2008 FCS playoff run: Part I

By Nate Sandstrom

I'm a bowl system supporter in college football, but as a former resident of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and student at Northern Iowa, I know a bit about the 1-AA (now Football Championship Subdivison under a marketing ploy) playoffs.

You should too. Good players come out of I-AA including guys mentioned in my NFL awards post below like Kurt Warner and Nick Collins.

First, a refresher on the rules: There are eight automatic bids for the tournament that go the champions of the Big Sky, Colonial, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern and Southland.

There are eight other at-large spots that come from those conferences as well as the Great West (where Cal Poly is almost a lock and will have a shot to nab a top seed when they head to Madison in two weeks), the Big South (where Liberty has a long shot at an at-large bid), and the Independents (no one has a chance). The Ivy doesn't really participate, the SWAC has their own title game and the Pioneer and Northeast conferences (think I-A's Sun Belt) have their own kind-of bowl game.

So far, Weber State out of the Big Sky is the only team to lock up a bid. South Carolina State can do so when they visit Morgan State here in Baltimore on Saturday. If Northern Iowa beats Indiana State (should be a blow out) and South Dakota State pulls a minor upset at Southern Illinois, then UNI would clinch the Gateway auto bid.

Here's a good projection breakdown by the Lynchburg News Adavance's Chris Lang.

Other games of note this weekend (FCS rankings, my rankings on sidebar):
• #11 Elon (8-2) at #2 Appalachian St. (8-2). Winner gets auto bid from best conference in FCS football, but a loss could bump Elon out.
• #12 William & Mary (7-2) at #1 James Madison (8-1). William & Mary would virtually lock-up a bid with an upset here.
• South Dakota State (6-4) at #10 Southern Illinois (7-2). Jackrabbits could actually vault past Salukis in playoff contention with a win here.
• #22 Massachusetts (6-4) at #13 New Hampshire (7-2). New Hampshire may need this to keep its tourney streak alive.
• #9 Wofford (7-2) at Samford (5-4). This will not be an easy trip for Wofford, who pursues at-large bid.
• #18 Tennessee State (8-2) at Jacksonville State (7-3). Elimination game in four-way race for OVC title.
• UC-Davis (5-5) at #3 Cal Poly (7-1). Aggies tough schedule makes their record look worst than it is, but Poly should win this game in order to virtually lock-up an at-large bid.