Some boredom relief

[Grizzlygasoline]

The FCS victories over FBS programs are always the talk of college football -- a little touch of March Madness in September.
But when those games are out of the way and the top FCS programs are going head-to-head, they’re just as thrilling and important.
The big matchups are countless, but here are 15 that are must-see in the 2018 season:
North Carolina A&T vs. Jacksonville State (Aug. 25)

The FCS Kickoff gets it all started in “neutral” Montgomery, Alabama, which basically gives Ohio Valley Conference champ Jacksonville State a home game. But the Aggies are unfazed; they enter with a 12-game winning streak which is the longest in the FCS.



Northern Iowa at Montana (Sept. 1)

Montana wants back into the big time of the FCS and the return of head coach Bobby Hauck gives the Grizzlies a better chance. The two-time FCS champs and seven-time finalists have won all six previous matchups with UNI, most recently 20-14 in 2016.



Charleston Southern at The Citadel (Sept. 15)

Can’t we all get along? There is some lingering bitterness in "The Battle of Charleston." Charleston Southern pulled off two wins over The Citadel in 2015, including in the second round of the FCS playoffs.



Delaware at North Dakota State (Sept. 22)

FCS champ NDSU doesn't face an FBS opponent again this year, but its first-ever meeting with Delaware is certainly intriguing. While Delaware has a strong run game and defense like NDSU, the Bison are better in the pass game behind quarterback Easton Stick and on special teams.



Sam Houston State at Nicholls (Sept. 22)

Nicholls has lost 11 straight games in this Southland Conference series, but Sam Houston State is a bit vulnerable after losing the likes of quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe and defensive lineman P.J. Hall. The Colonels are bringing back all 10 of their players that have earned all-conference honors.



South Dakota State at North Dakota State (Sept. 29)

A week after playing Delaware, NDSU has revenge on its mind because it’s lost two straight regular-season games (which decides the Dakota Marker trophy) against rival South Dakota State. No other program has defeated the Bison twice in the last seven seasons, a span in which they’ve won six national titles.



Austin Peay at Jacksonville State (Sept. 29)

The Gamecocks enter the season with a 33-game winning streak in the Ohio Valley Conference, and it should be 34 when last year’s second-place squad visits Burgess Snow Field. Austin Peay defensive end Jaison Williams and linebacker Gunnar Scholato form a dynamic duo.



North Dakota State at Northern Iowa (Oct. 6)

OK, who’s responsible for NDSU’s schedule? Make it Delaware, South Dakota State and UNI in a 15-day span. Head coach Chris Klieman’s squad doesn’t even get that kind of trifecta in the playoffs.



Eastern Washington at Weber State (Oct. 13)

In a Big Sky that is the largest conference in the FCS, there are many important games. But a motivated Eastern Washington squad and defending co-champ Weber State, which is coming off its greatest season (11-3, FCS quarterfinals), are in the top 10 entering the season.



James Madison at Villanova (Oct. 13)

James Madison, the 2016 FCS champ and '17 national runner-up, hasn’t lost in CAA Football since 2015 (18 straight games entering the season), but this is a difficult road assignment. When healthy, Villanova can match the Dukes in most ways.



Grambling State at Alcorn State (Oct. 20)

With the SWAC moving away from a conference championship game this year, there’s little margin for error in a seven-game conference schedule. This matchup is ultra-important for two-time defending SWAC champ Grambling and an Alcorn squad that appeared in the last four title games.



Wofford at Samford (Nov. 3)

Samford won at Wofford last season, although the Terriers still won the Southern Conference championship. On offense, it’s run (Wofford triple option) versus pass (Samford senior Devlin Hodges).



James Madison at New Hampshire (Nov. 3)

Considering they’re No. 2 and 3, respectively, in Athlon Sports' FCS Preseason Top 25, you know this a much-anticipated matchup. But, oh, do these CAA powers have some landmines to sidestep in the first two months of the season.



Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State (Nov. 17)

People have been looking forward to this game since it was announced in June 2017 that these two teams would meet in the first college football game to be played at SunTrust Park, the second-year home of the Atlanta Braves. But along came a Kennesaw playoff upset of JSU last November to raise the stakes more.



Harvard vs. Yale (Nov. 17, in Boston)

Could the Ivy League title be on the line when The 135th rendition of "The Game" is played at a sold-out Fenway Park? Harvard has 17 all-time titles, including nine under head coach Tim Murphy, but Yale won last season under Tony Reno.

