FCS Week 13 Thread

[NDSUstudent]

Key FCS Games(Games with FCS Playoff Implications)
Liberty at Charleston Southern 10 a.m. ESPN3- Charleston Southern is a team completely in control of its own destiny. Win and they recieve the Big South autobid, lose and they will be at home for Thanksgiving. Liberty is a team that has had CSU's number, the Flames have won seven consecutive games over the Buccanears. The Flames have also won their last four games, including a 24-0 thumping over a Gardner-Webb team that defeated Charleston Southern last week. Wtih a win Liberty would also still have a glimmer of hope of maybe sneaking into the playoffs at 8-4 but would need a ton of help.

Maine at New Hampshire 11 a.m. Comcast Sports Baltimore/Comcast Sports Northeast/Comcast Sports MA - At 6-4 UNH is clinging to the fringe of FCS playoff bubble, very much needing a marquee win. Something....anything to make them standout among the FCS bubble teams and a win over a Maine team that has yet to lose against an FCS opponent will certainly provide them that chance. At 7-4 UNH would still not be a sure thing but it would give them a chance. Maine also has a lot to play for, a top seed in the playoffs and of course bragging rights is on the line. These two rivals play for the Brice-Cowell Musket, which New Hampshire currently has possession of.

Lafayette at Lehigh 11:30 a.m. MASN2HD/Patriot League Network- I'm not sure I could pick a better game to decide who gets the Patriot League autobid. Lafayette and Lehigh is the most played football rivalry in all of college football and these two teams have met on the gridiron in every season since 1896. As for how this game will play into the FCS playoff picture, it is simple. The winner gets the Patriot League autobid while the loser is out.

SC State at Norfolk State noon- If SC State loses this game they are out and if they win they have reasonable shot of getting an at-large bid at 9-3. This is a game they should win but Norfolk State is capable of surprising teams, they did upset Bethune-Cookman a few weeks ago on the road.

EIU at UT Martin 1 p.m. ESPN3- At 7-4 UT Martin is much like New Hampshire, they are a team on the fringe needing something to make their potential playoff resume standout and in the week's last season they will get that one hail Mary to boost their resume. No OVC team has even really given EIU a game so the outlook may not seem bright for UTM but on any given Saturday anything can happen. Meanwhile for EIU a win basically locks up home field in the playoffs. The only team to have beaten EIU, Northern Illinois still has yet to lose a game this year.

SDSU at YSU 1 p.m. ESPN3- For SDSU this is a game that will put them into the playoff field. SDSU already holding a very impressive win over Southland champ Southeastern Illinois would be a playoff lock at 8-4. But for YSU an 8-4 record could put them in a tenuous position, unlike the Jacks the flightless birds do not have that marquee non-conference win. In fact they didn't really play anyone in non-conference outside of Michigan State. A win would surely put YSU in the FCS playoff field, likely making them one of just two MVFC teams in the field.

Samford at Elon 2 p.m.- By beating Chattanooga last week Samford kept their playoff hopes alive. With a win and a Furman loss the Bulldogs would clinch the SoCon autobid and even if Furman wins Samford is in decent shape for an at-large bid. If they lose to Elon though they are out.

Wofford at Furman- 11 a.m.- Must win game for Furman here. The SoCon autobid is their only hope to get in. The Paladins have played extremely well in their last few games and Wofford has really struggled so I have to like their chances but even with a win Furman is not in control of their destiny. If Samford loses, Chattanooga receives the autobid even if Furman wins due to their head to head win over the Paldins earlier this season.

NAU at SUU 2:05 p.m. Big Sky TV- NAU is a very likely in the FCS playoffs with a win in this game and perhaps would even garner a seed. Meanwhile for SUU they are not a sure thing at all if they lose and fall to 8-4, they really need a win to be a playoff lock.

William and Mary at Richmond 3 p.m- Last week Richmond dealt a huge blow to Delaware's playoff hopes and now they can play spoiler again vs the Tribe of William and Mary. William and Mary lost a tough game to Towson last weekend, the Tribe will very likely be in with a win here and in my opinion I think it is likely they get one. Their defense is just too good to let Richmond run up a bunch of points like Delaware did last week.

