One thing each remaining FCS undefeated team has done better than anyone else

[bonarae]

Discuss.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-10-26/1-thing-each-fcs-undefeated-team-does-better-anyone-else-so-far

[FUBeAR]

Scheduling

[Winterborn]

Pretty obvious I think.

They haven't lost yet. xcoffeex

[Milktruck74]

Only two of the five actually played FBS teams. Give Sac State and HC credit for going to FBS schools and coming out with a W. The other three have scheduled well. If you look at Undefeated (in) FCS teams, this list grows to 11. OF the Six FCS teams that only have one loss and that loss to an FBS school...THe 6 FBS teams they lost to have a combined 30-14 record, 4 having winning records...a few are ranked in the top 25 in FBS. It is not as if they scheduled slouch teams.

So on this topic, I'll have to agree with Fubear. SCHEDULING!

[MR. CHICKEN]

.......LUCK.......SKEDDIN' IS USUALLY DONE IN ADVANCE.........AS BONARAE....LIKES TA POST SKEDS 6-7 YEARS OUT.........BRAWK!

[ElCid]

.......LUCK.......SKEDDIN' IS USUALLY DONE IN ADVANCE.........AS BONARAE....LIKES TA POST SKEDS 6-7 YEARS OUT.........BRAWK!

Yup. For MOST teams, quality waxes and wanes. FBS teams usually schedule FCS teams years out. Did Col St think that Sac St would have a spectacular team in 2022 when they scheduled. Probably not. How about Buffalo? When they scheduled Holy Cross, they probably thought they'd be playing a 5-6 or 6-5 team. Not sure when they scheduled.

Sure FBS teams are probably relying on their quality and depth to comfortably beat the FCS teams they schedule. But every once in a while an FCS has a stellar season while the FBS team happens to on a down year, so they can get burnt. A little bit of lucky timing involved there, along with a dozen other factors to pull off scalps.

And it obviously happens with FCS OOC games as well. Not sure when S Illinois scheduled UIW, but I bet they thought they were getting a lower or middling Southland team. On the flip side, who would have thought that KSU would be as bad as they are this year? 3-4 so far including two OT wins to lower quality teams.

Again, the obvious point being that scheduling is obviously a crap shoot when done years out. The further out, the more bizarre it can get. Add the virus and transfer portal impacts and it impacted the expected quality of teams greatly in just 1-2 years. So yeah, a "little" but of luck when it comes to scheduling.

[crusader11]

Yup. For MOST teams, quality waxes and wanes. FBS teams usually schedule FCS teams years out. Did Col St think that Sac St would have a spectacular team in 2022 when they scheduled. Probably not. How about Buffalo? When they scheduled Holy Cross, they probably thought they'd be playing a 5-6 or 6-5 team. Not sure when they scheduled.

Sure FBS teams are probably relying on their quality and depth to comfortably beat the FCS teams they schedule. But every once in a while an FCS has a stellar season while the FBS team happens to on a down year, so they can get burnt. A little bit of lucky timing involved there, along with a dozen other factors to pull off scalps.

And it obviously happens with FCS OOC games as well. Not sure when S Illinois scheduled UIW, but I bet they thought they were getting a lower or middling Southland team. On the flip side, who would have thought that KSU would be as bad as they are this year? 3-4 so far including two OT wins to lower quality teams.

Again, the obvious point being that scheduling is obviously a crap shoot when done years out. The further out, the more bizarre it can get. Add the virus and transfer portal impacts and it impacted the expected quality of teams greatly in just 1-2 years. So yeah, a "little" but of luck when it comes to scheduling.

Good post.

For Holy Cross, we learned of the Buffalo game in August of 2019. At that time, HC was coming off a 5-6 season and heading into their second year with Bob Chesney. Conversely, Buffalo just had a ten-win season and Lance Leipold was one of the hottest coaching names around.

[ElCid]

Good post.

For Holy Cross, we learned of the Buffalo game in August of 2019. At that time, HC was coming off a 5-6 season and heading into their second year with Bob Chesney. Conversely, Buffalo just had a ten-win season and Lance Leipold was one of the hottest coaching names around.

More good data points to consider. Thanks!

[crusader11]

...I do wonder if it will become more difficult to schedule certain FBS schools in the future for HC.

In no way am I insinuating HC is at the level of an NDSU, but I'd be curious to learn of their philosophy as it relates to playing FBS schools. Has finding willing FBS schools to play become very difficult? Do they even go after MAC-type schools any more, or are they only interested in playing P5 schools?

[Winterborn]

...I do wonder if it will become more difficult to schedule certain FBS schools in the future for HC.

In no way am I insinuating HC is at the level of an NDSU, but I'd be curious to learn of their philosophy as it relates to playing FBS schools. Has finding willing FBS schools to play become very difficult? Do they even go after MAC-type schools any more, or are they only interested in playing P5 schools?

Other Bison fans can chime in but it is not a matter of us being picky, they just don't return our calls. No matter what level of FBS. Some because they do not want the chance of a loss and others we are too far below them and it would not be a good win (top of the P5).

Maybe with our recent loss this year to Arizona that will change a bit. Our next FBS game is at Colorado (the other Buffalo's) in 2024 and Oregon in 2028 (makeup game from 2020). What happens in the meantime with the college football landscape is anybody's guess.

[ElCid]

Other Bison fans can chime in but it is not a matter of us being picky, they just don't return our calls. No matter what level of FBS. Some because they do not want the chance of a loss and others we are too far below them and it would not be a good win (top of the P5).


