Athlon's 10 Best Week One FCS Games

[SU DOG]

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/10-best-week-1-games-fcs-college-football-2018

[Outsider1]

I wouldn't expect ours to be listed. Everyone is expecting us to get crushed by a team that is still only so so in FBS even though they are building back.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I don't see Temple-Villanova being all that close. Both teams entered last year's game with a ton of question marks/new faces/coaches and we won a slugfest. Over the course of the season we proved to me MUCH better than 'Nova. The Wildcats might end up being a Top 25 team but given what we have returning this should be a 17+ point Owl win in week 1.

[FUBeAR]

Good to see The Citadel @ Wofford on the list. Should be a fun one. 1st game of the season & neither Team can really afford to lose it & neither can REALLY afford to look bad if they do lose. If that happens for either Team, I think there will be a great deal of EARLY unrest among the Faithful for either side.

Even though El Cid won the 2016 SoCon Championship under Coach Thompson, that Team did not seem as sound, as enthusiastic, nor as dominating as the 2015 Team did under Coach Mike Houston...and we all saw the fairly drastic fall-off last year. Yes, the OL was young and not very good, but there was more to their fall to a losing season than just that position group. If they look bad in losing while opening the season against the in-state/SoCon rival Terriers, those noises we’ll hear won’t be cannons firing; they’ll be rumblings of thunder from the stormclouds gathering over Seigniuos Hall in Charleston.

Wofford didn’t win ‘em all under Coach Ayers, but they won a lot of them & they won it all (the SoCon) last year. Even when they lost, anyone could see they were playing HARD & other than the occasional untimely fumble (in a high-risk Offense), they didn’t do a lot to beat themselves. If they look bad in losing while opening the season against the in-state/SoCon rival bellhops, those surprising way too-early whispers we’ll start hearing from the PorchYapper Faithful will be about the ‘interesting’ transition from Coach Ayers and the choice of his successor.

Can’t wait! Hope they both lose & both look bad in the process. Is that possible?

[BEAR]

I wouldn't expect ours to be listed. Everyone is expecting us to get crushed by a team that is still only so so in FBS even though they are building back.

Yeah. I agree. Usually a struggling FBS team has a problem with a solid FCS team even one that is IN transition or just out of it. But your record against FCS hasn't been stellar yet so you won't get many votes to pull an upset against a team with more scholly players and likely more talent.

[ElCid]

Good to see The Citadel @ Wofford on the list. Should be a fun one. 1st game of the season & neither Team can really afford to lose it & neither can REALLY afford to look bad if they do lose. If that happens for either Team, I think there will be a great deal of EARLY unrest among the Faithful for either side.

Even though El Cid won the 2016 SoCon Championship under Coach Thompson, that Team did not seem as sound, as enthusiastic, nor as dominating as the 2015 Team did under Coach Mike Houston...and we all saw the fairly drastic fall-off last year. Yes, the OL was young and not very good, but there was more to their fall to a losing season than just that position group. If they look bad in losing while opening the season against the in-state/SoCon rival Terriers, those noises we’ll hear won’t be cannons firing; they’ll be rumblings of thunder from the stormclouds gathering over Seigniuos Hall in Charleston.

Wofford didn’t win ‘em all under Coach Ayers, but they won a lot of them & they won it all (the SoCon) last year. Even when they lost, anyone could see they were playing HARD & other than the occasional untimely fumble (in a high-risk Offense), they didn’t do a lot to beat themselves. If they look bad in losing while opening the season against the in-state/SoCon rival bellhops, those surprising way too-early whispers we’ll start hearing from the PorchYapper Faithful will be about the ‘interesting’ transition from Coach Ayers and the choice of his successor.

Can’t wait! Hope they both lose & both look bad in the process. Is that possible?

It will be a big game, but not catastrophic for either. A bad showing can even serve a purpose and be used properly by a good coach. I don't disagree that we dropped off a bit from 15 to 16 to 17. Houston was more of a gambler than Thompson. Sometimes it paid off. And this is Thompson's first HC gig. Also, if you remember, there was an issue with our QB at the start of 16. I think that tainted the year somewhat. We were a bit younger at all positions last year, not just the OL including a true F at BBack. That didn't help. Obviously if we have a losing season again, there will be grumbling. I am not ready to throw in the towel if that happens.

I like our chances in this game if for nothing else Woffords new HC. Ayers had our number. Not sure the new guy will. Plus we are playing up in Sparkle City and we somehow do better up there, at least lately. Got get my tickets!

[JacksFan40]

I’m incredibly excited to watch SDSU-ISU. As stated in article it’ll be interesting to see how SDSU adapts without Goedert/Wieneke. If Christion can forget about JMU and go back to playing his game, I like SDSU’s chances to pull the upset. Plus it’s a Big 12 defense and those aren’t exactly great.

[IBleedYellow]

I’m incredibly excited to watch SDSU-ISU. As stated in article it’ll be interesting to see how SDSU adapts without Goedert/Wieneke. If Christion can forget about JMU and go back to playing his game, I like SDSU’s chances to pull the upset. Plus it’s a Big 12 defense and those aren’t exactly great.Y'all got ISU with a coach that's going on the upswing...

I have my doubts.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[JacksFan40]

Y'all got ISU with a coach that's going on the upswing...

I have my doubts.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
It’s Iowa State we’re talking about, Campbell looks like he’s got them in the right direction but so did Sumlin at A&M and they declined every year after 2012.

