We're finally here — the FCS Championship will be decided on Saturday when James Madison and North Dakota State hit the field in Frisco, Texas to determine who deserves to take home the FCS title.
[divider]COMPARE: JMU vs. NDSU | Easton Stick vs. Bryan Schor[divider]
How do our JMU experts see the game playing out? Take a look:
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Brian McLaughlin
Honestly, this is what a national championship game should look like — a complete tossup. All signs point to exactly that. So my real prediction in this one? Both teams get into the 20-point range, but don't surpass 30. Both teams will make critical plays on special teams and defense, and this game will come down to the fourth quarter. And don't rule out an overtime game.
JMU 24
NDSU 21
Brian's Full Prediction
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Bennett Conlin
It's the game every FCS fan has waited for all season. JMU and North Dakota State will go toe-to-toe in a national championship game for the ages. I think the matchup lives up to the hype in an extremely close contest. I expect Bryan Schor to lead the Dukes on a game-winning drive in the waning minutes to give JMU a 28-27 victory and its second consecutive national title.
JMU 28
NDSU 27
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Jeffrey Gimpel
There is an argument to be made that this weekend’s FCS national championship game will be the biggest game in FCS history. It will be a big time fight between two genuine heavyweight contenders. JMU and NDSU play similar brands of football, tough, hard-nose defense and an offense that relies heavily on the decision-making of their quarterback.
What this game will come down to will be in-game coaching adjustments and which team makes less mistakes. These teams are as evenly matched as any two teams in college football, so the team that doesn’t make those one or two small mistakes will be the team that walks away as the national champion.
Flipping a coin might be the best way to predict this game, but I learned in the semi-final match up vs. SDSU, not to bet against JMU. So for my final prediction of the year, I’m taking the Dukes to repeat as National Champions and fulfill the undefeated season.
JMU 24
NDSU 10
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NEXT: FCS Championship Mailbag: Injuries for JMU/NDSU and Getting the Run Game Going
