FBS Winners?

[knucklehead]

Whose team has an FBS game they feel like their team can win?

LU is in the Ga Dome vs Ga St. I think LU will win this one, if you count them as FBS.

The other LU FBS game is at WVA. Uphill battle there. I'll say no on that one.

[BisonTru]

SDSU @ Kansas
UNI @ Iowa St
ISUr @ Iowa
YSU @ Pitt

All winnable games out of the MVFC

[Gangtackle11]

Villanova has a shot at UCONN

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

SHSU will beat Texas Tech

[KPSUL]

Villanova has a shot at UCONN

I'd make you guys a slight favorite against UConn, and UNH vs. San Jose State as even money.

[KPSUL]

Oh, one more, probably the most likely CAA victory over a FBS team: JMU vs SMU

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

There's usually a lot of kool-aid drinking in these threads. With that said...

Villanova-UConn
JMU-SMU
Fordham-Army
Bucknell-Army
Liberty-Georgia State
Wofford-Idaho

[lionsrking2]

I think we'll have a shot at Ohio University.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Wofford over Idaho looks like a solid pick

[Smitty]

Because I do this every year

WCU @ Tennessee
WCU @ Texas A&M

Calling it now.

Although the A&M game I doubt we will keep it within 50 points

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I think we'll have a shot at Ohio University.

You have a shot but I doubt you'll win. IMO, Ohio is better than Tulane was last year and the Lions aren't quite as good. Also, the average to above average MAC teams rarely lose their FCS games....

[Sammy94]

SHSU will beat Texas Tech

I sure hope so.

[lionsrking2]

Ohio may have a better record but they won't be more talented than Tulane. We will be better than last year, especially on defense. I agree it will be tough to win, as all FBS games are but we will have a shot.

[Catatonic]

Ohio may have a better record but they won't be more talented than Tulane. We will be better than last year, especially on defense. I agree it will be tough to win, as all FBS games are but we will have a shot.

Massey's computers have Southwestern La as a 1 point favorite. Should be an interesting game.

[McNeese72]

Won't happen this year for McNeese. I just hope we play a competitive game.

Doc

[Sammy94]

Won't happen this year for McNeese. I just hope we play a competitive game.

We were for 3 or 4 minutes!!! As long as you come out healthy it really doesn't mean more than a big check.

[Catatonic]

Won't happen this year for McNeese. I just hope we play a competitive game.

Doc

meh

LSU defense will be confused and disorganized now that Chavis is gone. McNeese for the win. xdrunkyx

[IBleedYellow]

I don't think SDSU will beat KU...

They seem to lose all confidence when they step on FBS fields.

[McNeese75]

Ohio may have a better record but they won't be more talented than Tulane. We will be better than last year, especially on defense. I agree it will be tough to win, as all FBS games are but we will have a shot.

I think you will find Playing a MAC team at their place a lot more challenging than the friendly environment in New Orleans. But, you certainly do have a shot. Hell McNeese has a shot against LSU, just not a very damn good one :D

[BEAR]

Hey it'll be a win for my UCA Bears if we can keep it within __________ (fill in the blank) with Oklahoma State.

They look awfully impressive this year. xbawlingx

[knucklehead]

Oh, one more, probably the most likely CAA victory over a FBS team: JMU vs SMU
So, that's why they bagged the Liberty game to take this game. Exchanged a loss for a win!

[mmiller_34]

I don't think SDSU will beat KU...

They seem to lose all confidence when they step on FBS fields.

Beat me to it.

[Catatonic]

Oh, one more, probably the most likely CAA victory over a FBS team: JMU vs SMU

Chad Morris is a great recruiter and an excellent coach. He is well known by Texas HS coaches and will turn SMU's program around in short order.

JMU has a 50-50 shot at winning this year because Morris does not have his talent and his system fully in place. Two years from now, I would not give JMU more than a 25% chance of pulling off a Win.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Chad Morris is a great recruiter and an excellent coach. He is well known by Texas HS coaches and will turn SMU's program around in short order.

JMU has a 50-50 shot at winning this year because Morris does not have his talent and his system fully in place. Two years from now, I would not give JMU more than a 25% chance of pulling off a Win.

The Texas heat could play a role.

