No. 1 James Madison and No. 2 North Dakota State will meet in the FCS Championship in a highly anticipated rematch the FCS world has been waiting to see since JMU defeated NDSU in the semi-finals last year on the way to a championship.
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Here's a look at the history of No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the FCS Championship
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Top Two Seeds in FCS Championship
The No. 1 and No. 2 two teams have only met twice in recent FCS Championship game history (comprehensive team seeding information is readily available starting with the 2004 FCS playoffs). In both instances, the No. 2 team has come away with a championship title: No. 2 NDSU defeated No. 1 SHSU 17-6 in 2011 and No. 2 Villanova beat No. 1 Montana 23-21 in 2009.
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No. 1 Seed Won it All
Since 2004 the No. 1 seed has won three national championships. NDSU took home the championship as the top seed twice and Appalachian State won it all in 2006 as the No. 1 seed.
- 2013: No. 1 NDSU defeated No. 7 Towson, 35-7
- 2012: No. 1 NDSU defeated SHSU, 39-13
- 2006: No. 1 Appalachian State defeated No. 3 Massachusetts, 28-17
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No. 2 Seed Won it All
The No. 2 seed has four championships since 2004 — two of NDSU's championships came as the No. 2 seed, while Villanova and Appalachian State each added a title as the second seed.
- 2014: No. 2 NDSU defeated No. 5 Illinois State, 29-27
- 2011: No. 2 NDSU defeated No. 1 SHSU, 17-6
- 2009: No. 2 Villanova defeated No. 1 Montana, 23-21
- 2005: No. 2 Appalachian State defeated Northern Iowa, 21-16
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No. 1 and No. 2 seed records in championship game
As you saw above, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have seven combined championships since 2004. The No. 2 seed is a perfect 4-0 in championships games. The No. 1 seed has gone 3-1 in the championship game, the only loss coming in 2015 when No. 3 NDSU took down top-seeded Jacksonville State, 37-10.
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NEXT: FCS Playoffs Mailbag: JMU/NDSU Matchup, Injuries and Fan Turnout
