Toughest thing to do in college football is make the FCS playoffs

[heath]

Mickey Matthews said Friday that "making the 1-AA playoffs was the toughest thing to do in college football"..............he went on to say "JMU has been playoff eligible 13 out of the last 14 years."Then with the arrogant tone that only MM has...,he said that if "I" had been coaching at UVA or VT,we'd been in Florida playing in a BIG bowlxeyebrowx -3 Questions.
What is the toughest thing to do in college football?
Will JMU make the playoffs?xconfusedx
Will Mickey Matthews ever coach at FBS level?xlolx

[Pard4Life]

Break Oklahoma's undefeated streak and consecutive national championship record.

[Saint3333]

With a 24 team field in a division with no standards, making the playoffs should not be difficult for a program with the advantages JMU has at this level.

[heath]

I would think winning the CAA would be much more dfificult,but then I'm not on the HOT seat.

[Accelerati Incredibilus]

Mickey Matthews said Friday that "making the 1-AA playoffs was the toughest thing to do in college football"..............he went on to say "JMU has been playoff eligible 13 out of the last 14 years."Then with the arrogant tone that only MM has...,he said that if "I" had been coaching at UVA or VT,we'd been in Florida playing in a BIG bowlxeyebrowx -3 Questions.
What is the toughest thing to do in college football?
Will JMU make the playoffs?xconfusedx
Will Mickey Matthews ever coach at FBS level?xlolx

Hey Micky... Feeling some heat? xlolx

[IBleedYellow]

Threepeating

Galaxy S4

[melloware13]

For MM, winning in Delaware (only doing so in 2009) should be a bit more of a concern before the playoffs.

[CID1990]

Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.

In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is. Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's? Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.

There's no question about it.

[walliver]

Getting into the FCS playoffs isn't a walk in the park, but is not outrageously difficult either.
You can finish in the top 3 (sometimes 4 or 5) of a power conference.
Or you can win a championship of a weak conference.

[seantaylor]

Winning the NC is the toughest thing in college football.

[GSUsTALON]

Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.

In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is. Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's? Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.

There's no question about it.

I agree with you CID1990

[skinny_uncle]

Winning the NC is the toughest thing in college football.

I have to agree after waiting for 30 years since our last one.
xnodx

[dewey]

Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.

In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is. Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's? Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.

There's no question about it.

I agree with your reasoning except in the FCS you do not need to win your conference to make the playoffs. Granted it does help to have as many home games as possible. Also to win the FCS national title you need to win 4 games not 3 and possibly 5 if you had to play a first round game.

Dewey

[Tribal]

Tailgating on blacktop when it's 100' out; full sun except for your 10x10 canopy, dead wind...nothing harder.

[GlassOnion]

The FCS is not as hard to win as the FBS. To win the BCS championship you need to go darn near undefeated against quasi-NFL teams. The FCS gives autobids to terrible teams, and slots to almost the entire top 25, and teams with homefield advantage up till the NC game have a tremendous shot of capturing the title.

[seantaylor]

The FCS is not as hard to win as the FBS. To win the BCS championship you need to go darn near undefeated against quasi-NFL teams. The FCS gives autobids to terrible teams, and slots to almost the entire top 25, and teams with homefield advantage up till the NC game have a tremendous shot of capturing the title.

So wrong. To win the BCS championship as it is now, it can only be won by about a third of the eligible teams regardless of the types of seasons those teams have had. Very rarely do the two best teams ever play against eachother in the BCS championship. Very rarely. It is a popularity contest. I agree that it is harder for 85 schools to win that, regardless of what they do. Especially when 2 loss teams are making the title game.

[AmsterBison]

He forgot to finish the sentence with "if you are an Ivy League team."

[DFW HOYA]

So wrong. To win the BCS championship as it is now, it can only be won by about a third of the eligible teams regardless of the types of seasons those teams have had. Very rarely do the two best teams ever play against eachother in the BCS championship. Very rarely. It is a popularity contest. I agree that it is harder for 85 schools to win that, regardless of what they do. Especially when 2 loss teams are making the title game.