SMU has been terrible the last two years while JMU is loaded with talent by FCS standards imo. I give the Dukes a real shot so long as they can hold up for 60 minutes.

The AAC could easily suffer two FCS losses.

[lionsrking2]

I think you will find Playing a MAC team at their place a lot more challenging than the friendly environment in New Orleans. But, you certainly do have a shot. Hell McNeese has a shot against LSU, just not a very damn good one :D

You do realize we played Tulane in front of a near packed house that night? I don't know if there were actually 26k as listed but it was close to full and a good environment for college football. Of course it helped that we had a couple thousand Lions fans on hand.

All road games are challenging IMO, regardless of who you play.

[Catatonic]

The Texas heat could play a role.

SMU has been terrible the last two years while JMU is loaded with talent by FCS standards imo. I give the Dukes a real shot so long as they can hold up for 60 minutes.

The AAC could easily suffer two FCS losses.

Agree. They have a real shot. Morris needs time to turn that program around. SMU will be better this year than last based on better and more energetic coaching. But the Mustangs just don't have the talent. Yet.

[Catatonic]

At the other end of the spectrum, the 12 most shameful FBS-FCS match ups of 2015, at least according to Athlon.

Charleston Southern at Alabama tops the list of mismatches.

http://athlonsports.com/college-football/12-most-shameful-college-football-games-2015

[Smitty]

I clicked on this article fully expecting WCU to be listed there and was not disappointed.

[McNeese75]

You do realize we played Tulane in front of a near packed house that night? I don't know if there were actually 26k as listed but it was close to full and a good environment for college football. Of course it helped that we had a couple thousand Lions fans on hand.

All road games are challenging IMO, regardless of who you play.

Yes, I know it was the first game in the new stadium and it was packed, but we are talking about Tulane fans here, Even so, you should have won that game. And I certainly agree, any road game is challenging, but one in Ohio will probably be more so than Tulane was (IMO). Been there done that, went to watch McNeese play Toledo years ago and it was a disaster.

[Rjones61]

We'll get at least a couple tackles against Oregon.

[lionsrking2]

Yes, I know it was the first game in the new stadium and it was packed, but we are talking about Tulane fans here, Even so, you should have won that game. And I certainly agree, any road game is challenging, but one in Ohio will probably be more so than Tulane was (IMO). Been there done that, went to watch McNeese play Toledo years ago and it was a disaster.

I hear ya.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Villanova has a shot at UCONN

Agreed. The more points over 24 that Villanova can score, the bigger problem the offensively challenged Huskies will have. If Stony Brook started the 2nd String QB, who became the starter for most of their season, against UConn last season then I think they would have won. IIRC, neither team broke 20 points in that game. Towson with Terrance West beat UConn the prior season. If Nova executes offense well and doesn't put the ball on the deck, I like their chances with a veteran QB like Robertson.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

You have a shot but I doubt you'll win. IMO, Ohio is better than Tulane was last year and the Lions aren't quite as good. Also, the average to above average MAC teams rarely lose their FCS games....

Having watched UNH play Ball State, Toledo (twice) and Central Michigan in person, I agree with you. Toledo in 2011 was an above average MAC team and they were much better than UNH. Ball State in 2009 was a below average MAC team and UNH won a close game. Central Michigan was IIRC an average MAC team in 2013 and they beat UNH. While UNH had every opportunity to win that game, they didn't. They gakked on a late drive to go up two scores and lost on a last play FG. Didn't Chattanooga have a similar script in Mt. Pleasant last year? Toledo last year was an average to above average MAC team and beat UNH. While my Wildcats were significantly more competitive than in 2011, we still made crucial mistakes that cost the first half lead then put us in a hole in the 2nd half.

The moral is with the average to above average MAC teams, the FCS team will need to play very well and really limit the mistakes to take them down. They still have 22 more scholarships and are playing at home most likely with MAC referees!

[Hammersmith]

NDSU vs.....

DAMMIT!


:D

[centennial]

Having watched UNH play Ball State, Toledo (twice) and Central Michigan in person, I agree with you. Toledo in 2011 was an above average MAC team and they were much better than UNH. Ball State in 2009 was a below average MAC team and UNH won a close game. Central Michigan was IIRC an average MAC team in 2013 and they beat UNH. While UNH had every opportunity to win that game, they didn't. They gakked on a late drive to go up two scores and lost on a last play FG. Didn't Chattanooga have a similar script in Mt. Pleasant last year? Toledo last year was an average to above average MAC team and beat UNH. While my Wildcats were significantly more competitive than in 2011, we still made crucial mistakes that cost the first half lead then put us in a hole in the 2nd half.

