The great thing about the FCS 24-team playoff is every week there’s at least one game you can look at and go, “this has huge postseason implications.”
Whether it’s a Week 1 game between the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Big Sky that could decide how many at-large bids the two conferences get in November. Or a late October game that knocks a team from a seed or a playoff berth altogether. Every week molds the picture of what the bracket is going to look like.
Even this last weekend in Week 0, No. 6 Jacksonville State losing to No. 14 North Carolina A&T already puts the Gamecocks in an uphill battle to earn a playoff seed because of the conference they play in.
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Now, the full slate of games is here. From Week 1 to Week 12, here are the most important games to keep an eye on:
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Week 1
Northern Iowa @ Montana
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.
There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.
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Week 2
Montana State @ South Dakota State
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.
For the home team, the Jackrabbits are coming off a semifinal appearance. There’s a lot of doubters out there after tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Jake Wieneke have moved on to the NFL. That’s a ton of production gone. But the majority of the starters are coming back, and the Jacks want to prove this team isn’t going back to a program that rarely makes it past the second round.
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Week 3
South Dakota @ Weber State
Yes, another Big Sky vs. MVFC game. But let’s not undersell the importance of these matchups. There’s thought that the Valley is going to take a step back this year. There’s also strong belief this conference is still the best in the FCS. Meanwhile, the Big Sky is expected to take a huge step forward.
This Big Sky vs. MVFC Challenge series is going to play a huge role when it comes to the FCS Playoff Selection Show. When the bubble is jam-packed, this series is going to be looked at when deciding if a 7-4 Big Sky team or a 7-4 MVFC team gets in. USD and Weber lose key seniors from last year. However, they feel they have something to prove and still have the athletes returning to make another postseason appearance.
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Week 4
Sam Houston State @ Nicholls
This early matchup is probably going to determine who wins the Southland Conference. The rest of the league just doesn’t look very strong and SHSU and Nicholls are no doubt the top two teams. The Colonels return basically their entire team coming off a playoff appearance.
SHSU made the semifinals last year and defeated Nicholls 66-17. Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe and defensive tackle P.J. Hall are gone, though, and the defense desperately needs improvement while the offense should be just fine. Whoever wins this game is probably looking at a zero or one-loss season and a playoff seed.
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Week 5
Samford @ Kennesaw State
These teams are getting a ton of preseason love for being unproven programs. They can show the nation something in this nonconference game. KSU is our No. 3 team in the preseason poll after making the quarterfinals in just its third season as a program. The Owls return everyone on the nation’s best rushing offense and play solid defense.
Samford is No. 6 and its quarterback Devlin Hodges is our preseason First Team All-American. But the Bulldogs haven’t even won a playoff game since 1992, losing in the first round in 2013, 2016 and 2017. Samford and Kennesaw are favorites in their conferences, but this nonconference game is going to play a huge role on if they are seeded or not.
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Week 6
Wofford @ Chattanooga
Here’s an underrated midseason game that could greatly impact playoff bids for the Southern Conference. With the Big Sky, CAA and MVFC looked at as the power three conferences, the SoCon falls at No. 4. The question is does that equal two or three playoff bids? Four is probably asking for too much and one is too disrespectful to the competitive league.
Wofford won the conference last year and earned a playoff seed. Chattanooga went from a preseason ranked team to a 3-8 record. But the Mocs are expected for a big bounce-back year and compete for a playoff spot. They can make the SoCon an interesting race with a win here.
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Week 7
North Dakota State @ Western Illinois
Some predict the Bison to go 15-0 and win another national title this year. But there always seems to be that one-off game where NDSU suffers a loss during the MVFC gauntlet. This game may be the one. The Bison are coming off back-to-back rival games versus SDSU and at UNI. Macomb is a tough place to play, for good and bad reasons.
This is also an important game to keep the Leatherneck’s playoff hopes alive. Just look at all their games leading up to this one: Montana State, Illinois, Montana, Youngstown State and Illinois State. Sheesh.
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Week 8
Delaware @ New Hampshire
James Madison is a heavy favorite to win the CAA again, but this conference is good enough for the No. 2 team to earn a seed. Delaware and UNH appear to be two early candidates for that spot in the standings. It’ll definitely be an entertaining matchup.
The Blue Hens have a powerful defense and an underwhelming 2017 offense they hope to improve on. The Wildcats are quite literally the opposite. This one has playoff seed implications written all over it.
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Week 9
Idaho @ Eastern Washington
EWU looks to gain respect back as a national power. Idaho looks to not be embarrassed by FCS opponents as the Vandals drop down from the FBS. With FBS-level players and recruiting classes, one would expect them to come in right away and be a threat in the FCS. We’ll find out how well they compete with some of the top FCS teams.
The Eagles are going to be one of those top teams. With 16 returning starters, they are the preseason Big Sky favorite. Idaho, meanwhile, should feel they can beat anyone in the FCS. Every week is going to be a wild one in the Big Sky. This game is going to shake up the conference standings.
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Week 10
James Madison @ New Hampshire
If the Dukes are going to suffer their first CAA loss under head coach Mike Houston, this is one to circle. JMU does match up well with the Wildcats with strength vs. strength (JMU’s secondary vs. UNH’s passing attack). It was evident last year just how tough it is to get through the CAA schedule unscathed when the Dukes were in several close games before pulling away in the fourth quarter.
UNH is one of the more experienced teams in the FCS with 18 returning starters coming off a trip to the quarterfinals. This game is at the end of a tough stretch for the Dukes with the prior games coming against Richmond, Elon, Villanova and Stony Brook.
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Week 11
Northern Iowa @ Youngstown State
There’s a very real chance these two teams could be battling for second in the MVFC. There’s also a very real chance this could be a playoff elimination game. With how their schedules line up, especially for the Panthers, this looks like a must-win game for both teams.
UNI is used to being in playoff mode early in the season. And YSU has been known to drop important games in November. A Nov. 10 game in Youngstown, Ohio, pitting two physical teams against each other? Now that’s football.
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Week 12
Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State
As I tweeted, no one nationally is going to take JSU seriously until this game. The Gamecocks put up a clunker against North Carolina A&T in Week 0 in the FCS Kickoff game. It’s likely they’ll go on a nine-game winning streak against inferior opponents, but this game against a presumed ranked opponent is going to decide if the Gamecocks get a seed. The last two seasons, JSU has lost right away in the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. It was KSU who knocked the Gamecocks off last year.
As for the 2018 Owls, this is a huge game to determine their seeding. If they play to their potential, this team should have no more than one loss entering Week 12. An “L” to the Gamecocks here could knock them out of a first-round bye.
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Montana State @ Montana
I’m going to go with two games here because it’s my article and I can. This is the best rivalry in FCS football. And the stakes could be at an all-time high in 2018. The Brawl of the Wild may very well be a play-in game for the postseason.
These proud programs are back on the rise. They’ll both probably have similar records with six or seven wins at this point. If that's the case, whoever wins is in. Whoever loses may get pushed down a couple spots in the final Big Sky standings and miss out on the playoffs once again.
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NEXT: 10 Most Winnable FCS vs. FBS Games and 10 Possible Upsets in 2018
