How Good Does a Top 10 FCS Team Need To Be??

[DyedBlue]

I did some research.

Method: Looked up FCS playoff brackets for 2005-2009.
Took the first round winners: 8 teams/year assuming this 'validates' both their seasons and their status in FCS as one of the final 8 teams and discounts rankings for an upset win
Dug out the records in games against FBS opponents in that period.

I have not compiled this. I am just going to type it out of my notes and we can co-discover what I found.

I found this web site and used its year end rankings for the FBS teams: http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/2009_archive_computer_rankings.html

==========================================
FCS Team...Season..Opponent...... Losses.....Wins.....Comment

Montana.....2005.....Oregon.........L 47-14..........Oregon ranked 10th in final
..................................................................FBS Poll
................2006.....Iowa............L 41-7..........Iowa ranked 16th
...................................................when played; finished 6-7. ended 65
...................................................th in final poll
S. F. Austin..2009...SMU.............L 31-23.......SMU finished 55 in final poll
..................2008..TCU..............L 67-7........ TCU 9th in final poll
Villanova......2009..Temple.........................W27-24 Nova Nat'l Champs
............................................................Temple finished 38th in final poll
..................2008..West. Va.......L 48-21....WVA...25th in final poll
New Hamp....2009..Ball State................W 23-16...BSU 112th in poll
..................2008..Army......................W 28-10..Army 109 in poll
..................(2007..Marshall..................W 48-35 but can't count this because UNH lost in first round of playoffs)
Appy State...2009..East Carolina....L.29-24...............ECU 34th in final poll
..................2008..LSU................L 41-10............... LSU 31st
..................2007..Michigan.......................W 34-32..UM ended 27th;
...........................................................ranked 5th at time of this game
..................2006..NC St.............L 23-10..............NCSU 99th
..................2005..Kansas...........L 36-8................KU 45th 7-5
Richmond .....2009..Duke............................W 24-16...Duke 85th
..................2008..Virginia...........L 16-0.................UVA 78th
..................2007..Vanderbilt.......L 41-17................Vandy 77th
..................2005..Vanderbilt........L37-13................Vandy 88th 4-8
UMass..........2007..Boston College..L 24-14..............BC 15th 11-3
..................2006..Navy...............L 21-20..............Navy 31st 9-4
U. No. Iowa..2005..Iowa...............L 45-21..............Iowa 21st at game
..........................................................................time; ended 33rd
..................2007..Iowa State................W 24-13...ISU 103rd
..................2008..BYU.................L41-17...............BYU ranked 16th at
..............................................................game time; ended up 33rd
William & Mary..2009..Virginia....................W 26-14....UVA ended 103rd
So. Illinois.....2005..W. Michigan......L 34-28...........WMU 56th
..................2006..Indiana........................W 35-28....IU = 81st
..................2007..N. Illinois......................W 34-31....Huskies = 110th
..................2009..Marshal.............L 31-28.................Herd = 65th
JMU...........No games against FBS when advancing. Too bad - they could have won a few!!
Delaware......2007..Navy............................W 59-52........Navy = 51st
Eastern Wash..2007..BYU................L 42-7.................. Cougars = 10th
Wofford.......2007...N. C. St............L 38-17..............85th for Pack
Montana St..2006..Colorado........................W 19-10...108th for Buffs
Illinois State.2006..Kansas State.......L 24-23................Wildcats = 55th
Cal Poly SLO..2005 No games vs FBS
Texas State..2005..Texas A & M.......L 44-31.................A & M 65th
Furman.........2005 No games vs FBS

Totals.......................................22 losses.....11+1 wins (1 = NH Win) Of course, all games are road games for the FCS teams.
............................................Losses......................Wins
Against FBS Final Rankings 1-10.....3............................0
...................................11-30....2............................1 (Wow!!)
....................................31-60...9............................ 2
..................................61-120 ...8............................8



So if you are a bottom half FBS team you had better be careful scheduling a top 10 or perhaps top 15 FCS team.

Or looking at it the other way, if you are truly a top 10 FCS team you will win 1/2 of your FBS road games against the bottom half FBS teams

 

[ISUCC]

man, you've got alot of free time there to figure all that out, sheesh!

 

[DyedBlue]

2.5 hours in the evening.

I have maintained that ISU needs to be as good as IU and other bottom half of the other FBS leagues in order to be a nationally competitive FCS team and this statement has been ridiculed on this board so I thought, "Why not investigate and see what the data say?"

I think the results speak to my point: Contenders for FCS champtionships are very comparable to teams in the 50-80 range of the FBS and that is where a number of well known programs reside. If you are getting pummeled by Purdue/IU/others of similar vein, then you are not close to prime time FCS.

 

[ISUCC]

good work though, interesting to see that.

 

[Cap'n Cat]

Gotta get the fans to the games.
Gotta travel well.
Gotta win.