Best Round of 16 Matchups are in the East

[Lehigh Football Nation]

FCS Playoffs: Second Round

Date
Time
Game
Network (Talent)


Sat., Dec. 7
1 p.m.
Fordham
at Towson
ESPN3
(Ryan Rose, KC Keeler)


Sat., Dec. 7
2 p.m.
New Hampshire
at Maine
ESPN3
(Bob Picozzi, Pete Najarian, Cat Whitehill)


Sat., Dec. 7
2 p.m.
Coastal Carolina
at Montana
ESPN3
(Trey Bender, Al Groh)


Sat., Dec. 7
2 p.m.
Tennessee State
at Eastern Illinois
ESPN3
(Jim Barbar, Rocky Boiman)


Sat., Dec. 7
3:30 p.m.
Furman
at North Dakota State
ESPN3
(Shawn Kenney, John Bunting)


Sat., Dec. 7
4 p.m.
South Dakota State
at Eastern Washington
ESPN3
(Wayne Randazzo, Kevin O'Connell)


Sat., Dec. 7
7 p.m.
Jacksonville State
at McNeese State
ESPN3
(Dave Weekley, Cory Chavous)


Sat., Dec. 7
8 p.m.
Sam Houston State
at Southeastern Louisiana
ESPN3
(Roy Philpott, Forest Conoly)




SHSU/SeLa and Tennessee State/EIU: A rematch of teams that aren't really rivals, and a rematch of games that were double-digit losses during the season. Is there any reason to believe the outcome will be different this time?

Coastal/Montana and Furman/NDSU: The games will be packed with homers, but how many Furman and Coastal fans will come to these games, will the number hit triple digits combined? Will they both be over at halftime with such a crushing home-field advantage?

Jacksonville State/McNeese State: 9 hour trip from Jacksonville to Lake Charles. Last game was 11 years ago. Gamecocks winless against Cowboys. I dunno, is this an intriguing matchup?

SDSU/Eastern Washington: A competitive matchup for FCS nerds, but SDSU fans are flyin' if they're goin', and EWU is damn near unbeatable at home.

Fordham/Towson: Great matchup between two top teams in East: CAA powerhouse vs. Patriot League sort-of co-champions. Both teams are real X-factors in the playoff field, either could make a run at the championship. Will be packed house in Baltimore with a good number of Fordham fans making the trip.

UNH/Maine: A rematch, but a rematch of bitter rivals and one that will likely see a decent amount of road-tripping from Durham to Orono. Of the rematches, it's the only one that is a rematch of a genuine rivlary like the App/Furman playoff games years ago.

I'm as big a geek for the playoffs as anybody, but I gotta tell you, the juiciest games to me are Fordham/Towson and UNH/Maine. Call it East Coast bias if you want, but those two games to me look to be the most exciting of the weekend, and it isn't really close.

[FordhamFan]

SDSU and EWU is an unreal matchup. And besides Fordham/Towson, that is the game that I have my eye on the most.

[gotts]

Who's Butler playing this weekend after they won by double digits last week? xlolx

[WrenFGun]

IMO, Fordham/Towson doesn't seem very close to me. Besides UNH/Maine, EWU/SDSU is the real winner here, IMO. Should be a great game.

Think CCU/Montana will be extremely close, too.

[kdinva]

I Think CCU/Montana will be extremely close, too.

nah, CCU too focused on the weather.........Montana by 17+.

[robsnotes4u]

nah, CCU too focused on the weather.........Montana by 17+.

maybe fans or parents are. The coach joked about chicken noodle soup, a little reverse psychology seems to working on the members of the message boards.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Bisonator]

Call it East Coast bias if you want, but those two games to me look to be the most exciting of the weekend, and it isn't really close.

Yes I will call it east coast bias. The SDSU/EWU matchup is one of the best as is the SHSU/SELA game. In fact except for a couple all of the games tomorrow should be fun to watch.

[Winindy]

Looks like an great slate of games. Going to be a fantastic Saturday. I had to get a new big screen for the playoffs so I can go 4 box from the comfort of my living room. I've got my eye on 6 of these games as must see for me.

Fordham v Townson Should be a great matchup. Could be the best of the day.

UNH v Maine Rivalry and in the playoffs to boot. Hope it's tight and nasty.

