• Latest
  • Trending
FCS 2017: Could OVC Have Multiple Playoff Teams?

FCS 2017: Could OVC Have Multiple Playoff Teams?

August 17, 2017
Former FCS Players on Super Bowl 55 Rosters

Former FCS Players on Super Bowl 55 Rosters

January 27, 2021
FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning TE In Each Conference

FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning TE In Each Conference

January 26, 2021
FCS PODCAST: Will The Spring Season Happen?

FCS PODCAST: WAC, ASUN Coming To The FCS

January 22, 2021
FCS Playoff Resumes Entering The 2021 Spring Season

FCS Playoff Resumes Entering The 2021 Spring Season

January 22, 2021
FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning Offensive Lineman In Each Conference

FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning Offensive Lineman In Each Conference

January 21, 2021
Former FCS Players on 2021 NFL Conference Championship Rosters

Former FCS Players on 2021 NFL Conference Championship Rosters

January 19, 2021
FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning WR In Each Conference

FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning WR In Each Conference

January 18, 2021
The WAC Forms New FCS Conference

The WAC Forms New FCS Conference

January 14, 2021
How Did 2020 FCS-To-FBS Transfers Do?

How Did 2020 FCS-To-FBS Transfers Do?

January 14, 2021
FCS PODCAST: Will The Spring Season Happen?

FCS PODCAST: Indiana State Opts Out + Mainstream Coverage of the Spring Season?

January 13, 2021
FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning RB In Each Conference

FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning RB In Each Conference

January 11, 2021
FCS: Top 10 Way-Too-Early Favorites To Win The 2021 Spring FCS National Title

FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning Player At Each Position In Every Conference

January 26, 2021
  • About Us
  • Contact
Thursday, January 28, 2021
HERO Sports News
  • Home
  • Pro Leagues
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • WNBA
    • NHL
  • College Football
    • D1 FBS
    • D1 FCS
  • NCAA Sports
    • Baseball
      • D1 Baseball
    • Basketball
      • D1 Men’s Basketball
      • D1 Women’s Basketball
    • Football
      • D1 FBS
      • D1 FCS
      • D2 Football
      • D3 Football
    • Soccer
      • D1 Men’s Soccer
      • D1 Women’s Soccer
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Press
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Pro Leagues
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • WNBA
    • NHL
  • College Football
    • D1 FBS
    • D1 FCS
  • NCAA Sports
    • Baseball
      • D1 Baseball
    • Basketball
      • D1 Men’s Basketball
      • D1 Women’s Basketball
    • Football
      • D1 FBS
      • D1 FCS
      • D2 Football
      • D3 Football
    • Soccer
      • D1 Men’s Soccer
      • D1 Women’s Soccer
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Press
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
HERO Sports News
No Result
View All Result

FCS 2017: Could OVC Have Multiple Playoff Teams?

HERO Sports by HERO Sports
3 years ago
in News
Reading Time: 5min read
FCS 2017: Could OVC Have Multiple Playoff Teams?

HERO Sports will preview each FCS conference through Wednesday, Aug. 23 (see full schedule below). Today, it's the Ohio Valley Conference.

RelatedPosts

FCS Playoff Resumes Entering The 2021 Spring Season

FCS: The HBCU’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects

FCS: The Big South’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects

OhioValleyConference-logo

The Ohio Valley Conference may be up for grabs more so than any time in the past four years, but Jacksonville State is going to have to disagree with you a little bit there. The Gamecocks have a nice looking O-line and run game, even with stud OL Casey Dunn transferred up to Auburn and Eli Jenkins out of eligibility. And the defense? Stout looking, again. But Tennessee State and UT Martin both won 7 games last year and look even better this year, and one if not both of them seem likely to make the postseason. But can they supplant the Gamecocks? And don't discount Eastern Illinois either after they looked like a playoff team for much of last year and finished with a winning record. 

The truth is, this may be one of the more entertaining OVC in-conference seasons since 2011, when three teams tied for first.

RELATED: Denver Broncos' QB Kyle Sloter is another classic FCS story

[divider]

TennesseeState-Ebenezer-Ogundeko-football-2016
Tennessee State's Ebenezer Ogundeko (1) is a terror on the defensive line (TSU Athletics)

NAMES TO KNOW

THE NFL PROSPECT: Ebenezer Ogundeko, DL, Tennessee State
This former Clemson player is rated the No. 11 defensive end for the 2018 draft. About 20 D-ends get drafted each year.

THE VETERAN COACH: Jason Simpson, UT Martin
In 11 seasons, Simpson's Skyhawks teams have won 72 ballgames and been consistently strong. They look very strong this year.

TOP PASSER: Troy Cook, UT Martin
Former Florida State QB threw for 2,321 yards and 22 touchdowns last year.

TOP RUSHER: Roc Thomas, Jacksonville State
In a loaded backfield last year, former Auburn RB finished with 782 yards and 7 TDs for Gamecocks.

TOP RECEIVER: Jordan Gandy, Murray State
Caught 62 passes for 976 yards and 11 scores for the Racers.

TOP TACKLER: Gunnar Scholato, Austin Peay
A top 10 tackler nationally last year, he finished with 123 stops in 2016.

