The 2018 FCS playoff bracket was announced Sunday and what a doozy it was. As is tradition, outrage ensued.
This year is just another example of why regionalizing the playoffs is bad for the subdivision. But the tournament isn't a money-maker for the NCAA and seeding 1-24 isn't going to happen.
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So let's take a look at this year's bracket. Who has a good-looking path to Frisco, Texas? Who has the odds stacked against them?
Based off of matchups and the overall quality of teams, here are my favorites to win the national championship, ranked 1-24.
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24 – Lamar
I didn't have a problem with Lamar getting into the field. I figured two Southland teams would make it in (turned out to be three) and Lamar is going to be that team. But the Cardinals got a helluva first-round matchup at Northern Iowa, where the Panthers play really well at home.
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23 – Duquesne
The winner of the NEC was bound to get matched up with a CAA team this year, which is what happened to the Dukes. They'll play at Towson, who at one point was one of the hottest teams in the FCS. Even if Duquesne gets a win, a trip to third-seeded South Dakota State would be next.
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22 – Incarnate Word
I love UIW's story this year and how much progress the program has made. But the Cardinals were heavily criticized in the nation's eye as far as being a team that got in that maybe shouldn't have. Now they'll travel from Texas to Montana State in November weather, where most will pick MSU. A UIW win will be rewarded with a game at No. 1 North Dakota State.
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21 – Montana State
The Bobcats are better than a handful of teams in the first round. But again, this is all about bracket matchups. They should beat UIW, but it's hard to imagine a one-dimensional offense going to the Fargodome the next week and knocking off the Bison.
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20 – Delaware
I still don't trust Delaware's passing offense. Even more so against a great JMU defense in the first round. Even, even more so against a fired up Dukes squad at Bridgeforth Stadium.
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19 – SEMO
The Redhawks could play back-to-back physical games if they get by Stony Brook, which I don't know will happen. If it does, then it's a trip out west to play No. 2 seed Weber State. That's quite brutal.
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18 – San Diego
Too bad for USD that all three Big Sky teams in the field are seeded. The Toreros have knocked off teams from that conference the last two years as a program with no football scholarships. They could definitely defeat Nicholls on the road, although I picked otherwise. But then it'd be followed by playing third-seeded Eastern Washington.
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17 – ETSU
Jacksonville State head coach John Grass said he loved the draw his team got, which is saying a lot for a team that's usually highly seeded. It's also kind of a shot at ETSU, who is at the top of the Southern Conference, which is a better league than the OVC. The Bucs are another great story, but it's going to be a battle to beat JSU (who was close to earning a seed if multiple OTs went its way against Kennesaw State) and then face off against seventh-seeded Maine.
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16 – Elon
The Phoenix have limped their way into the bracket behind a strong defense. They will have to potentially contend with back-to-back triple options teams in Wofford, who is very experienced in the postseason, and No. 4 seed Kennesaw State.
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15 – Nicholls
Nicholls will be favored to beat San Diego in the first round. Then the Colonels would travel to EWU. This is a veteran group that beat Kansas this year, but that's a tough second-round game.
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14 – Wofford
The Terriers have a lot of players who have won playoff games. That experience is valuable and the Elon first-round game at home favors them. And a second-round game would come against a KSU offense that won't trick Wofford. But it's still on a loaded side of the bracket and a deep run is going to be challenging.
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13 – Stony Brook
Stony Brook has some decent matchups. SEMO isn't the strongest of teams in the bracket. And a second-round game at Weber is a clash of similar physical styles of play. The outlook is decent for the Seawolves.
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12 – Towson
The Tigers have a favorable game against Duquesne in the first round followed by a trip to SDSU. They might match up nicely with the Jacks because of their high-flying offense, which SDSU allowed 38 points to a similar-style Southern Illinois team.
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11 – (No. 8) Colgate
Colgate should be ecstatic about getting a seed, and it's deserved. But the Raiders are going to be the popular seeded team to lose right away with a pissed off JMU team likely coming to town. Colgate could still definitely win that game, but then would have to go play NDSU.