-- Written by Craig Haley, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Haley has covered the FCS level since 1999 and is the national writer for www.fcs.football. He appears frequently on radio shows and podcasts to discuss everything FCS. Follow him on Twitter @CraigHaley.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Here’s Hero Sports version

WEEK 1
NORTHERN IOWA @ MONTANA
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.

There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.

WEEK 2
MONTANA STATE @ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.

For the home team, the Jackrabbits are coming off a semifinal appearance. There’s a lot of doubters out there after tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver Jake Wieneke have moved on to the NFL. That’s a ton of production gone. But the majority of the starters are coming back, and the Jacks want to prove this team isn’t going back to a program that rarely makes it past the second round.

WEEK 3
SOUTH DAKOTA @ WEBER STATE
Yes, another Big Sky vs. MVFC game. But let’s not undersell the importance of these matchups. There’s thought that the Valley is going to take a step back this year. There’s also strong belief this conference is still the best in the FCS. Meanwhile, the Big Sky is expected to take a huge step forward.

This Big Sky vs. MVFC Challenge series is going to play a huge role when it comes to the FCS Playoff Selection Show. When the bubble is jam-packed, this series is going to be looked at when deciding if a 7-4 Big Sky team or a 7-4 MVFC team gets in. USD and Weber lose key seniors from last year. However, they feel they have something to prove and still have the athletes returning to make another postseason appearance.

WEEK 4
SAM HOUSTON STATE @ NICHOLLS
This early matchup is probably going to determine who wins the Southland Conference. The rest of the league just doesn’t look very strong and SHSU and Nicholls are no doubt the top two teams. The Colonels return basically their entire team coming off a playoff appearance.

SHSU made the semifinals last year and defeated Nicholls 66-17. Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe and defensive tackle P.J. Hall are gone, though, and the defense desperately needs improvement while the offense should be just fine. Whoever wins this game is probably looking at a zero or one-loss season and a playoff seed.

WEEK 5
SAMFORD @ KENNESAW STATE
These teams are getting a ton of preseason love for being unproven programs. They can show the nation something in this nonconference game. KSU is our No. 3 team in the preseason poll after making the quarterfinals in just its third season as a program. The Owls return everyone on the nation’s best rushing offense and play solid defense.

Samford is No. 6 and its quarterback Devlin Hodges is our preseason First Team All-American. But the Bulldogs haven’t even won a playoff game since 1992, losing in the first round in 2013, 2016 and 2017. Samford and Kennesaw are favorites in their conferences, but this nonconference game is going to play a huge role on if they are seeded or not.

WEEK 6
WOFFORD @ CHATTANOOGA
Here’s an underrated midseason game that could greatly impact playoff bids for the Southern Conference. With the Big Sky, CAA and MVFC looked at as the power three conferences, the SoCon falls at No. 4. The question is does that equal two or three playoff bids? Four is probably asking for too much and one is too disrespectful to the competitive league.

Wofford won the conference last year and earned a playoff seed. Chattanooga went from a preseason ranked team to a 3-8 record. But the Mocs are expected for a big bounce-back year and compete for a playoff spot. They can make the SoCon an interesting race with a win here.

WEEK 7
NORTH DAKOTA STATE @ WESTERN ILLINOIS
Some predict the Bison to go 15-0 and win another national title this year. But there always seems to be that one-off game where NDSU suffers a loss during the MVFC gauntlet. This game may be the one. The Bison are coming off back-to-back rival games versus SDSU and at UNI. Macomb is a tough place to play, for good and bad reasons.

This is also an important game to keep the Leatherneck’s playoff hopes alive. Just look at all their games leading up to this one: Montana State, Illinois, Montana, Youngstown State and Illinois State. Sheesh.

WEEK 8
DELAWARE @ NEW HAMPSHIRE
James Madison is a heavy favorite to win the CAA again, but this conference is good enough for the No. 2 team to earn a seed. Delaware and UNH appear to be two early candidates for that spot in the standings. It’ll definitely be an entertaining matchup.

The Blue Hens have a powerful defense and an underwhelming 2017 offense they hope to improve on. The Wildcats are quite literally the opposite. This one has playoff seed implications written all over it.