Maybe tougher? Winning the SEC...

[ElonFirefighter]

Being a GSU(State) fan

[spdram]

It's all relative -- if in the BCS, your goal is to get players of the level and depth to compete against similar players. With 85 you can "miss" on a player or two and still have depth. Like said only about 1/3 of the BCS programs can truly meet this level of play. At the FCS level, you have fewer opportunities to "miss" on a recruit, injuries can be more devistating because the backups often are a step down. AND once you have maneuvered your way into the playoffs you have to go undefeated (4 or 5 games) against (what should be) increasingly better competition.

So making the playoffs is probably easier than making a BCS Championship game, but once you get there winning an FCS NC is MUCH harder.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

The FCS is not as hard to win as the FBS. To win the BCS championship you need to go darn near undefeated against quasi-NFL teams. The FCS gives autobids to terrible teams, and slots to almost the entire top 25, and teams with homefield advantage up till the NC game have a tremendous shot of capturing the title.

Not sure Jeff Monken would agree with you.

[GlassOnion]

Please. NDSU could lose 3 regular season games, still make the playoffs, and still have a shot at a NC. That is not happening in the FBS. One and done the entire season for most FBS teams.

[Tribal]

Being a GSU(State) fan

That's easy. Just convince yourself that you're team is entitled to SEC membership, that renting a NFL stadium means you're primetime, that a media market is the top criteria for greatness, and that a washed-up coach will lead you to an undefeated season against peewee programs. Then, surround yourself with like-minded dolts and dismiss anyone who presents logical rebuttals as a useless troll void of football accumen.

Oh, and when you get humiliated by a one win W&M team 35-3, blame your AD for her failure to drum up some ridiculous marketing ploy.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Please. NDSU could lose 3 regular season games, still make the playoffs, and still have a shot at a NC. That is not happening in the FBS. One and done the entire season for most FBS teams.

It takes 3-4 wins to win a National Championship AFTER your regular season. GSU went to 3 consecutive Semi-final games meaning they won at least 2 other games to get to that point and still didn't do it.

Tournaments will always be harder to get through. How many #1 seeds have won the whole thing?

[GlassOnion]

Still no comparison. Every regular season FBS game counts. Not so in the FCS.

The FCS is also so enormously top heavy that it is nearly impossible to have a properly executed playoff.

[344Johnson]

Still no comparison. Every regular season FBS game counts. Not so in the FCS.

The FCS is also so enormously top heavy that it is nearly impossible to have a properly executed playoff.

This is slowly going to disappear as they expand their playoff system.

[GlassOnion]

This is slowly going to disappear as they expand their playoff system.

In who's theory? Its already true for the FCS.

I don't see the FBS inviting 24 teams to a tournament in the next 20 years. Likely, there will be 2 1 or 2 loss SEC teams, and a couple of undefeated or 1 loss teams from the other power conferences. A lot different than inviting the entire top 25 including non-schollies. A formerly Big-10 team, or ACC team would most likely have to be undefeated.

[EKU-n-GSU]

Being a GSU(State) fan

This, and being on UT Chattanooga's schedule - home or away...xlolx

[cmaxwellgsu]

Making the FCS playoffs isn't that difficult, especially with the expansion. Even with giving the cupcake conference autobids, there are still more at large spots. The power conferences are going to get their 9 win teams in, and will have more 8 win teams in than out. Of course, winning is very difficult especially with the screwy scheduling.

[Saint3333]

Tournaments will always be harder to get through. How many #1 seeds have won the whole thing?

It would be interesting to know each champions regular season rank before the playoffs. App was a two seed, one seed, and then 6th or 7th during our three I believe.

[TheRevSFA]

Winning in the Georgia Dome with the Panthers as your mascot....

