First note that aside from 2 games yesterday, this is BEFORE today's game. The 2023 championship field will consist of 10 automatic qualifiers, with another 14 at-large selections. To be one of those 14 (not 24) teams is what we are battling for. Bold means they are already in the play-ff in my opinions. However there are still today's game remaining to be played.
United Athletic Conference:: The first in our series of craziness. This is a merger of the ASUN and WAC. Last year they were combined for football-only, now it is an official single conference. This mean they conference will receive an auto-bid to the play-off and all teams can qualify for an at-large berth. Also, this is a very strong conference in terms of membership. Today Austin Peay and Central Arkansas will battle for the auto-berth. At this point, Both teams should be in, but because it is a new conference, it will be hard to justify a 7-4 Central Arkansas should they lose today.
1. Austin Peay
2. Central Arkansas
Big Sky: Always a power conference. should see as many bids as the MVFC. Again Montana vs. Montana State decides the autobid. The game to watch is not Montana v MSU; rather it is Sacramento State vs UC-Davis. If Davis wins, this will be either a 3-deep, or 5-deep conference for 2023. Idaho's loss to Weber is an issue, but the Vandals will show their return to prominence in the FCS with a win over Idaho State today. Weber's hapless free-fall kisses UNI's post-season goodbye.
1. Montana = 9-1
2. Montana State = 8-2
3. Idaho = 7-3
4. Sacramento State = 7-3
5. OC-Davis = 6-4
Big South - Ohio Valley: Well what mess this is. Individually, The Big South and Ohio Valley no longer exist for football and will share on autobid. Gardner-Webb will earn the Big South-OVC quto-berth to the FCS Playoffs, and share the league title with UT Martin, with a win today over Charleston Southern. UT Martin is looking for one final strong showing to solidify the team's playoff résumé. While Gardner-Webb can secure the association's automatic playoff bid with a win against Charleston Southern, the Skyhawks (IMO) have built a stronger regular season portfolio for an at-large bid. If GW loses, I think they are out of the Play-off.
1. UT-Martin = 8-2
2. Gardner-Webb = 6-4
CAA: Believe it or not, Albany is playing fantastic football and looking to win it's first-ever Colonial football crown. As of today UAlbany, Delaware, Richmond and Villanova are tied for first place in the conference. Right now the tie-breakers are still two numerous for me to care. I am just happy for Albany. The CAA is very much like the MVFC (including the Guins) is that two other teams are hovering at that 4-loss mark, with FBS losses (URI and W&M).
1. Delaware = 8-2
2. Villanova = 8-2
3. UAlbany = 8-3
4. Richmond = 7-3
MVFC: I know we have talked about this relentlessly, but I thght that up again other conferences, there might be a better perspective SDSU clearly has the conference crown an auto-berth to the play-off. Again this is as of today with a Saturday of action remaining.
1. SDSU = 10-0 ... IN
2. South Dakota = 8-2 ... IN
3. NDSU = 7-3 ... NDSU has a daunting task ahead today. If they defeat UNI, the Panthers are out.
4. UNI = 6-4 ... as mentioned above, the A Panthers are in a must-win situation. If they do win, strong wins vs. NDSU, YSU and UND look nice for the committee.
5. ILS = 6-4 ... A must-win today again North Dakota. However losses at YSU, UNI and Eastern Illinois (EIU likely out of the play-off this year). are huge detractors
6 North Dakota = 6-4 ... UND has a solid resume, but today is a must-win against ILS. Wins at NDSU is trong, but losses to UNI and S Dakota are detractors
7. YSU = 6-4 ... Well plenty of talk here about this already. In short, Solid wins at SIU and ILS are countered by losses at SDSU, UNI and S. Dakota.
8. SIU = 6-4 ... the biggest detractor for SIU is a losing record in the conference. A win today over ISU-blue makes it an even 4-4 & I just don't see any playoff for this team. But a huge win over MAC (FBS) power Northern Illinois. Combine that with a great performance and OT loss to SDSU Also a big win over UAC champ and play-off selection Austin Peay is such an impressive resume.
NEC: Duquesne University football team travels to Merrimack College today for its final regular season game of the year. The winner of the game will earn the Northeast Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I FCS Championship. With a loss, neither club has 7 d-I wins on the season, so this is a one-bid conference.
1. Duquesne = 6-4
2. Merrimack = 5-5
Patriot: Four teams can earn a share of the 2023 Patriot League football title, but just Lafayette and Holy Cross could claim the League’s automatic bid to the NCAA DI FCS Football Championship. Lafayette can claim at least a share of the League title and its first auto bid since 2013 by defeating Lehigh. Holy Cross would need a victory vs. Georgetown in their regular-season finale and a Leopards’ loss vs. the Mountain Hawks guarantee a return to the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Losses by Lafayette and Holy Cross would allow Georgetown to clinch a share of the Patriot League title for the first time in program history, creating the first tri-champion situation in League history. In that scenario, Colgate could also create the first quad-champion situation in League history by defeating Fordham
1. Lafayette = 8-2
2. Holy Cross = 6-4
Pioneer: Drake clinched a share of the 2023 PFL title last week with its 16-14 victory against Presbyterian and Davidson’s loss at Morehead State. Drake can clinch the PFL Championship outright and claim the league’s AQ spot in the FCS Playoffs with a win this weekend at Butler. Although St. Thomas is also 7-3, they are too new to FCS to qualify for the playoff.
Drake = 7-3
Davidson = 7-3
Butler = 7-3
SoCon: : Not to show me just how old I am, Furman clinched it's first outright SoCon title in 33 years. Other team are deserving of a spot, but I do not see it.Chattanooga has losses to all three other teams in contention.
1. Furman = 9-1 ... IN
2. Chattanooga = 7-3
3. Mercer = 8-3
4. W. Carolina = 7-3
Southland: Nicholls won the Southland Football title. Incarnate Word should make the post-season if they defeat HCU today.
1. Nicholls St.
2 Incarnate Word
