. he and his brother Tel played a little rugby against/with us before Chase was put on scholarship this year and before Tel walked on. Chase is a hard nosed player...though i am a bit surprised how much success he is having at the 1-AA level. his brother Tel is a bit faster but doesn't have quite the strength or body control...though he is only 18 or 19. Chase is 21 and a sophomore and should have a nice 2 more years.

i pull for the Grizz cause i live here, but i don't think they are as good this year as they were when i first moved here. Weber will be tough and i wouldn't like their chances at James Madison. Bergquist is too inconsistent...but they do run the ball well.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

the only reason it wasn't a full sellout was b/c of thanksgiving...though the weather was not fun to sit through.


I've heard nothing but good things about that stadium atmosphere before today (not that there was much negative today either), but I'd also heard that it was the holiday and apparently the last day of hunting season (from the sideline reporter).

[ClingingMars]

The JMU Dukes again escape with a win, beating the Villanova Wildcats 31-27.

Hell of a game, 'Nova gave us all we could handle.

-Mars