[NoDak 4 Ever]

It would be interesting to know each champions regular season rank before the playoffs. App was a two seed, one seed, and then 6th or 7th during our three I believe.

Since I'm lazy I only consulted Wikipedia and they had the last 8 years. They are as follows.

2004 #1 Southern Illinois
Champion: James Madison

2005 #1 New Hampshire
Champion: App State

2006 #1 App State
Champion: App State

2007 #1 Northern Iowa
Champion: App State

2008 #1 James Madison
Champion: Richmond

2009 #1 Montana
Champion: Villanova

2010 #1 App State
Champion: Eastern Washington

2011 #1 Sam Houston
Champion: North Dakota State

2012 #1 North Dakota State
Champion: North Dakota State

So twice in the last 8 years and both defending champions.

[parr90]

The FCS is not as hard to win as the FBS. To win the BCS championship you need to go darn near undefeated against quasi-NFL teams. The FCS gives autobids to terrible teams, and slots to almost the entire top 25, and teams with homefield advantage up till the NC game have a tremendous shot of capturing the title.

It may not be as hard to get there but winning when you do get there is hard. Your team is beat up at the end of the season and you dont have the long layoff like FBS does before the championship game. Then you have to win 4 more games playing teams you never play mainly. Believe me its hard as hell to win the FCS NC. And if a team that gets in shouldnt have they will get put out the first round generally.

[Twentysix]

Since I'm lazy I only consulted Wikipedia and they had the last 8 years. They are as follows.

2004 #1 Southern Illinois
Champion: James Madison

2005 #1 New Hampshire
Champion: App State

2006 #1 App State
Champion: App State

2007 #1 Northern Iowa
Champion: App State

2008 #1 James Madison
Champion: Richmond

2009 #1 Montana
Champion: Villanova

2010 #1 App State
Champion: Eastern Washington

2011 #1 Sam Houston
Champion: North Dakota State

2012 #1 North Dakota State
Champion: North Dakota State

So twice in the last 8 years and both defending champions.

We were #4 in 2011 I think. Can't remember which poll it was though.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

We were #4 in 2011 I think. Can't remember which poll it was though.

for the tournament, we were the 2 seed.

[Silenoz]

Being a UNI fan

[AppChicago]

It's a harder process to win an FCS championship than an FBS "championship". It's a longer, more difficult road for the team that wins.

BUT, that's correcting for the level of competition, number of scholarships, etc. Would anyone here suggest that if an FBS powerhouse team played an FCS schedule, they couldn't win the FCS championship? I'm not prepared to say that an Alabama couldn't win out, even if they relinquished the scholarship edge they have over the FCS. I don't think what they did was harder, per se, than what NDSU did, but I do think they'd still succeed if that's what was required of them.

[344Johnson]

It's a harder process to win an FCS championship than an FBS "championship". It's a longer, more difficult road for the team that wins.

BUT, that's correcting for the level of competition, number of scholarships, etc. Would anyone here suggest that if an FBS powerhouse team played an FCS schedule, they couldn't win the FCS championship? I'm not prepared to say that an Alabama couldn't win out, even if they relinquished the scholarship edge they have over the FCS. I don't think what they did was harder, per se, than what NDSU did, but I do think they'd still succeed if that's what was required of them.

It'd be interesting to see how much more consistently good Auburn would be if Alabama for some reason had to go down to FCS.

[344Johnson]

It's a harder process to win an FCS championship than an FBS "championship". It's a longer, more difficult road for the team that wins.

BUT, that's correcting for the level of competition, number of scholarships, etc. Would anyone here suggest that if an FBS powerhouse team played an FCS schedule, they couldn't win the FCS championship? I'm not prepared to say that an Alabama couldn't win out, even if they relinquished the scholarship edge they have over the FCS. I don't think what they did was harder, per se, than what NDSU did, but I do think they'd still succeed if that's what was required of them.

It'd be interesting to see how much more consistently good Auburn would be if Alabama for some reason had to go down to FCS.

