CSJ Sagarin 2018 NCAA FCS Playoff Projection – Oct. 21

On By Kent Schmidt

Using the Sagarin ratings alone to project the FCS playoffs, along with the automatic bid for the conferences that receive a bid, the following would be the playoff teams this week.  These teams are seeded 1 through 24 for the 24 teams that make the FCS playoffs.

As a reminder, the following conferences receive an automatic bid, while 14 teams are selected as at-large picks.

Big Sky Conference
Big South Conference
Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA)
Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC)
Northeast Conference (NEC)
Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
Patriot League
Pioneer Football League 
Southern Conference
Southland Conference

Top 25 Rankings with playoff spot with the conference name indicating the automatic spot for its conference and then the 14 at-large spots also listed.   See the full Top 25 with the hyperlink.

The number to the left of the school is the overall Sagarin rating.

1   29  North Dakota State MVFC
2   57  James Madison CAA
3   74  Northern Iowa At-Large1
4   75  South Dakota State At-Large2
5   77  Illinois State At-Large3
6   95  Eastern Washington Big Sky
–   99  Princeton    x (Ivy)
7  102  Kennesaw State Big South
8  106  UC Davis At-Large4
9  111  Delaware At-Large5
10  113  Weber State At-Large6
11  114  Elon At-Large7
–  116  Dartmouth    x (Ivy)
12  119  Samford At-Large8
13  120  Colgate Patriot
14  122  Stony Brook At-Large9
15  124  Jacksonville State OVC
16  127  Towson At-Large10
17  128  North Dakota At-Large11
18  131  Western Illinois At-Large12
19  134  South Dakota At-Large13
20  136  Wofford SoCon
21  137  Idaho State At-Large14
22  142  Central Arkansas Southland
23  202  San Diego Pioneer
24  212  Central Connecticut NEC
Note that Central Arkansas, Central Connecticut State, and San Diego are currently leading the Southland, NEC, and Pioneer League and would be the last three schools into the field as those conference champions.
Also note that the Ivy League, MEAC, and SWAC do not have autobids.  The MEAC and SWAC champions play in the Celebration Bowl.  The SWAC also plays a championship game so both division champions would not be able to participate but any second place or lower team in either conference would be eligible.
For this week, no MEAC or SWAC schools are in the Top 22 of the standings.  But Princeton and Dartmouth from the Ivy League, who are in the this Top 22 are not eligible for the playoffs due to the Ivy League rule of no postseason play so these two were left off.

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