TOP SACK MAN: Darius Jackson, Jacksonville State
A top 20 sack man last year nationally, he finished with 10 from his LB position.

TOP INT ARTIST: (tie) Marlon Bridges, Jacksonville State and Kahlid Hagens, UT Martin
Both DBs picked off four passes last year and return.

BOUNCE BACK ARTIST: Mitch Kimble, QB, Eastern Illinois
Prior Syracuse player missed four games last year for EIU due to injuries. Watch out if he gets a full season.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Treon Harris, QB, Tennessee State
The former Florida Gator quarterback threw for nearly 2,700 yards and 18 TDs in the SEC.

[divider]

THE TEAMS

TOP FANBASE

Jacksonville State – With nearly 18,000 per game showing up, the Gamecocks have developed quite the following.

DID YOU KNOW?

Eastern Kentucky has won two FCS national championships and 21 conference titles. No other FCS program has won at least two national titles and 20 or more conference titles. The Colonels continue to rebuild the program under Mark Elder, who was on Butch Jones' staff at Tennessee prior to coming to EKU. Keep an eye on this program. With new facilities, some notable transfers (Arizona State RB Jason Lewis & Louisville RB L.J. Scott) and some very strong recruiting the past two springs, this is a FCS program on the rise — and it wants to get back to its success of the past.

NOTABLE

This might be the year of the quarterback in the OVC, and that's even with highly successful QB Eli Jenkins' departure from Jacksonville State. Many of the strongest candidates are recent or past transfers from FBS schools, like UT-Martin's Troy Cook (Florida State), Tennessee State's Treon Harris (Florida), Eastern Illinois' Mitch Kimble (Syracuse), Murray State's Shuler Bentley (Old Dominion) and Eastern Kentucky's Garrett Kruczek (UCF). Who is going to win the passing title in the OVC this year? Good luck figuring that out. 

THE DARKHORSE

tennessee-state-logo

Tennessee State. The Tigers won seven games last year and look even better than they did a year ago. They're loaded with starters back (17) and get former two-year Florida Gator starter Treon Harris at quarterback. Could this be the year Jacksonville State gets pushed? We're thinking so — whether it's the Tigers or UT Martin or one of the other programs that had solid 2016 campaigns.[divider]

THE FAVORITE

jacksonville-state-logo

Jacksonville State hasn't had an OVC blemish on its record since 2013 when Jimmy Garoppolo was plying his trade in the conference for Eastern Illinois, not for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Last year, SEMO came close to knocking off Jacksonville State, as UT Martin did in 2015 and Tennessee State did in 2014, but the Gamecocks have been untouchable — with their only regular season losses in three years being to Auburn in overtime, and LSU and Michigan State. With Eli Jenkins and several other top JSU players gone, could there be a chance for a strong defensive team like UT Martin, or Tennessee State or another program to rise up? Certainly. But my guess is Vegas would still go with JSU as the favorite here.

darius-jackson-jacksonville-st-football-celebrate
Jacksonville State's Darius Jackson was picked as the OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year (JSU Athletics)

[divider]

FCS PREVIEWS CONFERENCE BY CONFERENCE

Aug. 15 – The Northeast Conference and The Patriot League
Aug. 16 – Big South and Southern Conference
Aug. 17 – Ohio Valley and Southland
Aug. 18 – Ivy League and Pioneer League
Aug. 21 – CAA
Aug. 22 – SWAC and MEAC
Aug. 23 – Missouri Valley and Big Sky

Continue Reading
Previous Post

WATCH: Marco Asensio Scores Incredible Goal in the Spanish Super Cup

Next Post

FCS 2017 Season Preview

HERO Sports

HERO Sports

HERO Sports is a content creation platform. We use automation to create millions of sports articles every month for news/media clients including sports books, news-wires, college athletic departments, and publishers.

Related Posts

FCS Playoff Resumes Entering The 2021 Spring Season
College Football

FCS Playoff Resumes Entering The 2021 Spring Season

January 22, 2021
FCS: The HBCU’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects
College Football

FCS: The HBCU’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects

January 10, 2021
FCS: The Big South’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects
College Football

FCS: The Big South’s Top 2021 NFL Prospects

January 10, 2021
Next Post
FCS 2017 Season Preview

FCS 2017 Season Preview

Please login to join discussion
No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • Former FCS Players on Super Bowl 55 Rosters
  • FCS Spring 2021: The Best Returning TE In Each Conference
  • FCS PODCAST: WAC, ASUN Coming To The FCS
  • About HERO Sports
  • Advertise on HERO Sports
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 HERO Sports

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Pro Leagues
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • WNBA
    • NHL
  • College Football
    • D1 FBS
    • D1 FCS
  • NCAA Sports
    • Baseball
      • D1 Baseball
    • Basketball
      • D1 Men’s Basketball
      • D1 Women’s Basketball
    • Football
      • D1 FBS
      • D1 FCS
      • D2 Football
      • D3 Football
    • Soccer
      • D1 Men’s Soccer
      • D1 Women’s Soccer
  • More
    • About HERO Sports
    • Press
    • Contact

© 2020 HERO Sports