Biggest week #1 game

[DoubleE]

Appy State @ Michigan

or

YSU @ the Ohio State University

?

[Tribe4SF]

Big games for both those schools, but in terms of FCS, it has to be Delaware @ William & Mary. The first CAA Football game with both teams trying to recover from losing seasons. Some are calling this a must-win for the Hens, who have playoff aspirations with a stellar returning offense, as well as a stable of new defensive transfers and a returning injured star. The Tribe is attempting to right its ship after suffering its worst record since 1982.

UD @ W&M
Thursday August 30 7:30 PM
Zable Stadium
Williamsburg, VA
TV - CN8

[TexasTerror]

#10 McNeese hosts #13 Portland St

Glanville's first game
Atleast four All-Americans involved
Two teams consistently in top 15 amongst all polls -- even the silly ones
#7 vs #10 if you look at consolidated ranking

[CSUBUCDAD]

As far as FCS vs FCS, I have to throw a pitch in for CSU vs The Citadel. Should be a battle just like last year's 35-34 slugfest coming down to the wire.

[OhioHen]

San Diego at Azusa Pacific, 10:00 PM xlolx xlolx xlolx

With the win for USD, the calls for a higher poll ranking for the Toreros can begin. xwhistlex

(Note to mods -- this is intended in a joking vein -- it is not smack and should not banish the thread to that area).

[OL FU]

I think YSU/Ohio State is bigger only because they are in the same state.

I will go out on a limb and say this years Citadel and Charleston Southern game will be a different than last year. It will not be a blow out, but if the Citadel loses that one they will have a long way to go in order to meet some of the hype that has been talked this year.

[SoCon48]

I think YSU/Ohio State is bigger only because they are in the same state.


That is an excellent point, OFU. Those games are hard to come by. UNC hasn't allowed ASU on its football schedule since 1938 while playing other I-AA's from out of state.

[bandl]

Big games for both those schools, but in terms of FCS, it has to be Delaware @ William & Mary. The first CAA Football game with both teams trying to recover from losing seasons. Some are calling this a must-win for the Hens, who have playoff aspirations with a stellar returning offense, as well as a stable of new defensive transfers and a returning injured star. The Tribe is attempting to right its ship after suffering its worst record since 1982.

UD @ W&M
Thursday August 30 7:30 PM
Zable Stadium
Williamsburg, VA
TV - CN8

No offense to the FCS/FBS match-ups (which will most likely be slaughters, despite our best wishes), this match-up is the most intriguing to me. xnodx If only there was a way they could both lose...xwhistlex ;)

[patssle]

Texas State vs. Cal Poly too.

[letsgopards04]

I'm going to go in a different direction and being a home fan. Lafayette v Marist will be the first time in Lafayette history that they will be playing a home game under the lights. The very old Fisher Stadium has moved into the 21st century. Also a subplot will be that Lafayette usually beats up on Marist but Marist now has some schollies. Will this make a difference?

[letsgopards04]

I'm going to go in a different direction and being a home fan. Lafayette v Marist will be the first time in Lafayette history that they will be playing a home game under the lights. The very old Fisher Stadium has moved into the 21st century. Also a subplot will be that Lafayette usually beats up on Marist but Marist now has some schollies. Will this make a difference?


I should correct myself they had portable lights for the end of Lafayette/Lehigh last year.

[ysubigred]

1FCS largest payday and possibily arse whoopin YSU vs tO$U xthumbsupx

[McTailGator]

Appy State @ Michigan

or

YSU @ the Ohio State University

?


If your talking about games with real meaning and post season implications, then IMO, that would be Portland vs McNeese. xcoffeex

[carney2]

I should correct myself they had portable lights for the end of Lafayette/Lehigh last year.

Those were not "portable lights." They were the same lights that you will be using this year and for years to come.

Back to the question at hand. If you think that getting smacked around like a pinata just to grub for a pay check is football, then the choice for "biggest game" is definitely one of the two mismatches mentioned in the first post of this thread. Since this is FCS football however, and the season is beginning, the real important games are the two already mentioned:

McNeese vs. Portland

Delaware vs. William & Mary

Both, and maybe a few more, have playoff implications.

[RabidRabbit]

For polls, play-off ratings

Portland St. @ McNeese St. should be the highest match up.