[SpeedkingATL]

Getting in the FCS playoffs, especially with the expansion to 24 teams isn't that difficult. Winning the FCS Championship is very difficult; having to win 3 or 4 playoff games, sometimes on the road, with no time for injuries to heal or truly game prep for the next opponent. (of course there is no SEC in the FCS so that helps a lot).

As for Mickey ever getting the FBS gig, one viewing of the JMU vs App playoff game of a few games back at The Rock will haunt and follow him.

[rokamortis]

Getting in the FCS playoffs, especially with the expansion to 24 teams isn't that difficult. Winning the FCS Championship is very difficult; having to win 3 or 4 playoff games, sometimes on the road, with no time for injuries to heal or truly game prep for the next opponent. (of course there is no SEC in the FCS so that helps a lot).

As for Mickey ever getting the FBS gig, one viewing of the JMU vs App playoff game of a few games back at The Rock will haunt and follow him.

I thought he was going to say that keeping players out of jail is the hardest thing in college football. xrotatehx

[Twentysix]

for the tournament, we were the 2 seed.

I was responding to this

"It would be interesting to know each champions regular season rank before the playoffs" Saint3333

Obs we were #1 and 1 for 2012.

[blueballs]

Hell yes making the playoffs in FCS is the toughest thing in all of sport!!!!

Just think about it... Chatty has the best talent, best coaching, and best team in all of football- college and pro- year in and year out and has only made it once in the past 28 years.

[Silenoz]

Hell yes making the playoffs in FCS is the toughest thing in all of sport!!!!

Just think about it... Chatty has the best talent, best coaching, and best team in all of football- college and pro- year in and year out and has only made it once in the past 28 years.

xlolx

[seantaylor]

Please. NDSU could lose 3 regular season games, still make the playoffs, and still have a shot at a NC. That is not happening in the FBS. One and done the entire season for most FBS teams.

Doesn't matter. Boise State could lose 0 games and still not win the championship, even though they were the best team in the country in 2009.

[seantaylor]

Still no comparison. Every regular season FBS game counts. Not so in the FCS.

The FCS is also so enormously top heavy that it is nearly impossible to have a properly executed playoff.

This is also the biggest fallacy to ever be produced by the media. Every regular season game means just as much in the FCS as it does in the FBS. If a team can lose 2 games and still leapfrog teams that have lost fewer games, then the regular season means zero. It has already been predetermined.

[Hammerhead]

This might be true in the upcoming "playoff" in the FBS, but Nebraska wasn't even in the Big 12 conference championship game after they lost to Colorado 62-36 in the last game of the 2001 season and the Huskers still were selected for the BCS championship game.



Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.

In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is. Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's? Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.

There's no question about it.

[Catatonic]

Doesn't matter. Boise State could lose 0 games and still not win the championship, even though they were the best team in the country in 2009.

On rare occasions when there are three undefeated teams, some one gets left out in the BCS system. It is hard to argue the Boise State was better than undefeated Alabama or Texas. Better to be left out and forever be able lay claim to having been the best team than to have been selected and humbled by the Crimson Tide. Texas can make no such claim.

[Catatonic]

Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.

In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is.Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.
Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's?
There's no question about it.

To win the conference, Alabama's offense had to come from behind to beat a Georgia team whose defense had 8 players drafted by the NFL, two in the first round. Granted, Notre Dame was over rated. The true FBS national championship was the SEC championship game.

[344Johnson]

To win the conference, Alabama's offense had to come from behind to beat a Georgia team whose defense had 8 players drafted by the NFL, two in the first round. Granted, Notre Dame was over rated. The true FBS national championship was the SEC championship game.


What was your opinion about Stanford and Oregon then?!

[Catatonic]

What was your opinion about Stanford and Oregon then?!
Both were very good teams and would have been a better match up than the Domers. Hard to argue that Stanford should have been selected over ND though, since they lost to them during the season. Oregon had an inside track to the BCS title game until they stumbled against Stanford. In my opinion, Georgia would have beaten ND about as easily as Alabama beat them. I would not be so confident a Georgia match up versus either of the PAC teams.

