2023 FCS Playoffs

[Sycamorefan96]

If the season ended this past Saturday (11/4). Uses Stats Top 25 Poll that came out today to figure out at large bids and the top 8 teams that receive a first round bye. Only two more weeks of FCS Football remain until the final selection.

AUTOMATIC BIDS:
MONTANA (B Sky)
DELAWARE (CAA)
SDSU (MVFC)
DUQUESNE (NEC)
G WEBB (OVC)
HOLY CROSS (PATRIOT)
DRAKE (PIONEER)
FURMAN (SOCON)
NICHOLLS (SOUTHLAND)
AUSTIN PEAY (UAC)

AT LARGE BIDS (IN ORDER):
IDAHO (B SKY)
MONTANA ST (B SKY)
S DAKOTA (MVFC)
SAC ST (B SKY)
N DAKOTA (MVFC)
SIU (MVFC)
NDSU (MVFC)
VILLANOVA (CAA)
UNI (MVFC)
INC WORD (SOUTHLAND)
W CAROLINA (SOCON)
ALBANY (CAA)
CHATTANOOGA (SOCON)
TN MARTIN (OVC)

FIRST TEAMS OUT (IN ORDER):
YSU (MVFC)
MERCER (SOCON)
LAFAYETTE (PATRIOT)
C ARKANSAS (UAC)
ELON (CAA)
RICHMOND (CAA)
WILLIAM & MARY (CAA)
TN STATE (OVC)

TOP 8 TEAMS:
1) SDSU
2) FURMAN
3) MONTANA
4) IDAHO
5) MT STATE
6) SOUTH DAKOTA
7) DELAWARE
8) SAC STATE

BIDS PER LEAGUE:
MVFC 6
B SKY 4
SOCON 3
CAA 3
SLC 2
OVC 2
NEC 1
PAT 1
PION 1
UAC 1

 

[sycamore tuff]

I watched the extended highlights of the NDSU vs SDSU game on YouTube. That was a great game. Maybe one day.........

 

[Sycamorefan96]

I watched the extended highlights of the NDSU vs SDSU game on YouTube. That was a great game. Maybe one day.........

SDSU has an awesome team this season. Their QB Gronowski is probably the best QB in the FCS. The Janke brothers are both great wide receivers. Davis is an extremely strong running back. The defense is really good as usual. I'm pulling for them to go back-to-back and win another national championship.

 

[Sycamorefan96]

If the regular season was over.

Automatic Bids:
Montana (Sky)
Gardner Webb (OVC)
Delaware (CAA)
SDSU (MVC)
Duquesne (NEC)
Lafayette (PAT)
Drake (PFL)
Furman (SOCON)
Nicholls (SLC)
Austin Peay (UAC)

At Large Bids (in order):
Montana St (Sky)
USD (MVC)
Idaho (Sky)
Sacramento St (Sky)
NDSU (MVC)
Villanova (CAA)
Albany (CAA)
UND (MVC)
Western Carolina (SOCON)
SIU (MVC)
Chattanooga (SOCON)
UT Martin (OVC)
Incarnate Word (SLC)
Mercer (SOCON)

First Teams Out in Order:
UNI (MVC)
YSU (MVC)
C Arkansas (UAC)
Richmond (CAA)
Holy Cross (PAT)
UC Davis (Sky)

Top 8 Seeds (in order):
SDSU (MVC)
Furman (SOCON)
Montana (SKY)
Montana State (SKY)
S Dakota (MVC)
Idaho (SKY)
Delaware (CAA)
Sacramento State (SKY)

Bids per Conference:
MVC 5
SKY 4
SOCON 4
CAA 3
OVC 2
SLC 2
NEC 1
PAT 1
PFL 1
UAC 1

 

[Sycamorefan96]

MVFC Playoff Outlook

Locks (3): SDSU, USD, NDSU
Win and In (3): UND, SIU, UNI
On the bubble (1): YSU, ILSU (ILSU probably wouldn't make it with 7 wins)

ISU @ #16 SIU (6-4)
#25 YSU (6-4) @ MURR
ILSU (6-4) @ #13 UND (6-4)
#9 NDSU (7-3) @ #22 UNI (6-4)

 

[Sycamorefan96]

It will be interesting to see how accurate my final prediction for the field is.

My picks:

The 10 Auto Bids

Safe (8 - not in order):
MT State
S Dakota
Idaho
Delaware
Sac State
NDSU
Albany
N Dakota

Bubble Teams (not in order):
WCU- OUT
SIU- IN
CHATT- OUT
UTM- OUT
UIW- IN
MERCER- IN
UNI- OUT
YSU- IN
UC DAV- IN
RICH- IN
HC- OUT

Multi-bid Leagues:
MVFC 6
B SKY 5
CAA 4
SOCON 2
SLC 2

Top 8 Seeds:
1 SDSU
2 MONTANA
3 S DAKOTA
4 IDAHO
5 VILLANOVA
6 MT STATE
7 NDSU
8 FURMAN

 

[Sycamorefan96]

I was close as I missed two. Incarnate Word and UC Davis are the two I missed. Chattanooga and NC Central made it instead.

NC Central wasn't even on my radar because I saw their 9-2 record and just assumed they won the MEAC which would send them to the Celebration Bowl. Turns out they lost the tiebreaker to Howard. Personally I wouldn't ever allow a MEAC or SWAC team into the field since their champion goes to that bowl game, but that's just me.

My seeds were close. I got the seeding correct for the top 4 and for Montana State correct. Villanova ended up at 8th, instead of fifth; Furman at 7th instead of eighth; and NDSU was not seeded and Albany (5th) was seeded instead.

Looking at the bracket my Final 4 would be SDSU, Idaho, Montana, and Montana State; with SDSU defeating Montana in the title game.

 

[Sycamorefan96]

MVFC also got 6 teams in, which may be the most ever. Also shout out to Drake for winning the Pioneer League this season.

First Round Games:
Duquesne @ YSU
Nicholls @ SIU
Sacramento State @ UND
Drake @ NDSU

Byes (seeded schools):
Gardner Webb / Mercer @ #1 SDSU
Sac St / UND @ #3 USD

 

[Hooper]

What appears to be a first as well is every single MVFC program will be hosting their respective first round games. No one is going on the road. I'm not sure I've ever seen that.

Hat tip to all those programs for submitting their post-season bids! (sorry had to go there haha).

 

[Sycamorefan96]

What appears to be a first as well is every single MVFC program will be hosting their respective first round games. No one is going on the road. I'm not sure I've ever seen that.

Hat tip to all those programs for submitting their post-season bids! (sorry had to go there haha).

Unfortunately the MVFC still got the potential second round game (UND @ USD). The good thing is that there are 3 MVFC schools on both the left and right sides of the bracket. I think the season after NDSU and Illinois State played each other in Frisco, the MVFC got 5 teams in and they were all put on the same side of the bracket.