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10 – Northern Iowa
UNI is tricky because it might roll in the first round versus Lamar, but hasn't played well at all on the road this year. The Panthers would see UC Davis in the second round and the Aggies are a high-flying offense with a below-average defense. They don't see a defense like UNI's too often. It'd be a big upset, but not a shocker if the Panthers knocked off UC Davis and then took a trip to EWU in the cold for the quarterfinals.
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9 – (No. 7) Maine
The only seeded team out of six CAA squads in the bracket. Maine could likely see a dangerous JSU team right away, followed by a tough game at Weber. The Black Bears are teetering as a team that could make a deep run or get knocked out early.
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8 – Jacksonville State
JSU is not a consistent team this year. There's good JSU and really, really bad JSU. If the team plays to its potential as far as individual talent, the Gamecocks can make a run. But they've also had disasters of performances against NC A&T, SEMO and UT Martin. Who knows what this team does in the playoffs, but an appearance in the quarterfinals wouldn't surprise me.
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7 – (No. 4) Kennesaw State
The Owls would be positioned better on this list if not for being on a brutal side of the bracket. Wofford could be a sneaky good team in the second round, but KSU should win. Then it'd be hosting SDSU, a top passing attack in the FCS. The Owls just allowed 417 passing yards against JSU. The Jacks would definitely be the best team the Owls have faced up to that point. It'd be a 50/50 game between the No. 4 and 5 seeds with the winner likely going to the Fargodome in the semifinals.
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6 – (No. 6) UC Davis
UC Davis is definitely deserving of a seed, but it did shock many that a third Big Sky team got one. The Aggies will probably face a tough task right away with UNI. With a win, it'd be a trip back to EWU, where UC Davis lost 59-20 just a couple weeks ago.
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5 – James Madison
A lot of people buy into the Mike Houston motivation potion, and I do too to a certain extent. But two weeks ago even JMU fans were saying this team isn't on NDSU's level this year. And while the offense has gotten much better these last two games, Rhode Island and Towson defenses aren't exactly Elon and Stony Brook. The Dukes first have to get by conference foe Delaware and a legit Colgate defense. And then it's a game in the Fargodome. A JMU win in North Dakota shouldn't shock anyone. But if last year's Bison team can beat last year's Dukes team on a neutral field, the 2018 matchup favors NDSU at home.
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4 – (No. 5) South Dakota State
The Jackrabbits could face three really tough opponents to get to Frisco, which is the goal for them. Towson is a legit team. KSU is better than some people give them credit for while SDSU's run defense is up and down. And if the Jacks survive that, it's a fourth playoff game in the Fargodome since 2012, where they are 0-3 in December. SDSU can no doubt knock off the Bison and might have the best chance to do so out of all the 23 teams. But just getting to that game isn't a guarantee.
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3 – (No. 2) Weber State
For the second year in a row, the No. 2 seed got a more favorable draw in the bracket. The Wildcats match up well with all the potential opponents through the quarterfinals. And if things go chalk, they'll host an EWU team in the semifinals, who the Wildcats have already beaten at home this year.
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2 – (No. 3) Eastern Washington
Going off of what I just said, I think the Eagles are playing much better now than they were in mid-October when they lost to Weber. Eric Barriere was fresh in his starting role at quarterback then and has been electric ever since that 14-6 loss. EWU should feel confident heading into this potential semifinal game.
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1 – (No. 1) North Dakota State
Us in the media have hyped this Bison team up all year. NDSU fans have debated whether this year's squad is better than the 2013 team that some consider to be the best in FCS/D-1AA history. Well, if the Bison are as good as advertised, they shouldn't have a problem getting through their side of the bracket. Will it be more challenging than last year? Definitely. But mostly everyone who covers FCS and even fans of other teams have said all year that it's NDSU's title to lose. This bracket doesn't suggest otherwise.
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