Sam Houston State at Central Arkansas 3 p.m. ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3- It is crazy that the two-time FCS runner up is now playing for its postseason life but that is the case and to make matters worse they will likely have to win without starting QB Brain Bell who may have broken his clavicle. Without Bell the Kats still have a lot of talent, especially with all-everything RB Tim Flanders still healthy. Fortunately for SHSU they are playing a team that has been decimated by injuries in UCA, if their back up QB can give them anything they should be able to do enough to win this one but they will be walking into postseason limping if they can't find a QB to replace Bell.

Upset Special
Delaware at Villanova 2:30 p.m. -I'm not sure what has happened to Delaware since their huge upset of Towson. Last week they let Richmond do whatever it wanted offensively in a 46-43 loss at home and two weeks ago William and Mary completely shut down their offense. Now they face their longtime rival Villanova, a team that entered 2013 with hopes of going to Frisco but have struggled to a 5-5 record vs a brutal schedule. Villanova is too good of a team to finish the season with a losing record, I think they get up for this game in a big way and leave their hated rival stunned sitting at home for the playoffs.

FCS Game of the Week
Montana at Montana State 1 p.m. Root Sports Rocky Mountain/Northwest- The game of the week as usual at the end of the regular season has to be the Brawl of the Wild. These two schools just hate each other and now you throw on top of that some huge playoff implications. Montana State must win or Denarious McGhee will end his career at home instead of in the playoffs. For the Griz they have a shot to put a dagger in Montana State while also putting themselves in possible contention for a postseason seed. The Griz enter this game on a bit of a roll. Winners of their last three games and five of their last six. At times they've shown to have a pretty potent offense. Meanwhile Montana State is reeling after a tough loss to SUU at home last week and getting routed by EWU on the road in week 11. With injuries to their running backs, the Bobcats will really need to lean on McGhee to have one more big game to push them into the postseason. The fact that anything can happen in a rivalry game makes this match up one worth paying attention to.

FCS Games on TV
Harvard at Yale 11 a.m. NBC Sports Network
Maine at UNH 11 a.m. Comcast Sports BA/NE/MA
Lafayette at Lehigh 11 a.m. MASN2HD
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina noon ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3
Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M 1 p.m. ESPN Classic/ ESPN3
Georgia Southern at Florida 1 p.m. ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3
Montana at Montana State 1 p.m. Root Sports Rocky Mountain/Root Sports Northwest
UT Chattanooga at Alabama 1 p.m. ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3
James Madison at Towson 2:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network
South Dakota at NDSU 2:30 p.m. NBC ND/FCS/Midco
Sam Houston State at Central Arkansas 3 p.m. ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3
Portland State at Eastern Washington 4:30 p.m. Root Sports Rocky Mountain/Root Sports Northwest/Direct TV 101
UC Davis at Sacramento State 5:30 p.m. Comcast Sports California/Big Sky TV
McNeese State at Lamar 6 p.m. ESPN Game Plan/ESPN3

FCS Streams(Free or ESPN3)
Nicholls State at SELA 6 p.m. ESPN3 **Game will be played on 11/21/2013**
Liberty at Charleston Southern 10 a.m. ESPN3
The Citadel at Clemson 11 a.m. ESPN3
Robert Morris at Saint Francis 11 a.m. NEC Front Row
Georgetown at Holy Cross 11:30 a.m. Patriot League Network
Lafayette at Lehigh 11:30 a.m. Patriot League Network
Bryant at CCSU 11:45 NEC Front Row
Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech noon ESPN3
Eastern Kentucky at Murray State noon OVC Digital Network
Fordham at Colgate noon Patriot League Network
Gardner Webb at Presbyterian noon Big South Video
Alabama A&M at Georgia Tech 12:30 p.m. ESPN3
Bucknell at VMI 12:30 p.m. Big South Video
South Dakota State at Youngstown State 1 p.m. ESPN3
Cal Poly at Northern Colorado 1 p.m. Big Sky TV
Eastern Illinois at UT Martin 1 p.m. ESPN3
Idaho State at Weber State 2 p.m. Big Sky TV
Northern Arizona at Southern Utah 2 p.m. Big Sky TV
Southeast Missouri at Jacksonville State 3 p.m. OVC Digital Network