Cal Poly @ Texas St. will be interesting, and a must win for the Stangs for play-offs.

Delaware vs W&M is early CAA indicator of those two teams fortunes.

SDSU @ Western Il is a good test of the Rabbits Gateway ambitions.

[GaSouthern]

For polls, play-off ratings

Portland St. @ McNeese St. should be the highest match up.

Cal Poly @ Texas St. will be interesting, and a must win for the Stangs for play-offs.

Delaware vs W&M is early CAA indicator of those two teams fortunes.

SDSU @ Western Il is a good test of the Rabbits Gateway ambitions.


I agree with your picks! Port vs. McNeese will be one to watch!

I wish I could see the Del game though :(

[GannonFan]

I agree with your picks! Port vs. McNeese will be one to watch!

I wish I could see the Del game though :(

I agree too - no offense to Appy St and Youngstown, but they are both going to lose and probably by several touchdowns. But they'll get good paydays so all is not bad. The Portland St/McNeese St game is big because of the rankings. If you have the internet, the UD/W&M game is on CN8 and they live-stream the feed onto the internet.

[CopperCat]

Appy State @ Michigan

or

YSU @ the Ohio State University

?

None of the above.

McNeese and PSU.xthumbsupx

[catbob]

Appy State @ Michigan

or

YSU @ the Ohio State University

?

Neither game means diddily poop. Of course if either App or YSU wins, that'll be a different story.

But I will agree with everyone else, there are a few good FCS matchups that I am much more interested in.

[89Hen]

None of the above.

McNeese and PSU.xthumbsupx
Agreed. Most intriguing to me outside of the Delaware game. xthumbsupx

DoubleE should have asked which is the biggER game of the week of those two. IMO that would be YSU vs. OSU because of the in-state factor and Tressel playing against the Guins. xtwocentsx

[Dane96]

Marist does not have schollies...at all. Not even grant-in-aid.

[SU Jag]

Delaware @ William & Mary
Southern vs FAMU in Birmingham
Portland St vs. McNeese St
Alabama A&M vs Tennessee State(Big John Merritt Classic)

[Lafayette71]

Let's not get too carried away here letsgoleopards04. The Pards taking on Marist on september 1st may be a big event for us leopard fans but its not a game with playoff implications in any form. If recent history is any indication Lafayette should roll and as others have mentioned here there are highly regarded ranked teams facing off week 1.

Lafayette-Marist isn't even near the top in our league. I'd say without hesitation that Holy Cross at Umass and Albany at Colgate are both far more intriguing matchups.

[HensRock]

I wish I could see the Del game though :(

You can if you have internet access on Thursday night (8/30).

CN8.tv (http://www.cn8.tv/channel/article.asp?lArticleID=4664&lChannelID=604&subhead=cn8live)

The video streaming is actually pretty good quality too.

Oh, I think PSU @ McTeam is the biggest matchup.

[carney2]

I'm going to go in a different direction and being a home fan. Lafayette v Marist will be the first time in Lafayette history that they will be playing a home game under the lights. The very old Fisher Stadium has moved into the 21st century. Also a subplot will be that Lafayette usually beats up on Marist but Marist now has some schollies. Will this make a difference?

Not only does Marist not have football scholarships, but they seem to be struggling along at one of the lowest levels of FCS football. Last year they went 4-7, with 3 of those wins against teams in their soon to be extinct Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They lost to all 4 Patriot League teams that they played in 2006 (Holy Cross, Bucknell, Fordham and Georgetown) and would appear to be in over their heads in this opener.

I love my home team as much as the next guy, but how the Marist @ Lafayette game ever got into this thread is beyond me, first ever game under the lights notwithstanding. By the way, 04, before you post you really should take the time to get your facts straight. Football scholarships at Marist and portable lights - tsk tsk. Keep this up and you will be giving your Pard brethren a bad name - or a worse name than we already have.

[aceinthehole]

Thursday night - Central Connecticut State at Towson

Preseason ranked Towson is 9-0 in OOC games the past 3 seasons. The Tigers are predicted to comptete for the CAA South title and a FCS playoff bid. An experienced squad looks for its breakout season.

CCSU comes off a season where it was nationally ranked and had the nation's leading rushing attack behind NFL draft pick Justsise Hariston. CCSU has won big OOC road games at Colgate and Georgia Southern the past 2 seasons, but lost a lot of seniors.