Your last point isn't even a thing. Not even close to being true. No top P5 would turn down a good, or bad, FCS if they wanted one. Maybe I misunderstood your point. On the contrary, a good FCS opponent would be desired because it would be way better for the computers to beat NDSU than it would to beat Presbyterian. One only has to look at Clemson's and Alabama's schedule the last 6 years (pretty sure they are top P5), to see that they don't care that an opponent might be too far below them. Now the top Big Ten teams might not want to because some of them got a bug up their butt about FCS games. But most other top P5 don't care. HOWEVER, your point about some teams being afraid to lose to NDSU, the mid and bad P5 and G5 especially, is obviously correct. It's happened too often.

[Bisonoline]

Other Bison fans can chime in but it is not a matter of us being picky, they just don't return our calls. No matter what level of FBS. Some because they do not want the chance of a loss and others we are too far below them and it would not be a good win (top of the P5).

Maybe with our recent loss this year to Arizona that will change a bit. Our next FBS game is at Colorado (the other Buffalo's) in 2024 and Oregon in 2028 (makeup game from 2020). What happens in the meantime with the college football landscape is anybody's guess.

Our AD said he had contacted almost every P5 team with no takers.

[Winterborn]

Your last point isn't even a thing. Not even close to being true. No top P5 would turn down a good, or bad, FCS if they wanted one. Maybe I misunderstood your point. On the contrary, a good FCS opponent would be desired because it would be way better for the computers to beat NDSU than it would to beat Presbyterian. One only has to look at Clemson's and Alabama's schedule the last 6 years (pretty sure they are top P5), to see that they don't care that an opponent might be too far below them. Now the top Big Ten teams might not want to because some of them got a bug up their butt about FCS games. But most other top P5 don't care. HOWEVER, your point about some teams being afraid to lose to NDSU, the mid and bad P5 and G5 especially, is obviously correct. It's happened too often.

And who has the the top P5 scheduled? Lets look at Alabama for instance, as that information I have handy (but if Clemson or one of the others is different feel free to correct me).

Alabama will play Austin Pealy in 2022 (Nov 19), they have played Charleston Southern (2015, 56-6), Chattanooga (2016, 31-3), Mercer (2017, 56-0), Citadel (2018, 50-17), WCU (2019, 66-3), None (2020), Mercer (2021, 48-14).

Charleston Southern finished 10-3 in 2015 (lost to JSU in the Quarterfinals, 58-38), Chattanooga finished 9-4 (lost to SHSU in the 2nd round, 41-36), Mercer finished 5-6 in 2017, Citadel finished 5-6 in 2018, WCU finished 3-8 in 2019, and Mercer finished 7-3 in 2021.

My point is that I am not denying that the P5 plays FCS teams, but that they are selective in the games they do play. They play marginal to good teams, but they do not play the top teams. I would be willing to go out on a limb that the other top P5 teams are about the same, but I haven't checked. The reason they hedge their bets is that even if they win, they need to win convincingly to keep it looking good for the polls/committee/etc. If they had a FCS team come in and keep it close, or heaven forbid lead at the half (much less keep it close for all four quarters), and it took a bit of effort to win in the end, their "stock" is going to drop in the eyes of the "judges" (there also is a bit of ego in action here). Hence they schedule who they schedule.

[ElCid]

And who has the the top P5 scheduled? Lets look at Alabama for instance, as that information I have handy (but if Clemson or one of the others is different feel free to correct me).

Alabama will play Austin Pealy in 2022 (Nov 19), they have played Charleston Southern (2015, 56-6), Chattanooga (2016, 31-3), Mercer (2017, 56-0), Citadel (2018, 50-17), WCU (2019, 66-3), None (2020), Mercer (2021, 48-14).

Charleston Southern finished 10-3 in 2015 (lost to JSU in the Quarterfinals, 58-38), Chattanooga finished 9-4 (lost to SHSU in the 2nd round, 41-36), Mercer finished 5-6 in 2017, Citadel finished 5-6 in 2018, WCU finished 3-8 in 2019, and Mercer finished 7-3 in 2021.

My point is that I am not denying that the P5 plays FCS teams, but that they are selective in the games they do play. They play marginal to good teams, but they do not play the top teams. I would be willing to go out on a limb that the other top P5 teams are about the same, but I haven't checked. The reason they hedge their bets is that even if they win, they need to win convincingly to keep it looking good for the polls/committee/etc. If they had a FCS team come in and keep it close, or heaven forbid lead at the half (much less keep it close for all four quarters), and it took a bit of effort to win in the end, their "stock" is going to drop in the eyes of the "judges" (there also is a bit of ego in action here). Hence they schedule who they schedule.

Yeah I get it. I guess I misunderstood your "NDSU is too far below them" idea as reason not to schedule them. And yeah, I think Alabama was pissed we had them tied at the half 10-10 in 2018. And we could have had the lead had we not missed a FG at the end of the half. Too bad we fell apart in the second half.

[Milktruck74]

Yeah I get it. I guess I misunderstood your "NDSU is too far below them" idea as reason not to schedule them. And yeah, I think Alabama was pissed we had them tied at the half 10-10 in 2018. And we could have had the lead had we not missed a FG at the end of the half. Too bad we fell apart in the second half.

Same. Chattanooga was leading 10-3 in the second quarter....

[OL FU]

I STILL HATE MARSHALL!​ Every time I see that movie, I root for Xavier!!!!!!!

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