On the final Saturday of the regular season, a few games will determine who makes the FCS playoffs field of 16 and who stays home, while some others will help determine who the top four seeds are and who will have home-field advantage in the first round.
Here are five of today's big games:
Eastern Kentucky (5-5) vs. Jacksonville State (7-3)
What's at stake: Thanks to Eastern Illinois' loss to Tennessee State on Thursday, Eastern Kentucky can win the Ohio Valley Conference by defeating Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks would be playing for the title, but they are banned from the playoffs this season.
What will happen: Jacksonville State 35, Eastern Kentucky 31
Villanova (9-1) vs. Delaware (6-4)
What's at stake: Villanova will win the Colonial Athletic Association's automatic bid with a win, and a victory would almost certainly earn the Wildcats one of the top four seeds.
What will happen: Villanova 24, Delaware 21
Richmond (9-1) vs. William & Mary (9-1)
What's at stake: The defending national champion Spiders and the Tribe can both win the CAA with a victory and a Villanova loss. Both teams have been highly ranked all season, and the winner will surely be at home in the first round of the playoffs.
What will happen: Richmond 17, William & Mary 14
Elon (8-2) vs. Samford (5-5)
What's at stake: Elon probably is in the playoffs win or lose, but the Phoenix don't want to finish the season with back-to-back losses and give the selection committee any reason to withhold an at-large bid.
What will happen: Elon 28, Samford 17
Stephen F. Austin (8-2) vs. Northwestern State (0-10)
What's at stake: The game itself might not hold much drama, but the Lumberjacks can win the Southland Conference's automatic bid with a victory.
What will happen: Stephen F. Austin 54, Northwestern State 7
John Frierson is in his fifth year at the Times Free Press and fifth year covering University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletics. The bulk of his time is spent covering Mocs football, but he also writes about women’s basketball and the big-picture issues and news involving the athletic department. A native of Athens, Ga., John grew up a few hundred yards from the University of Georgia campus. Instead of becoming a Bulldog he attended Ole ...
Or login with:
New Account