[GlassOnion]

Making the playoffs is not the toughest task in college football, but winning the NC is.

In the FBS you need to win your conference championship, and you have to be in one of 4 conferences. Then a bunch of ****heads sit around and decide if you get to play in the championship game.
In FCS, you need to win your conference championship, and then you need to go undefeated over at least 3 games, playing increasingly difficult opponents over that series.

Getting in isn't the hardest thing, but winning it all is. Can anyone tell me that Alabama's route to the NC in FBS was more difficult than NDSU's? Alabama won their conference, and then won a scrimmage against a comparative JV team and they are the champs. NDSU also lost one conference game enroute to their title, but instead of sitting in their asses until almost February, they had to win three games, two if which were dogfights.

There's no question about it.

So, if the 2012 BCS Championship is the standard, and the disparity in those two teams evidence of how easy it is to win the NC, what about the 2007 FCS Nat Champ game, where App absolutely rolled Delaware?

Seems to me home-field advantage up to the NC game, and sending another team on the road for 3 weeks has an awful large impact on the quality of play. Doesn't that sound like it was a bunch of old guys sitting at a table who really had the largest influence on who would meet in Chattanooga...

Also in error, you do NOT have to win your conference in the FCS to win a NC, and half or more of an FCS team's schedule is fluff compared to an SEC team's schedule.

[LehighU11]

Go 10-1 and miss the playoffs xrolleyesx

[MR. CHICKEN]

Tailgating on blacktop when it's 100' out; full sun except for your 10x10 canopy, dead wind...nothing harder.

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[seantaylor]

To win the conference, Alabama's offense had to come from behind to beat a Georgia team whose defense had 8 players drafted by the NFL, two in the first round. Granted, Notre Dame was over rated. The true FBS national championship was the SEC championship game.

thUGA had 7 defensive guys drafted, but none of those guys are elite. Their "prize" Jones is slower than a bunch of fat, Dlineman. None of those guys are anything worth mentioning. Notre Dame had no business being in that game.

But, it is still much harder to go through a playoff in the FCS than to be gifted a game in which the two best team in the FBS are almost never paired.

[Catatonic]

thUGA had 7 defensive guys drafted, but none of those guys are elite. Their "prize" Jones is slower than a bunch of fat, Dlineman. None of those guys are anything worth mentioning. Notre Dame had no business being in that game.

But, it is still much harder to go through a playoff in the FCS than to be gifted a game in which the two best team in the FBS are almost never paired.

You are right, only 7 UGA guys were drafted from the dawgs defense. I was wrong about first rounders, too. 3 were taken in the first round, not two.

Guess the NFL guys need to consult with you before making boneheaded picks. Looks like they wasted three first round choices. Slow old Jones managed 2 tackles and a fumble recovery in is first NFL preseason game. Some would consider that ok for a first NFL game. I'm sure if you call em up, the Steelers will see this is inadequate and drop him from the roster ASAP. lol.

re your point about playoffs vs the BCS system. At least here you make a defensible argument. Granted, it is hard to go through a play off system. Whether it is "much harder" than the BCS system is open to question. Take slow old Georgia, for example. They start the season in the top 10. In the first month they play top 10 Clemson, top 10 South Carolina, and 13th ranked LSU with a breather vs North Texas State. Lose one of those games and the Dawgs are not likely to make it to the BCS title game. Lose twice and they are virtually eliminated. Even if they survive their season opening gauntlet, they still have to beat 10th ranked Florida and whoever makes it to the SEC championship game before making it to the BCS. Games in the regular season count more at the FBS level than for FCS teams, whereas FCS teams have a longer slog in the playoffs to make it to the championship.

I admire any team that makes it to the big dance, whichever path they follow.