2017 Quarters vs Wofford

[Bison 4 Life]

You can't tell JMU that they aren't the premier brand in the FCS now.

[tony]

You can't tell JMU that they aren't the premier brand in the FCS now.

I probably could. They're a great program, but where are their wins over P5 teams, their top draft picks, and their 100+ win decades?

Of course, if NDSU is good enough and lucky enough to meet JMU in the championship, none of that is going to help beat them. They can make a good case for having the best defense in the history of the FCS if they keep playing like they have been.

[Professor Chaos]

JMU also only fills two thirds of their stadium at most in the playoffs. Last week they set a playoff attendance record for them with 16,000 and change (their stadium hold almost 26k IIRC). That probably plays a part in ESPN's decisions too.

[ZHerd]

NDSU still has the best brand name, JMU has the best football team. Obviously that will ultimately be proven true or false but if anyone is going to beat them it's going to take great defense, special teams and maybe some luck because I don't think any offense in FCS will do much against those guys.

[Bison 4 Life]

Meh, we'll see. They have had a lot of close games at the half this season, and not to the CAA powers.

They aren't as good as last year and we are better.

[stevdock]

Meh, we'll see. They have had a lot of close games at the half this season, and not to the CAA powers.

They aren't as good as last year and we are better.

Completely agree. Their defense might be really good, but you could make an argument that their strength of schedule is iffy. You would think they'd roll up way more points than they have on some of these teams they've played.

[Hammerhead]

JMU also only fills two thirds of their stadium at most in the playoffs. Last week they set a playoff attendance record for them with 16,000 and change (their stadium hold almost 26k IIRC). That probably plays a part in ESPN's decisions too.

Yet somehow ESPN manages to show bowl games in 60,000 seat stadiums where there might be 6,000 butts in seats if you are lucky.

[Bison20]

NDSU still has the best brand name, JMU has the best football team. Obviously that will ultimately be proven true or false but if anyone is going to beat them it's going to take great defense, special teams and maybe some luck because I don't think any offense in FCS will do much against those guys.

It will be interesting to see how sdsu offense would fair against jmu defense. That should be a great game if the both win this week. I don't think jmu would completely shutdown that offense.

[ZHerd]

It will be interesting to see how sdsu offense would fair against jmu defense. That should be a great game if the both win this week. I don't think jmu would completely shutdown that offense.

Their upcoming game against a Weber St. team that beat Western Illinois and handled SUU will be telling. If JMU is as good as I think they are the Jacks won't even be competitive. I'm curious and would love to see that matchup but a team with great pass rush and great cb play/pass coverage will make the Jacks offense look ho hum. I think they would really befuddle the Jacks.

[Professor Chaos]

Yet somehow ESPN manages to show bowl games in 60,000 seat stadiums where there might be 6,000 butts in seats if you are lucky.

That's because they're contractually obligated to. Their FCS playoffs contracts says that they can relegate one of the FCS semis to late afternoon Saturday on ESPNU like they did last year, for instance, to save more viewers from having to watch a game on the eye searing red turf.