WEEK 9
IDAHO @ EASTERN WASHINGTON
EWU looks to gain respect back as a national power. Idaho looks to not be embarrassed by FCS opponents as the Vandals drop down from the FBS. With FBS-level players and recruiting classes, one would expect them to come in right away and be a threat in the FCS. We’ll find out how well they compete with some of the top FCS teams.

The Eagles are going to be one of those top teams. With 16 returning starters, they are the preseason Big Sky favorite. Idaho, meanwhile, should feel they can beat anyone in the FCS. Every week is going to be a wild one in the Big Sky. This game is going to shake up the conference standings.

WEEK 10
JAMES MADISON @ NEW HAMPSHIRE
If the Dukes are going to suffer their first CAA loss under head coach Mike Houston, this is one to circle. JMU does match up well with the Wildcats with strength vs. strength (JMU’s secondary vs. UNH’s passing attack). It was evident last year just how tough it is to get through the CAA schedule unscathed when the Dukes were in several close games before pulling away in the fourth quarter.

UNH is one of the more experienced teams in the FCS with 18 returning starters coming off a trip to the quarterfinals. This game is at the end of a tough stretch for the Dukes with the prior games coming against Richmond, Elon, Villanova and Stony Brook.

WEEK 11
NORTHERN IOWA @ YOUNGSTOWN STATE
There’s a very real chance these two teams could be battling for second in the MVFC. There’s also a very real chance this could be a playoff elimination game. With how their schedules line up, especially for the Panthers, this looks like a must-win game for both teams.

UNI is used to being in playoff mode early in the season. And YSU has been known to drop important games in November. A Nov. 10 game in Youngstown, Ohio, pitting two physical teams against each other? Now that’s football.

WEEK 12
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. KENNESAW STATE
As I tweeted, no one nationally is going to take JSU seriously until this game. The Gamecocks put up a clunker against North Carolina A&T in Week 0 in the FCS Kickoff game. It’s likely they’ll go on a nine-game winning streak against inferior opponents, but this game against a presumed ranked opponent is going to decide if the Gamecocks get a seed. The last two seasons, JSU has lost right away in the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. It was KSU who knocked the Gamecocks off last year.

As for the 2018 Owls, this is a huge game to determine their seeding. If they play to their potential, this team should have no more than one loss entering Week 12. An “L” to the Gamecocks here could knock them out of a first-round bye.

MONTANA STATE @ MONTANA
I’m going to go with two games here because it’s my article and I can. This is the best rivalry in FCS football. And the stakes could be at an all-time high in 2018. The Brawl of the Wild may very well be a play-in game for the postseason.

These proud programs are back on the rise. They’ll both probably have similar records with six or seven wins at this point. If that's the case, whoever wins is in. Whoever loses may get pushed down a couple spots in the final Big Sky standings and miss out on the playoffs once again.

 

[Griz2k]

Here’s Hero Sports version

WEEK 1
NORTHERN IOWA @ MONTANA
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.

There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.

WEEK 2
MONTANA STATE @ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.

Huh?

 

[PlayerRep]

Here’s Hero Sports version

WEEK 1
NORTHERN IOWA @ MONTANA
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.

There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.

WEEK 2
MONTANA STATE @ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.

Huh?

1984.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Can’t believe the Drake game didn’t make this list....

 

[blackfoot griz]

Here’s Hero Sports version

WEEK 1
NORTHERN IOWA @ MONTANA
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.

There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.

WEEK 2
MONTANA STATE @ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.

Huh?

1984.

Well stated PR

 

[Fahque]

Here’s Hero Sports version

WEEK 1
NORTHERN IOWA @ MONTANA
We’re going to find out real quick what Bobby Hauck’s squad looks like in his first year back. He’s transforming the Grizzlies from an air-raid, hurry-up offense to a more physical approach with a bigger emphasis on defense.

There a few teams more physical in the FCS than UNI. The Panthers eye yet another trip to the playoffs, but have always had to fight through tough nonconference schedules. With a trip to Iowa in its next game, UNI doesn’t want its back against the wall again with an 0-2 record.

WEEK 2
MONTANA STATE @ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
A rematch from last year’s 31-27 thrilling SDSU win in Bozeman, this game is one of the best nonconference contests this season. On one side, the Bobcats are on the verge of returning to the Big Sky power they’re known to be. The playoffs is not only a goal, but the expectation.

Huh?

1984.

 

[Gaeilge1]

O'K movie. Great Book!