[Gangtackle11]

I don't see Temple-Villanova being all that close. Both teams entered last year's game with a ton of question marks/new faces/coaches and we won a slugfest. Over the course of the season we proved to me MUCH better than 'Nova. The Wildcats might end up being a Top 25 team but given what we have returning this should be a 17+ point Owl win in week 1.

Early Vegas Line is Temple -17.5 (38.5)

[FormerPokeCenter]

I wanna see Kennesaw State skull drag Georgia State...if for no other reason than it would enable FCS fans to say "THIS is how you do start up football!"

[ST_Lawson]

I wanna see Kennesaw State skull drag Georgia State...if for no other reason than it would enable FCS fans to say "THIS is how you do start up football!"

Hell yeah...defensive beat-down...shut them out at their place.

[Go...gate]

Hard to believe the opening weekend is less than two months away....

[Daytripper]

I wanna see Kennesaw State skull drag Georgia State...if for no other reason than it would enable FCS fans to say "THIS is how you do start up football!"

I bet Georgia State had no idea they would be getting a top 5 FCS team when they scheduled this game...
https://media1.giphy.com/media/pG0t5r2kDWWmp6dOx7/giphy.gif

[Schism55]

I bet Georgia State had no idea they would be getting a top 5 FCS team when they scheduled this game...
https://media1.giphy.com/media/pG0t5r2kDWWmp6dOx7/giphy.gif
Haha most definitely not. They watched that option churn teams to dust in the playoffs and were like ohhhhh noooooo xlolx

[FUBeAR]

Haha most definitely not. They watched that option churn teams to dust in the playoffs and were like ohhhhh noooooo xlolxBut...But...But...GaState finished in the Top 4 of the Suck Belt last year, far ahead of the tied-for-next-to-last GaSou & Conway Coastal U. We know both of those powerhouses moved to finally play ‘big-time’ competition every week. So, certainly, no FCS Team could even come close to competing with GaState...right?

2017 Georgia State Football Schedule

DATE
*
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME/RESULT


8/31/2017

Tennessee State (FCS)
Atlanta, Ga.
L 10-17


10/7/2017
*
at Coastal Carolina
Conway, S.C.
W 27-21


11/4/2017
*
at Georgia Southern
Statesboro, Ga.
W 21-17


12/2/2017
*
Idaho (FCS)
Atlanta, Ga.
L 10-24



...oh well.

[ST_Lawson]

But...But...But...GaState finished in the Top 4 of the Suck Belt last year, far ahead of the tied-for-next-to-last GaSou & Conway Coastal U. We know both of those powerhouses moved to finally play ‘big-time’ competition every week. So, certainly, no FCS Team could even come close to competing with GaState...right?

2017 Georgia State Football Schedule



DATE
*
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME/RESULT


8/31/2017

Tennessee State (FCS)
Atlanta, Ga.
L 10-17


10/7/2017
*
at Coastal Carolina
Conway, S.C.
W 27-21


11/4/2017
*
at Georgia Southern
Statesboro, Ga.
W 21-17


12/2/2017
*
Idaho (FCS)
Atlanta, Ga.
L 10-24



...oh well.

Yup...."big-time" competition like the Leathernecks. CCU was probably ecstatic to get back to playing Sun Belt teams (and an SEC team) where they didn't lose as badly.

[GreenGlasses]

I wouldn't expect ours to be listed. Everyone is expecting us to get crushed by a team that is still only so so in FBS even though they are building back.

You know you smack talking a 1 win team last year wouldn't be bad, that is if you wasn't a 2 win team. Especially since all 3 wins, AC wins over Houston Baptist and Incrnate Word both had 1 win. Houston Baptist over Texas Southern 24-17 and Incarnate Word over Lamar 33-24. And then you have Baylor over Kansas who's only win was Southeast Missouri State 38-9.

Also AC doesn't have a steller record since moving to IAA, one winning season and one break even season:

2013 6-5 IAA Ind.
2014 6-6 Southland
2015 3-8 Southland
2016 2-9 Southland
2017 2-9 Southland

An overall record of 19-47

[KPSUL]

Actually Georgia State is doing surprisingly mediocre in the FBS Sun Belt when you consider how atrociously bad they were the few years they played FCS.

[FUBeAR]

Actually Georgia State is doing surprisingly mediocre in the FBS Sun Belt when you consider how atrociously bad they were the few years they played FCS.That fact probably says more about the Sludge Belt & FBS G5 Football than it does about GaState

[PaladinFan]

That fact probably says more about the Sludge Belt & FBS G5 Football than it does about GaState

The SunBelt has managed to make bad teams look slightly mediocre by having an unbelievably weak conference.

Georiga State made a bowl game despite losing to Tennessee Tech. TTU was a 6-5 FCS team who probably finishes near the bottom of most power-FCS conferences. Even then, Georgia State managed 6 wins and not only did they not beat a single team with a winning record, they didn't beat a single team with close to a winning record.

[SU DOG]

Do you mean Tennessee State?

[PaladinFan]

Do you mean Tennessee State?

I did.

I watched some of that game to see Turner Field repurposed for football. Georgia State was bad. I think they'd finish middle of the pack in the SoCon even with their scholarship advantage.

[Fresno St. Alum]

man, haven't been here in years. Hi everyone that even remembers me. I'll be rooting for FCS upsets over FBS except Fresno vs FCS.