College Sports Journal team lays out the initial top 25 of the season.
Author: Jamie Williams
Jamie is a proud 2002 graduate of James Madison University. He's witnessed the growth of the program from no one in the stands in 1998, to the hiring of Mickey Matthews, to the 2004 National Championship, to the 2008 team, to the struggles in the early 2010s, and finally the rebuild under Mike Houston. He also allegedly really enjoys Washington, DC-based Stanley Cup winners. Reach him at:
2022 Southern Conference Season Preview
The 2021 Southern Conference football season played out the way the SoCon always seems to play out: unpredictably. This season figures to have a similar finish.
2022 FCS Season Preview: East Tennessee State
Holmes was the biggest loss on the field, but Coach Randy Sanders was an equally big loss as he elected to retire after the season. Former Furman Associate Head Coach George Quarles takes over in 2022.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Chattanooga
Most of their leaders on defense are back this year which should lead to an even better unit than last season.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Mercer
Losing RB Fred Davis after a strong Freshman year certainly hurts but the Bears are on the right trajectory.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Western Carolina
This team has a look of a mid-2010s Samford which gave opponents fits offensively but played a lot of shootouts.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Virginia Military Institute
Korey Bridy will again be the feature back in 2022.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Furman
Last season showed Furman to be about what it has been for most of the past decade: an average team.
2022 FCS Season Preview: The Citadel
The Citadel needs more production from the front seven if they want to be more successful.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Wofford
Both sides of the ball will have to be much better this season.
2022 FCS Season Preview: Samford
Not only does Samford have to break in a new quarterback, but they also must replace their top three receivers from last year.
2021 Division I FCS Playoff Semifinal Preview: #3 James Madison at #2 North Dakota State
FCS SEMIFINAL PLAYOFF MATCHUP: JAMES MADISON AT NORTH DAKOTA STATEWHERE: FARGODOME, FARGO, N.D.WHEN: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 8:15 PM CSTTV/STREAMING: ESPN2 / WATCHESPN This JMU-NDSU rivalry has been blooming over the past five seasons but like all good things, they have to come to an end. This will be the last meeting (at least with both at […]
2021 Division I FCS Playoff Quarterfinal Preview: #6 Montana Grizzlies at #3 James Madison Dukes
Fans of James Madison, who will be competing in the Sun Belt next season, feel like this is the “rubber match” between the two programs and would be a fitting sendoff for the Dukes to avenge that semifinal loss. Montana fans, however, would like a different type of sendoff.
Playoff Round Two – Game Preview – Kennesaw State Owls at #7 East Tennessee State Buccaneers
On offense, you know what you are getting from Kennesaw State, you just don’t know where its coming from. The Owls run the triple option to near perfection.
FCS Playoff Round Two – Game Preview – Southeastern Louisiana Lions at #3 James Madison Dukes
These two teams have never faced each other. Both offenses are prolific.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 12 Preview
The CAA has two locks for playoff berths – James Madison and Villanova. If both of those teams win they will both wind up seeded as well. After that it’s a question of whether there will be another CAA team in the playoffs.
Southern Conference Week 12 Preview
As we come to the last week of the season, the path to determine the Southern Conference champion is as easy as it gets.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 11
We are one week out from selection Sunday when none of the polls will matter anymore. But one last time, let’s see where the CSJ staff lands.
Southern Conference Week 11 Preview
There are still four teams alive for the SoCon title, but for two teams – Mercer and Chattanooga – its simple: win both remaining games and win the conference.
FCS Conference (James Madison’s Former Conference) Week 11 Preview
The big news was off field in the mid Atlantic last week rather than on the field. James Madison has accepted an invite to the Sun Belt conference.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 10 Preview
The CAA is looking at three playoff bids this season most likely. The rest of the conference is beating itself up.
Southern Conference Week 10 Preview
There are four teams with one conference loss and everyone else has at least three conference losses. That’s four teams with playoff aspirations, but there wont be four seats at the table for the SoCon when all is said and done.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 9
It was a tame week in the top 25 overall. However, the losses were big. Two top five teams went down.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 9 Preview
The CAA playoff picture is starting to come into focus. Unfortunately, it is only focused on two or three teams right now. Can teams like Elon or William & Mary pick up a big win over the next few weeks to thrust themselves into the picture?
Southern Conference Week 9 Preview
East Tennessee State takes the week off. The rest of the conference plays each other as usual. There should be another chunk of good SoCon games.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 8
Five weeks from selection Sunday. Here is how our top 25 looks this week.
Southern Conference Week 8 Preview
#21 VMI takes this week off. The other eight teams face of in conference matchups.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 8 Preview
Last week’s results in the CAA left us with one team unbeaten in conference and six others with a single loss. Villanova is clearly in the driver’s seat, but the battle for playoff spots is far from decided in the CAA.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 7
Another week, another swath of conference upsets mixing up the top 25. Will this week be calm or will we flip it all on its head again?
Southern Conference Week 7 Preview
Western Carolina takes this week off. But the rest of the conference is in action with four head to head matchups.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 7 Preview
It’s a packed slate this weekend in the CAA with six games, five in conference. Elon takes the week off.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 6
With the results of last week, there are some major shakeups in the top 25 this week.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 6 Preview
This week we look forward to five conference matchups including two featuring two ranked teams.
Southern Conference Week 6 Preview
There are again four conference games on the schedule this weekend with Samford getting the bye week.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 5
This past week was highlighted by two top notch matchups. So many of the top ten teams played close, one score conference games. That’s what we should expect the rest of the way.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 5 Preview
This week, we have four conference games with one ranked matchup. Maine, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary will take the week off.
Southern Conference Week 5 Preview
This week brings four conference matchups with Furman sitting this week out on bye.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 4
. There were a couple big games and a few upsets along the way. Now we settle in for conference play which will have these teams moving up and down week after week. Who will emerge at the end?
Colonial Athletic Association Week 4 Preview
This week, there are another 5 CAA teams against FBS teams and one conference matchup. Albany, Delaware, James Madison, and Rhode Island take the week off.
Southern Conference Week 4 Preview
This week’s schedule brings three conference matchups and one out of conference game. Chattanooga and The Citadel both have this week off before eight straight weeks of conference play.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 3
It was week with not a lot of excitement from an upset stand point in the FCS this week. Because of that, there are just small moves here and there in the top 25.
Southern Conference Week 3 Preview
Week three will see our first conference game of the season and six more out of conference matchups with Mercer taking a bye week this weekend.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 3 Preview
Coming up this weekend for the CAA is a big conference matchup and a huge out of conference matchup. All 12 teams are in action with a third of the conference playing FBS opponents.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 2
There were two more FCS over FBS wins this past weekend as Jacksonville State and Duquesne were able to beat FBS foes.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 2 Preview
All 12 teams are in action this week with three conference matchups.
Southern Conference Week 2 Preview
Week two brings eight more non-conference games, with Wofford taking an early bye. Three teams play FBS schools, and one plays a DII opponent.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 1 Ending 9/7/2021
We finally got to stop talking about football and start watching it.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 1 Preview
CAA football is back in the fall! After a postponement of last falls’ schedule to the spring, a semi normal season returns this year.
Southern Conference Week 1 Preview
We are back! Back for a full fall schedule of football.
2021 Southern Conference Season Preview
How performance during the spring season will translate to the fall is completely unknown. The FCS has never had a season like the previous one.