The moral is with the average to above average MAC teams, the FCS team will need to play very well and really limit the mistakes to take them down. They still have 22 more scholarships and are playing at home most likely with MAC referees!

The difference is not as pronounced as you make it out to be. CAA is slightly weaker than MAC. The big difference is the refs, Clenz went through some numbers which basically hinted that you are more likely to get penalties/ less likely to get calls going for you. This is especially true in FBS vs FCS games. When teams are close a few calls can make a lot of difference.

[coover]

I think Cal Poly should beat Arizona State ... oh wait a minute ... I think I said that backwards ... the mind does get confused sometimes.

[ming01]

There's usually a lot of kool-aid drinking in these threads. With that said...

Villanova-UConn
JMU-SMU
Fordham-Army
Bucknell-Army
Liberty-Georgia State
Wofford-Idaho

Nova-UConn: 50/50
JMU-SMU: Slight edge JMU
Fordham-Army: 50/50
Bucknell-Army: Army decent fav
Liberty-Georgia St: Slight edge Liberty
Wofford-Idaho: Slight edge Idaho

Im really looking forward to Illinois State-Iowa.

[Libertine]

Charlotte is a full member of C-USA this year so...Presbyterian.

[jmufan999]

The Texas heat could play a role.

SMU has been terrible the last two years while JMU is loaded with talent by FCS standards imo. I give the Dukes a real shot so long as they can hold up for 60 minutes.

The AAC could easily suffer two FCS losses.

well the game is on 9/26, and it's at 6PM CT, so I doubt the heat there will be drastically different than the start of fall camp in VA. I know it's hotter in TX, but that's a night game that's a few days from October. doubt the heat will be a huge factor.

that said, i'll still take SMU for now. hard to beat a team with a new coach, we've faced that many times recently and the FBS team always comes out playing with their hair on fire. we also could have some o-line issues that really concern me. let me see how we do in our first 3 games before I can predict us winning. I don't love that SMU plays at TCU the week before, because they'll probably get embarrassed and be looking to take out some aggression. and Vad won't seem very daunting after playing a Heisman contender.

[Catatonic]

Fresno State will be the clear favorite against Abilene Christian. ACU has a chance for an upset though.

Fresno will have a new, as yet undetermined, QB, one proven rb, one proven wr, a shaky offensive line and a leaky defense. They brought in loads of fresh troops to fix their problems but if they have not gelled by the first game, this could be a closer contest than most imagine. ACU has an efficient if not spectacular QB, proven rb's, 4 or 5 proven wr's and a young but talented OL. DL and LB look solid. Corners are fine...the biggest question mark remains safety. I'm not calling an upset because there are too many unknowns about Fresno, only that ACU should not be overlooked, especially if Fresno falters coming out of the gate. I'll go back to my purple Kool Aid now.

[49RFootballNow]

Charlotte is a full member of C-USA this year so...Presbyterian.

I'm gonna go with NO.

Might be the only ganme we win next season, but we will win this one.
(http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=332712506)

[Libertine]

I'm gonna go with NO.

Might be the only ganme we win next season, but we will win this one.
(http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=332712506)

I'm (http://www.elonphoenix.com/boxscore.aspx?path=football&id=3780) going (http://csusports.com/sports/fball/2014-15/boxscores/20140927_1spq.xml) to (http://www.gwusports.com/sports/fball/2014-15/boxscores/20141004_gqps.xml) go (http://citadelsports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=30&path=football) with (http://jmusports.com/boxscore.aspx?path=football&id=8961) possibly. (http://www.goccusports.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2014-2015/game10.html)

Bear in mind that two of those teams lost to Presby last year and, had they played, two others very well could have.

[UAalum72]

Albany no doubt an underdog vs. Buffalo, but not that big a one. Bulls only beat Duquesne by 10 last year. 2014 Sagarin and 2015 Massey rate UB about 10-pt favorite - not as high as New Hampshire.

Great Danes lead the series 7-4, all at D-III from 1978-88.