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FCS vs FBS, Week One (Set Four)

Most likely upsets?

  • Hampton at Old Dominion

    Votes: 3 15.0%
  • Howard at Maryland

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jackson State at UNLV

    Votes: 12 60.0%
  • Richmond at Virginia

    Votes: 8 40.0%
  • Southern Illinois at Florida Atlantic

    Votes: 7 35.0%
  • Southern Utah at Utah

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • W Carolina at E Carolina

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • Total voters
    20

IdaGriz01

Well-known member
Looks like interest is waning in Set Three of the week one FCS-FBS games. I have to admit that was not a great set, since the list included rather bleak prospects for a credible upset. That means it might be time to serve up the next set. And it’s a good one, I think, with a couple where upsets are definitely within the range of possibility. There are also a couple more where upsets are not out of the question.

Two choices and you can change your mind. (In case anyone was wondering and has not figured it out, the games are listed in alphabetical order of the FCS team … has nothing to do with the upset probability.)

Hampton had an okay, up-and-down year. But they apparently had a great recruiting year, with several guys they think can be impact players right away in 2016. They also have a WR who can be their go-to guy on offense. ODU got worse from 2014 to 2015 (when they went 5-7) and no one seems to think they’re going to be better in 2016.

Howard was the worst team in the MEAC, and that’s saying a lot (in a very bad way). They were apparently a very young team and had to depend upon a freshman running back. Perhaps returning 16 starters, now with more experience, will help them turn it around. The good news: Maryland was the worst team in the Big Ten, so they’re not exactly a powerhouse. Plus, they have a brand new head coach, who has to rebuild a defense that was not all that great. This might get interesting if Howard actually does turn it around.

Jackson State was pretty bad (3-8) last year, so this does not look good for them. They have a new head coach, but at least he has 17 returning starters to work with and signings have apparently improved their overall depth. On the other sideline, UNLV was also pretty bad … one of their three wins was against Idaho State.

Richmond had a great year (10-4), advancing all the way to the semi-final game. They return 16 starters from that team, including two All-Americans … so they will tough again. They will need to rebuild their running game, but they still have an All-American at QB. Virginia sucked last year at 4-8. One of those wins was a close game with William & Mary, plus they had to go into triple-OT, at home, to beat a bad Syracuse team. It’s going to take time for Coach Mendenhall (over from BYU … wonder how much $$$ he got) to turn things around. Can you say upset alert?

Southern Illinois had a terrible year, losing four straight at the end of the season (when they, admittedly, played the strongest opponents). The Salukis have a new coach, but it was a promotion of the assistant who ran the offense … the only really good part of SIU’s team last year. Luckily for SIU, Florida Atlantic was pretty bad last year also. No one down there seems to be expecting anything much better for next season.

Southern Utah is, of course, the defending Big Sky Conference champion. They do have a new head coach, but he’s been with the program for eight years. They seem to think they have reloaded to fill major graduation holes in the defense and like their new drop-down QB from BYU. Utah had a great year, including a solid win in their bowl game. Looks pretty bleak for SUU.

Western Carolina had a pretty good year, and was another 7-4 team with an outside shot at the playoffs. Two of their losses were to FBS Tennessee and Texas A&M. They have some holes to fill, but seem to have capable backups who can move up. Also, several good players are apparently returning after season-ending injuries last year. They also return the 2015 SoCon defensive player of the year. East Carolina had a losing season last year, including an opening loss to Towson. They are not returning that many starters so, while they supposedly had a good recruiting year, they may be a year (or more) away from contention in the AAC.
 
There may be a couple upsets in here. I picked s Illinois and Jackson st. Hampton has a decent chance as well.
 
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