Top 10 FCS matchups are always enjoyable. When they take place eight days before Selection Sunday, the intensity ramps up even more. No. 7 Eastern Washington goes to No. 6 UC Davis on Saturday with high playoff implications and seed positioning on the line.
EWU is 7-2 overall with six D1 wins, two FCS losses against Weber State and Montana State, an FBS win over UNLV, and one ranked win against Montana.
UC Davis is 8-1 overall with eight D1 wins, one FCS loss against Idaho State, an FBS win over Tulsa, and no wins against currently-ranked teams. The Aggies did beat Weber State, who was No. 14 at the time of the game but is no longer in the poll.
What does this weekend’s result mean for both teams?
Let’s start with if the home team wins.
RELATED: FCS Bracketology
If UC Davis Wins…
If Sam Houston, Montana State, James Madison, and North Dakota State win out (which is very likely for SHSU, JMU, and NDSU and a strong possibility for MSU), those are your Top 4 playoff seeds. But UC Davis can get into that mix if the Aggies win out. At worst, they would be a No. 5 seed at 10-1.
A 10-1 UC Davis team means two home wins in the final two weeks against No. 7 EWU and No. 12 Sac State. Along with a then-ranked victory against Weber and an FBS win, UC Davis is a Top 5 seed.
If UC Davis beats EWU and then loses to Sac State, the Aggies could be in the No. 7 or 8 seed range with a 9-2 record, but there is the possibility of getting bumped out of the seeds by a combination of teams like Sac State, ETSU, and Kennesaw.
An EWU loss likely means the Eagles are bumped out of the seeds. An L gives the Eagles its third straight loss, and if they win next week at Portland State (which won’t be an easy win), an 8-3 EWU team with seven D1 wins is going to have a tough time getting a seed.
If EWU loses this weekend, next week’s game at Portland State is looking like a must-win for the Eagles to make the bracket.
If EWU Wins…
The Eagles need to win out to lock in a seed. At 9-2 with eight D1 wins, an FBS win, and two ranked wins against Montana and UC Davis, the Eagles are in the 5-7 seed range. If EWU beats UC Davis and then loses to Portland State, the Eagles are likely playing in the first round as an unseeded team.
It isn’t impossible for an 8-3 EWU team to get a seed if it has wins against FBS UNLV, ranked Montana, and ranked UC Davis. But other results would have to go their way for the Eagles to get a Top 8 seed with seven D1 wins, like ETSU, Sac State, and/or Kennesaw losing.
UC Davis is already a lock for the playoffs with eight D1 wins, one being against the FBS.
If the Aggies lose Saturday and then beat ranked Sac State, a 9-2 team can still get a No. 7 or 8 seed, depending on what happens elsewhere. Losing to EWU and Sac State isn’t ideal with a two-game losing streak going into the selection process. But an eight-win Big Sky team with an FBS win has a good probability to make the bracket.
NEXT: Week 11 Games With Playoff Implications
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