- Can CCSU scalp its 3rd non-conference upset on the road in as many years?
- Is Towson ready for its run to the FCS playoffs?

With just 8 FCS games scheduled (2 D-II and 1 FBS), CCSU needs a win to have just a remote shot at the playoffs. A win vs. a ranked CAA program would certainly build the Blue Devils resume and would likely garner the program some national attention.

If the Tiger are to be seen as a real threat to Delaware and the CAA South, this is a must win at home. A loss may not ruin the season for Towson, but it would take a lot of wind out of their sails.

[89Hen]

If the Tiger are to be seen as a real threat to Delaware and the CAA South...
Whoa there ace. I appreciate the love for the Hens, but many have picked them to be #3 in the CAA South behind Towson and JMU. xthumbsupx

[aceinthehole]

Whoa there ace. I appreciate the love for the Hens, but many have picked them to be #3 in the CAA South behind Towson and JMU. xthumbsupx

Sorry, didn't mean to put the pressure on you guys although in anouther thread almost all Hen fans are predictiong an 8-3 season. xsmiley_wix

Yes, Delaware, JMU, and Towson have been picked in various publications to compete for the CAA title - I don't know if there is a clear favorite, is there?

Don't worry, I'm hoping CCSU wins and then Towson wins the division xthumbsupx

[slycat]

For polls, play-off ratings

Portland St. @ McNeese St. should be the highest match up.

Cal Poly @ Texas St. will be interesting, and a must win for the Stangs for play-offs.

Delaware vs W&M is early CAA indicator of those two teams fortunes.

SDSU @ Western Il is a good test of the Rabbits Gateway ambitions.

these are the two im interested in. the sourthern - famu game is a good one too.

[rmutv]

Thursday night - Central Connecticut State at Towson

Preseason ranked Towson is 9-0 in OOC games the past 3 seasons. The Tigers are predicted to comptete for the CAA South title and a FCS playoff bid. An experienced squad looks for its breakout season.

CCSU comes off a season where it was nationally ranked and had the nation's leading rushing attack behind NFL draft pick Justsise Hariston. CCSU has won big OOC road games at Colgate and Georgia Southern the past 2 seasons, but lost a lot of seniors.

- Can CCSU scalp its 3rd non-conference upset on the road in as many years?
- Is Towson ready for its run to the FCS playoffs?

With just 8 FCS games scheduled (2 D-II and 1 FBS), CCSU needs a win to have just a remote shot at the playoffs. A win vs. a ranked CAA program would certainly build the Blue Devils resume and would likely garner the program some national attention.

If the Tiger are to be seen as a real threat to Delaware and the CAA South, this is a must win at home. A loss may not ruin the season for Towson, but it would take a lot of wind out of their sails.

Oooh, good call! xthumbsupx

Should give both the CAA and the NEC an idea of what two potential contenders look like. If it's a blowout in either direction, the respective conferences might want to readjust what they're projecting out of these two.

[grizband]

Two games interest me:

PSU vs. McNeese State: How will the Jerry Glanville era begin at Portland State? We've all heard about this offense by now, but how will it actually fare against a top FCS foe?

Cal Poly vs. Texas State: I like this rematch from the quarterfinals of the 2005 I-AA playoffs. Both teams underachieved last year, after great campaigns in 2005, and both look for a return to the playoffs in 2007. This OOC win for either team would go a long way towards an at large berth, and should be a great match up.

[FCS Go!]

McNeese & PSU.

The App & Youngstown games will only be interesting if they win.

[Poly Pigskin]

Cal Poly @ Texas St. will be interesting, and a must win for the Stangs for play-offs.

It's certainly and important game, but it's hard to say the first game of the season is a "must-win." A win is always nice, but a loss doesn't preclude a playoff appearance for either team.

[JALMOND]

It's certainly and important game, but it's hard to say the first game of the season is a "must-win." A win is always nice, but a loss doesn't preclude a playoff appearance for either team.

Respectfully disagree. The loser of Portland State/McNeese State will probably need to win the conference in order to gain a playoff spot. It seems like those teams in the Big Sky and the Southland that don't win the title are always on the bubble. A win by either team would put them ahead of the loser and therefore in the drivers seat for at least an at-large spot. A big game for both and I would say a must win for both as the loser will most definitely have a tough season to gain ground.