CCU v Montana I'm hoping for AppSt v Montana good. I'm probably not going to get it. The Big South 2013 isn't the Southern Conference of 2009.

Furman v NDSU Paladins are good at getting turnovers. NDSU is good at everything. If the Paladins get a pick 6 and a couple other turnovers, it could be interesting. If not, I think it'll be a long flight home to SC. At least it will be warmer when they get there.

SDSU v EWU I hope this thing just explodes with offense. I want to see Zenner hit 300. I want to see Vernon Davis hit 500 yards. Looking for a 49-50 game.

SHSU v SELa Another conference match up. Looking for a lot of offense. Should be another good game.

[Wallace]

complete Chuckles brownie bias (from the bias kings at his website) - best and most important games are...

SDSU @ EWU
SHSU @ SLU
JSU @ MSU
TSU @ EIU

Oops, none are ECB games... xcoffeex

[tomq04]

SDSU v EWU I hope this thing just explodes with offense. I want to see Zenner hit 300. I want to see Vernon Davis hit 500 yards. Looking for a 49-50 game.


Hate to be picky, Vernon Adams is our QB, Vernon Davis is tight end for the san Francisco 49ers

[Bisonwinagn]

I think Fordham will lose by at least 3 touchdowns, but anything can happen.

I also see SAM and Tenn St as possible upsets.

[FordhamFan]

I have to admit, I do not see the infatuation with Towson. They have a spectacular running back. That's really all that's very impressive. Oh, they play in the CAA? That means absolutely nothing tomorrow. The most comparable team they played to Fordham was Villanova who put up 45 on this vaunted Tiger defense. FORTY FIVE! Nova's offense was the most similar to the up tempo offense the Rams run and Robertson was 17-18 throwing and ran for over 200 yards. You're crazy if you don't think Nebrich will be able to replicate.

Do they have athletes? Yes, but so does Fordham. Towson is a really good team but I think it's downright insane to think this is a sure thing for them. People picking a blowout either know something I don't or simply think it's a good CAA team so of course they'll beat the Patriot League team. Towson has never won a playoff game in their history yet somehow they are these world beaters.

I guess I'll find out for real tomorrow.

[Winindy]

Hate to be picky, Vernon Adams is our QB, Vernon Davis is tight end for the san Francisco 49ers

Hah, that's not picky. That's right. Sorry to the EWU nation.

[TigerFen]

I look forward to SHSU/SELA and TSU/EIU. I want to see how TSU running game affects EIU and a Southland Conference championship rematch pans out. Those are the games I'm running home after Towson/Fordham for.

[DoubleH]

I have to admit, I do not see the infatuation with Towson. They have a spectacular running back. That's really all that's very impressive. Oh, they play in the CAA? That means absolutely nothing tomorrow. The most comparable team they played to Fordham was Villanova who put up 45 on this vaunted Tiger defense. FORTY FIVE! Nova's offense was the most similar to the up tempo offense the Rams run and Robertson was 17-18 throwing and ran for over 200 yards. You're crazy if you don't think Nebrich will be able to replicate.

Do they have athletes? Yes, but so does Fordham. Towson is a really good team but I think it's downright insane to think this is a sure thing for them. People picking a blowout either know something I don't or simply think it's a good CAA team so of course they'll beat the Patriot League team. Towson has never won a playoff game in their history yet somehow they are these world beaters.

I guess I'll find out for real tomorrow.

Interesting take. I'll say this: the Towson o-line will be the best Fordham has faced this season by a wide margin.
I also believe the athletes you will see on our defense will, again, be the best Fordham has yet faced. I agree with your premise, though; a bunch of good athletes doesn't necessarily win a football game. But most people who have seen this team up close are picking them to win because, if we don't beat ourselves, this team can play with anyone in the nation.

The Villanova game you referenced was a nightmare. The Tigers turned the ball over three times - IN THE FIFST FIVE MINUTES OF THE GAME (two fumbles and a fluky INT), and all three were deep in Towson territory. It was 21-0 Nova before the fans were in their seats. So dont look at that game and that final score as any indication of what this team can do. It was a night where everything that could possibly go wrong did, and we still rallied to make a game of it late, even out-gaining Villanova despite them running 20+ more plays than us.

I have a healthy respect for Fordham, but if the Tigers play a clean game, they will win.