The Southland is very fortunate to have two "bubble teams" (at least in the past) visiting in the first week. I would have to say all FCS eyes are looking at the Southland at those two games.

[AlphaSigMD]

I think YSU/Ohio State is bigger only because they are in the same state.


That is an excellent point, OFU. Those games are hard to come by. UNC hasn't allowed ASU on its football schedule since 1938 while playing other I-AA's from out of state.

ASU goes unscored on and undefeated in 1936...UNC refuses to play ASU for 70 years starting in 1938? Not an accident folks...

Yeah, UNC has always been afraid to "play down" to ASU in any way. I think they understand how easy it would be for ASU to knock them down off their precious ivory tower. Frankly, I think the shame of losing to some of the "common folk" from the school on the mountain might be too much for them to handle. It'll be QUITE a long time before UNC ever gives ASU a basketball game too, after that triple overtime fiasco back when the holmes center opened.

In all fairness...Duke won't play us either...but I hate UNC more.

[BEAR]

PSU v. McNeese.

The other one is UCA v. Louisiana Tech. xwhistlex xwhistlex

...well at least to me. xcoolx It will give the FCS a win over an FBS school and UCA will continue to show it belongs in the FCS! Plus the recruiting points scored in Louisiana...priceless! xlolx

[KleinTx05]

Cal Poly @ Texas St -

Two talented teams who underacheived in '06 and altho a win/loss wouldnt really hurt a future playoff run, it could really set the tone for the remainder of the season for either team xthumbsupx

Portland St @ McNeese -

Glandville era going to be interesting but they better bring their A++ game if they want to win in the "HOLE"

xhomerx
My picks - Texas St/McNeese

GO SOUTHLAND!!! Not in our House!!!xmadx xnonox

[Poly Pigskin]

Respectfully disagree. The loser of Portland State/McNeese State will probably need to win the conference in order to gain a playoff spot. It seems like those teams in the Big Sky and the Southland that don't win the title are always on the bubble. A win by either team would put them ahead of the loser and therefore in the drivers seat for at least an at-large spot. A big game for both and I would say a must win for both as the loser will most definitely have a tough season to gain ground.

The Southland is very fortunate to have two "bubble teams" (at least in the past) visiting in the first week. I would have to say all FCS eyes are looking at the Southland at those two games.

I just feel that it's too hard to look back at the end of the season and point to a single game and say "Aha! Surely that's why the committee didn't let us in!" So many things happen during a season, and typically for a bubble team if any one of their losses had been a win, then their fate is different.

However, I'm sure you're talking about the scenario where they both finish with the same record, in which case I agree with you, the loser is at a great disadvantage. I'm just saying it's not totally inconceivable for the loser to make it into the playoffs, be it auto-bid or at-large, and to me that means the game isn't a "must-win," it's just a "really big game."

[McNeese75]

xhomerx
My picks - Texas St/McNeese

GO SOUTHLAND!!! Not in our House!!!xmadx xnonox


xthumbsupx

[trusty]

Appy State @ Michigan

or

YSU @ the Ohio State University

?

Neitherxboringx
Portland St vs. McNeese is the better week 1 game.

[Cobblestone]

Rams vs. Rams xconfusedx :D

Fordham @ Rhode Island.

[CopperCat]

Cal Poly @ Texas St -

Two talented teams who underacheived in '06 and altho a win/loss wouldnt really hurt a future playoff run, it could really set the tone for the remainder of the season for either team xthumbsupx

Portland St @ McNeese -

Glandville era going to be interesting but they better bring their A++ game if they want to win in the "HOLE"

xhomerx
My picks - Texas St/McNeese

GO SOUTHLAND!!! Not in our House!!!xmadx xnonox

I hope McNeese spanks them good.xthumbsupx

[CID1990]

As far as FCS vs FCS, I have to throw a pitch in for CSU vs The Citadel. Should be a battle just like last year's 35-34 slugfest coming down to the wire.

This is going to be an ass kicking. Go ahead and bookmark this post; last year was a fluke, and there will be no more sneaking up on El Cid by UCLA (University of Charleston, Ladson Area). Citadel wins by 21.